Check PDF Standards
A free Adobe Acrobat plugin that detects PDF standards compliance across your documents. Instantly identify PDF/A, PDF/UA, PDF/X, and more.
Last updated March 2026
Overview
Check PDF Standards is a free Adobe Acrobat plugin developed by Mapsoft that inspects PDF documents for standards compliance. It reads the XAP metadata embedded in your PDFs to detect which ISO standards they conform to, helping you verify compliance without manual inspection.
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
Detect compliance with six major PDF standards.
PDF/A
Long-term archival standard. Detects 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. Verifies that PDFs meet accessibility requirements for assistive technologies.
PDF/X
Print exchange standard. Ensures PDFs are suitable for reliable prepress data exchange in the printing industry.
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 redaction standard. Identifies PDFs that conform to variable content redaction specifications.
Key Features
Flexible checking options for individual files or entire collections.
Single File Checking
Browse for and check any individual PDF file on your system for standards compliance.
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 licence key required. Download and use Check PDF Standards at no cost, with no limitations.
Use Cases
Quickly verify PDF standards compliance across a range of scenarios.
Archival Verification
Confirm that documents destined for long-term storage comply with PDF/A standards before committing them to your archive.
Accessibility Auditing
Check whether PDFs meet PDF/UA accessibility requirements, helping your organisation comply with accessibility regulations.
Print Production QA
Verify PDF/X compliance before sending files to print, ensuring reliable output across different prepress workflows.
Batch Compliance Reporting
Process entire folders of PDFs and export results to CSV for compliance audits, documentation, or management reporting.
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).
Licence
Completely free. No licence key or registration required.
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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Bookmarker
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TOCBuilder
Generate professional tables of contents for your PDF documents — a key requirement for regulatory submissions.
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.
Ready to Check Your PDFs?
Download Check PDF Standards for free and start verifying standards compliance today.