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.

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#wcag21aaa
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

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.