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Overview: Tags are invisible labels that give semantic meaning to the document. Tags help screen readers and other assistive technologies know what each element is. It could be a heading, an image, a paragraph, anything. They convey this information to users as tags, then users have the ability to easily navigate the document and understand its structure.

Section 4.1: How to Tag Manually

Tags are used in Adobe Acrobat to identify a contents value in a document so it can be read and interpreted by assistive technology. By tagging an object, we are assigning a hierarchical value to an element. For example: An <H1> tag is used for Headings Style 1 or the main heading for a section or chapter. <H2> is used for Heading Style 2, most commonly used for subsections. In a hierarchy, <H2> must be parented under <H1>. Paragraphs or <p>, but be parented under <H2> or in necessary order. Headings must always be higher than paragraphs.

There are two methods to manually add a tag:

  1. Directly in the tag tree

  2. Using the Reading Order Tool

When you tag directly in the tag tree you can either,

  • Create an empty tag and then associate the content with it. (Not recommended due to it taking longer.)

  • Create the tag and associate the content at the same time. (Much faster)

When you use the Reading Order Tool, the tag is automatically created and associated with the content at the same time.

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Section 5.1: Working with the Tag Tree

To see if your document has tags, go to the Navigation Pane and select the Tags Page. The Accessibility Tags pane will open and you will see one of two things.

  1. There is a tagged tree with several tags for your document.

    The text Tag Tree with a bracket next to the Tags Pane.Image Added
  2. The words No Tags Available.

    The Accessibility Tags Pane with the alert No Tags Available.Image Added

Section 5.2: Adding a Tags Root to an Untagged PDF

  1. Open the Tag Navigation Pane. Click the Options drop-down menu.

    Accessibility Tags section in Adobe Acrobat. No tags available highlighted in blue.Image RemovedTags Pane in Adobe Acrobat.Image RemovedOptions Drop-down menu in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed
  2. Select Create Tags Root. A tag icon should appear.

    Accessibility Tags pane with a tag inside.Image Removed

Section 4.2: Adding Tags

Now we can start creating our tags for the document. To create your new tags,

  1. Right-click the Tags Root.

    Accessibility Tags pane with a tag inside.Image Removed
  2. Select New Tag.

  3. For our Coastal Comforts Example, we will create a Document Tag.

  4. Select the Type from the dropdown menu and choose Document.

    New Tag box, type drop-down menu says Document.Image Removed
  5. Add a title

    New Tag box with type set to Document. Title is called Coastal Comforts Employee Manual.Image Removed
  6. Click OK. Your tag will appear in the hierarchy.

    Example of a Document Tag.Image Removed

Section 4.3: Editing Tags and Tag Types

Any tag can be changed to another tag type. Heading 1 can be changed to a Heading 2 or Paragraph, or anything you want. You can achieve this in two ways:

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If there are no tags in the Accessibility Tags Pane, you need to start by creating a Tags Root. This is very similar to HTML’s Body Tag.

  1. To create a Tag Root, click on the Options Button.

    The Options Button that has three horizontal buttons and the text Options Button with an arrow pointing at the button.Image Added
  2. Click Create Tags Root. The No Tags Available alert will change to Tags. There is also an option to Autotag the Document, but that will be discussed later.

    The Create Tags Root button with a box around the option.Image AddedThe Accessibility Tags Pane with an alert that says Tags.Image Added

Section 5.3: Add Tags

Next, you need to add tags for the content in your project. To add tags,

  1. Click on the Options button and select New Tag.

    The New Tag button highlighted with a black box.Image Added
  2. The New Tag popup box will appear. Choose the type of tag you want to make from the dropdown menu. Our example is a document, so the Type will be a Document Tag.

    The New Tag popup box with type set to Document.Image Added
  3. Add an optional title and click OK. This is the process for creating all of the tags available in Adobe Acrobat.

