Industry-recognized PDF Declarations
In many cases, users of PDF files wish to leverage profiles of PDF to meet specific needs.
The primary purpose of the PDF Declarations specification is to define how to represent a machine-readable declaration of adherence to a specific profile of PDF in an easy-to-process manner, allowing software that doesn't understand PDF to nonetheless have access to PDF Declarations.
PDF Declarations can be added to PDF files' XMP metadata in accordance with the PDF Declarations specification.
Below is a list of industry-agreed PDF Declarations. This list is not exhaustive, but only PDF Declarations listed on this page are likely to be application-independent. The PDF Association will consider new PDF Declaration definitions on request. Contact declarations@pdfa.org for more information.
Contents
Reusable PDF
Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF), Conformance level for reuse
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document conforms to the conformance level for reuse in the PDF Association's specification for Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF): Using Tagged PDF for Accessibility and Reuse in PDF 2.0.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations/wtpdf#reuse1.0 |
|---|---|
| Recommended fields | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional fields | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF): Using Tagged PDF for Accessibility and Reuse in PDF 2.0 |
| Version | 1 |
| URL | https://pdfa.org/wtpdf/ |
| Level | Conformance level for reuse |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-2, ISO/TS 32005 |
See Change History
PDF validated as conforming to Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF), conformance level for reuse
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document has been validated as conforming to Well-Tagged PDF, conformance level for reuse.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations/wtpdf#reuse1.0-validated |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF): Using Tagged PDF for Accessibility and Reuse in PDF 2.0 |
| Version | 1 |
| URL | https://pdfa.org/wtpdf/ |
| Level | Conformance level for reuse (validated) |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-2, ISO/TS 32005 |
See Change History
Accessibility
Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF): Conformance level for accessibility
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document conforms to the conformance level for accessibility in the PDF Association's specification for Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF): Using Tagged PDF for Accessibility and Reuse in PDF 2.0.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations/wtpdf#accessibility1.0 |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF): Using Tagged PDF for Accessibility and Reuse in PDF 2.0 |
| Version | 1.0 |
| URL | https://pdfa.org/wtpdf/ |
| Level | Conformance level for accessibility |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-2, ISO/TS 32005 |
See Change History
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
WCAG 2.2 Level A
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document conforms to the WCAG 2.2 Level A specification.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations#wcag22a |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | Web Content Accessibility Guidelines |
| Version | 2.2 |
| URL | https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/ |
| Level | Conformance Level A |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000 |
WCAG 2.2 Level AA
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document conforms to the WCAG 2.2 Level AA specification.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations#wcag22aa |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | Web Content Accessibility Guidelines |
| Version | 2.1 |
| URL | https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/ |
| Level | Conformance Level AA |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000 |
WCAG 2.2 Level AAA
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document conforms to the WCAG 2.2 Level AAA specification.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations#wcag22aaa |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | Web Content Accessibility Guidelines |
| Version | 2.2 |
| URL | https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/ |
| Level | Conformance Level AAA |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000 |
Accessibility validation
PDF validated as conforming to PDF/UA-1
The author of a PDF/UA file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document has been validated as conforming to PDF/UA-1 (ISO 14289-1).
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations#pdfua1-validated |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | ISO 14289-1 |
| Version | 1 |
| URL | https://pdfa.org/pdfua/ |
| Level | n/a |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-1, ISO 14289-1 |
PDF validated as conforming to PDF/UA-2
The author of a PDF/UA file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document has been validated as conforming to PDF/UA-2 (ISO 14289-2).
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations#pdfua2-validated |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | ISO 14289-2 |
| Version | 2 |
| URL | https://pdfa.org/pdfua/ |
| Level | n/a |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-2, ISO 14289-2 |
PDF validated as conforming to Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF), conformance level for accessibility
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document has been validated as conforming to Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF), conformance level for accessibility.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations/wtpdf#accessibility1.0-validated |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | Well-Tagged PDF (WTPDF): Using Tagged PDF for Accessibility and Reuse in PDF 2.0 |
| Version | 1 |
| URL | https://pdfa.org/wtpdf/ |
| Level | Conformance level for accessibility (validated) |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-2, ISO/TS 32005 |
See Change History
ISO standards for PDF
ISO TS 32005
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document conforms to the ISO TS 32005 technical specification.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations#iso32005 |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | ISO TS 32005 |
| Version | 1 |
| URL | https://pdfa.org/resource/ISO-32005/ |
| Level | n/a |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-2 |
Privacy
HIPAA
The author of a PDF file including this PDF Declaration is asserting that the document does not contain information covered by HIPAA privacy regulations.
| URI identifier | http://pdfa.org/declarations#hipaa |
|---|---|
| Recommended field(s) | claimBy, claimDate |
| Optional field(s) | claimCredentials, claimReport |
| Standard | HIPAA |
| Version | n/a |
| URL | https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/ |
| Level | n/a |
| Technology reliance | ISO 32000-1, ISO 32000-2 |
Example Declaration
A document including a PDF Declaration of conformance with WCAG 2.2 Level AA might represent such a PDF Declaration with the following XMP metadata:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"> <rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:pdfd="https://pdfa.org/declarations/"> <pdfd:declarations> <rdf:Bag> <!-- Declaration of conformity with WCAG 2.2 Level AA --> <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource"> <pdfd:conformsTo>http://pdfa.org/declarations#wcag22aa</pdfd:conformsTo> <!-- Optional entries permitted by the Declaration mechanism --> <pdfd:claimData> <rdf:Bag> <rdf:li rdf:parseType="Resource"> <!-- Optional properties of an individual claim --> <pdfd:claimBy>Validator company</pdfd:claimBy> <pdfd:claimDate>2023-07-01</pdfd:claimDate> <pdfd:claimCredentials>Validation credentials</pdfd:claimCredentials> <pdfd:claimReport>https://validator-entity.org/report12345.html</pdfd:claimReport> </rdf:li> </rdf:Bag> </pdfd:claimData> </rdf:li> </rdf:Bag> </pdfd:declarations> </rdf:Description> </rdf:RDF>
Change History
June 4, 2023: correct WCAG version typo in URI identifier for WCAG 2.2 Level AAA (was ...#wcag21aaa) reported by email.
April 18, 2024: corrected WTPDF declarations to only use a # separator between the URI path and fragment components. Add additional anchors to match most declarations. See PDF Errata 395.