Check PDF Standards
A free Adobe Acrobat plugin that reports the PDF standards declared in document metadata. Identify declarations for PDF/A, PDF/UA, PDF/X, and more.
Last updated March 2026
Try it online first. You can validate a PDF/A document online for free — no installation, no license. The plug-in below reports metadata declarations inside Acrobat, including in batches. Declaration reporting is different from full conformance validation.
Overview
Check PDF Standards reads the standards declarations in PDF metadata. It helps you identify declared PDF/A, PDF/UA, PDF/X and other profiles across files. A declaration does not prove conformance: use an appropriate validator and any required manual checks before relying on a document for archival, accessibility or print requirements.
The plugin supports checking individual files, entire folders of PDFs (with optional recursion), or the currently open document in Acrobat. Results can be displayed on screen or exported to CSV for further analysis.
Supported Standards
Report declarations for six PDF standards.
PDF/A
Long-term archival standard. Reports declared conformance levels including PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2a, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-3a, and PDF/A-3b.
PDF/UA
Universal accessibility standard. Reports PDF/UA declarations; it does not establish that a document is accessible.
PDF/X
Print exchange standard. Reports PDF/X declarations for further prepress validation.
PDF/VT
Variable and transactional printing standard. Used for high-volume, personalised print output.
PDF/E
Engineering standard. Designed for engineering documents, supporting interactive 3D content and geospatial data.
PDF/VCR
Variable content replacement standard. Reports PDF/VCR declarations for variable data printing workflows.
Key Features
Flexible checking options for individual files or entire collections.
Single File Checking
Browse for an individual PDF and inspect its standards declarations.
Batch Folder Processing
Check all PDFs in a folder at once, with an option to include subfolders recursively.
Current Document
Instantly check the PDF that is currently open in Adobe Acrobat without navigating away.
CSV Export
Export results to CSV files for reporting, record-keeping, or further analysis in spreadsheet applications.
Acrobat Integration
Installs directly into Adobe Acrobat under the Extensions > Mapsoft menu, fitting your existing workflow.
Completely Free
No license key required. Download and use Check PDF Standards at no cost, with no limitations.
Use Cases
Inventory declared standards before further validation.
Archival Inventory
Identify files that declare a PDF/A profile, then validate them before archival use.
Accessibility Inventory
Identify files that declare PDF/UA. Accessibility assessment requires further validation and manual review.
Print Production QA
Identify declared PDF/X profiles before performing the required prepress checks.
Batch Compliance Reporting
Export declared standards from folders of PDFs to CSV for inventory and further review.
Resources
Get started with Check PDF Standards using the resources below.
System Requirements
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat Pro or Standard (DC 64-bit). Not compatible with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Operating System
Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit).
License
Completely free. No license key or registration required.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a PDF is PDF/A compliant?
Check PDF Standards reports PDF/A and other standards declarations in metadata. Use a conformance validator to check whether a PDF actually meets the declared standard.
Does it check accessibility (PDF/UA)?
It reports PDF/UA declarations in metadata. It does not perform a full accessibility assessment or replace manual review.
Is Check PDF Standards free?
Yes. Check PDF Standards is a free Adobe Acrobat plug-in for Windows.
Related Articles
PDF/A: The Archival PDF Standard
An in-depth guide to PDF/A — the ISO 19005 standard for long-term document archiving. Covers conformance levels, requirements, prohibited features, and conversion workflows.
PDF Accessibility: Creating Accessible PDF Documents
A comprehensive guide to PDF accessibility — covering tagged PDF, WCAG 2.1, PDF/UA, logical structure, alt text, table markup, reading order, and remediation workflows.
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Need Something More?
If this product doesn't quite meet your requirements, we can help. With over 30 years of Adobe development expertise, our team can modify existing products or build entirely custom solutions tailored to your specific workflow. Whether you need additional features, integration with your systems, or a completely bespoke tool, get in touch to discuss your needs.
We also welcome suggestions for new features and new product ideas. If we hear enough requests for a particular capability, it moves up our development priority list — so your feedback directly shapes what we build next.
Beyond off-the-shelf plug-ins, we also build enterprise PDF solutions on the Adobe PDF Library — server-side document processing, generation, validation, conversion and redaction pipelines for high-volume environments. If your need is bigger than a desktop tool, our PDF Library team can build it.
Ready to Check Your PDFs?
Download Check PDF Standards to inventory the standards declared in your PDFs.