    An empty Document Tag is visible under the Tags Alert.Image Added
Info

Note: Instead of right-clicking the Root Tag, you can create new tags by opening the Options Menu in the Tags Pane. When using this method, ensure the appropriate tag level is highlighted or selected in the tag tree. For instance, if a Heading 1 level tag is selected and you create a new tag via the Options Menu, the new tag will be added as a child of the Heading 1 tag. To place a new tag at the top level of the tree, make sure to click on or select the Tags Root first.

Section 5.4: Edit Tags/Change Tag Type

You have the ability to change any type of tag to another type - for example, you can make a simple change a Heading Level 1 Tag to a Heading Level 2 or a more radical change like a Paragraph Tag to a List Tag. In your tag tree, you can change tags in two ways:

  1. Double-click the tag and type in the new tag name directly.

    Example of a Document Tag.Image RemovedThe H1 tag is double clicked and is surrounded by a box.Image Added
  2. Right click the tag , and select Properties. In the Tag Tab tab, select the Type of tag from the drop-down menu.

    Object Properties Box, Tag tab is open.Image Removed

Section 4.4: How to Move Tags

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  1. The H1 expansion menu is open with the Properties button at the bottom. The Properties button highlighted with a black box. Image AddedThe Object Properties box with the Tag tab open. The Type box dropdown menu is visible.Image Added

Info

Note: If you use the first method, there is no warning when an entry is mistyped. For example, if you accidentally type <J1> instead of <H1>, you will receive no error alert. Instead, any tag that is misspelled will be considered as a simple paragraph.

Section 5.5: Moving Tags

If you want to move a tag, you need to drag and drop it within the tag tree.

  • If the little small black arrow appears is positioned to the left of the tag icon with a long longer line, the tag will be placed right after that added immediately after the current tag, at the same hierarchical level.

    Longer Line Example with some text saying Same tag level as preceding tag.Image Added
  • If the little black arrow appears is positioned to the right of the tag icon with a shorter line, the tag will be placed underneath that added below the current tag, nested as a nested child.

    Short Line Example with some text saying Child tag of preceding tag.Image Added

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6: Deleting Tags

You can delete tags by selecting them, then pressing the delete There are two ways to delete tags in Adobe Acrobat.

  1. Select your tag and press the Delete key on the keyboard.

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  1. Right click a tag and

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  1. click Delete Tag.

    An expansion with the option Delete Tag highlighted.Image Added

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7: Associate Content with Tags

If After you create empty tags in the tag tree (right-click the Tags Root, then click New Tag), you must manually associate them with content.

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a tag, you need to add content to those tags for the content to be read by a screen reader. To add content to an existing tag,

  1. Click the Selection Tool .

    Selection Tool in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed

    Select and click on the content in the document paneDocument Pane.

    Part 1 Introduction text highlighted.Image Removed
  2. Right-click the tag .Select and select Create Tag from Selection.

  3. Now a container with the content will be created inside that tag.

    A Heading 2 Tag with Part 1 Introduction inside it.Image Removed

Section 4.8: How to Create a Tag and Add Content to a Tag at the Same Time

In general, this is the recommended way to add a tag, because you're completing two steps in one and saving yourself extra work. However, in some cases you'll find it might be quicker to create a few empty tags and quickly drag and drop existing content in the tag tree into them. So it's useful to know both methods.

  1. Click the Selection tool.

    Selection Tool in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed
  2. Select the content.

    Part 1 Introduction Text highlighted.Image Removed
  3. Click the Options menu.

    Options Dropdown menu in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed
  4. Select An adobe acrobat pdf with four steps of instructions for how to create a tag manually.Image AddedA tag is selected and the content is highlighted in a pink box.Image Added
Info

Note: Create Tag from Selection is somewhat inaccurate in this sequence, as the tag already exists. Think of it as being "Associate the tag with the selection."

