Pages with annotations need a tab order

PDF/UA check ANNOT_TAB_ORDER · Annotations · severity High · PDF/UA 8.9.3.3 Tab order

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Why it matters#

The Tabs entry defines how keyboard users navigate between annotations. Without it, the tab order is undefined, making it impossible to navigate links and form fields predictably using only a keyboard.

What you will see#

A page containing links or form fields has no Tabs entry, so keyboard tab order on that page is undefined.

How to fix#

Set the /Tabs entry in each page dictionary that contains annotations to S (structure order), A (article order), or W (widget order). S is the usual choice for tagged PDFs so tab order follows the structure tree.

Step-by-step guide#

1. Run Acrobat's accessibility check (All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Check for accessibility); in the results, right-click Page content > Tab order and choose Fix - Acrobat writes a Tabs entry with value S (structure order) into every page dictionary.
2. Manual alternative: open the Page thumbnails panel, select all pages (Ctrl+A), right-click > Page Properties > Tab Order, and choose Use Document Structure.
3. Preflight alternative: All tools > Use print production > Preflight, switch to the Fixups view, search for tab order, and run the fixup that sets the tab order to follow the document structure.
4. If specific pages intentionally use article order (A) or widget order (W), those values also satisfy the rule; anything else - including the Row (R), Column (C) or Unspecified options in the Page Properties dialog - does not (8.9.3.3).

Verify: Re-run the EQChecker scan; ANNOT_TAB_ORDER should pass on every page that contains an annotation. Acrobat's accessibility check Tab order rule should also report clean.

Note: The requirement applies only to pages that include at least one annotation. S is the normal choice for tagged PDFs. Per the 8.9.3.3 NOTE, the Tabs entry governs keyboard traversal, while each annotation's position in the logical reading order remains defined by the structure tree.

Fixing it in your authoring tool#

WCAG success criteria#

2.4.3 Focus Order — Level A#

Focus must move in an order that preserves meaning and operability.

Understanding 2.4.3

Standards#

This check contributes to the following standards:

PDF/UA WCAG A EN 301 549