You also have the ability to create a tag with its content at the same time. It is recommended to use this method because it is usually must faster and saves you a couple steps. Keep in mind that there are some cases where it is still better to use the previous method, so keep both methods in mind when tagging. To create a tag with its content at the same time,

  1. Click the Selection tool and select the content.

  2. Click the Options button and select Create Tag from Selection.

    An adobe acrobat pdf with three steps to create a tag with content.Image AddedThe Options dropdown menu with Create Tag from Selection highlighted.Image Added
  3. Select the Type of tag from the drop-down menu and click OK.

    New Tag Box. Type is set at Heading Level 2Image RemovedHierarchy Example with a Heading 2 Tag for Part 1 IntroductionImage Removed

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  1. A tag with its content will appear in the Accessibility Tags Pane.

    The New Tag box with Type set to Heading Level 1.Image AddedThe accessibility tags pane with a Heading 1 Tag for Part 1 Introduction.Image Added

Section 5.8: Finding Tagged Content from the Tag Tree or Document Pane

To find a particular tag from a selection tagged content from the tag tree, click on the tag in the tag tree and a pink outline will appear around the content in the Document Pane:.

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If you want to find tagged content from the Document Pane,

  1. Click the Selection Tool .

    Selection Tool in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed

    Highlightand highlight/select the item with your cursor.

    Part 1 Introduction Text highlighted.Image Removed
  2. Open Click on the Options Menu button in the Accessibility Tags Pane .

    Options Dropdown menu in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed

    Select and select Find Tag from Selection.

    An Adobe Acrobat pdf with three steps to find tagged content from the document pane.Image Added
  3. The tag will be highlighted/selected in the tag tree.

    Heading 2 Tag highlighted Image RemovedA paragraph is highlighted with a pink border.Image Added

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9: Using the Reading Order Tool

To open the Reading Order Tool:

  1. Go to Tools then Accessibility.

    Tools Tab in Adobe Acrobat.Image RemovedAccessibility Tool in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed
  2. From the drop-down, select Add Shortcut.

    Action Wizard Tool on top, Accessibility Tool in the middle, Edit PDF tool in the middle.Image Removed
  3. You'll then see it appear as a purple icon in the right-side Tools Pane.

  4. If you've previously created this Accessibility shortcut, you can just access it directly from the Tools Pane.

  5. Select Reading Order.

    Reading Order Tools on the left with all boxes checked. On the right, the Reading Order is selected with blue text.Image Removed

This The Reading Order Tool, formerly known as the Touch Up Reading Order Tool (TURO), provides a visual method for adding and editing tags. While it achieves the same outcome as working in the tag tree, this tool offers a more intuitive tagging experience, especially for those unfamiliar with HTML tagging.

Info

Note: Drawing a box around the content can sometimes be challenging. The tool may accidentally include extra blank space or miss parts of your selection. If this happens, simply click the mouse to clear the selection and try again until you’ve selected the correct content.

A paragraph with the bottom three lines highlighted in pink borders.Image Added

To use the Reading Order Tool:

  1. Click on the Prepare for Accessibility Tool in the Tasks Pane.

    The Prepare for Accessibility tool highlighted with a black box.Image Added
  2. The Prepare for Accessibility Pane will open. Go to the bottom of the listed tools and click Fix Reading Order.

    The Fix Reading Order tool highlighted with a black box.Image Added
  3. The Reading Order Tool will appear. Keep in mind that this tool doesn’t offer all possible tag types, so if you need one that isn’t listed, you’ll have to create that tag in the Accessibility Tags

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  1. pane.

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  1. The Reading Order box with several buttons that create different tag types.Image Added
  2. Next, draw a rectangle around the content you want to tag and select the desired tag type (e.g., Paragraph).

    A paragraph highlighted with pink borders.Image Added
  3. The tool automatically creates the tag and associates it with the selected content. Whether you choose this visual approach or prefer to edit tags in the tag tree depends on your personal preference.

    A paragraph labeled with 1. Meaning it will be the first thing read by a screen reader.Image AddedA paragraph tag for a paragraph in the pdf.Image Added

Section 5.10: Container Tags

Container elements are the highest level of element and provide hierarchical grouping for top-level elements used to group other block-level elements . However, these tags do not convey any semantic meaning to the document. They are simply used to hierarchically. While they don't carry semantic meaning in the document, they help organize the tag tree structure and are more for the benefit of structure, primarily aiding the document author rather than the end user. They Screen readers will not be picked up or announced by screen readersdetect or announce them, but they might be very helpful to find your way around in a long document.

These tags are:

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can be invaluable for navigating lengthy documents.

The following tags serve as container elements, primarily used to group and organize other tags within a document:

  • <Document>: The root element of a document's tag tree.

  • <Part> — the Part element. Used to structure a large : Represents a major division of a document, like such as a chapter or sometimes a page. May It can group smaller content units of content together, such as division elements, article elements, or section elements (see like divisions, articles, or sections (described below).

  • <Div> — the Division element. : A generic block-level element or group grouping of block-level elements.

  • <Art> — the Article element. A : Represents an article—a self-contained body of text considered being that functions as a single narrative within a larger group of contentcontext.

  • <Sect> — the Section element. A general container element type, which is usually a component of a part element or an article element.

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  • : Denotes a section, typically part of a chapter or article, and is used as a general container element.

These container tags are intended solely for grouping and structuring other tags, without adding semantic meaning.

For example, a book could be organized using <Part> tags for each chapter, <Sect> tags for each section of that chapter, and <Part> tags again for every page in that chapter.

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You can also turn items that have already been tagged into Artifacts. This is often necessary when you’re working with an automatically tagged document during manual touch-up.

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Open the Tags Pane.

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11: Artifacts

To ensure screen readers ignore specific content, like decorative images, you must mark those items as Artifacts. Simply leaving them untagged is not a proper method for designating content to be ignored.

If you use the Reading Order Tool,

  1. Go to the All Tools Pane and click on the Prepare for Accessibility Tool.

    The Prepare for Accessibility tool highlighted with a black box.Image Added
  2. Click on the Fix Reading Order Tool. Using the cursor (which is shaped like a crosshair) click and drag a box around the content.

    The Fix Reading Order Tool highlighted with a black box.Image Added
  3. In the Reading Order Tool, select the Background/Artifact button.

    The Reading Order Tool with the Background and Artifact button highlighted in a black box. The image is highlighted with a pink box.Image Added
  4. Now your content will be turned into an artifact and any tags made for that item will be gone. If you want to make several things an artifact at once, hold down the shift key while selecting the zone around each one, then select the Background/Artifact button.

If you use the Tags Pane,

  1. Open the Accessibility Tags pane and right click on the content that needs to be labeled as an Artifact (not artifact. This should not be the tag itself, but the content within it, the tag which is next to the container icon that looks like a little box).

    Background and Artifact Button in Adobe Acrobat.Image RemovedA Figure tag with an image container selected.Image Added
  2. Select Change Tag to Artifact.

    The Options dropdown menu, with Change Tag to Artifact highlighted.Image Added

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12: Finding Artifacts

To find an Artifact that has been removed from the tag tree:

  1. Click the Options menu in the Tags Pane.

    Options Drop-down menu in Adobe Acrobat.Image Removed
  2. Click Find.In the Accessibility Tags Pane, click on the Options button and click Find.

    The Find button in Adobe Acrobat.Image Added
  3. Artifacts will already be selected as the first option in the drop-down menu.

    The Find Element box in Adobe Acrobat with Find set to Artifact. Type is set to Search Document. Image Added
  4. Select Search Page or Search Document .Click and click the Find Next button.

    Find Element Box, Find dropdown says Artifacts. Search Document is checked.Image Removed

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