Nested link tags hide the link description

PDF/UA check LINK_ALT_TEXT_EXPOSURE · Links · severity Low · PDF/UA 8.9.4.2 Alt properties

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Why it matters#

Links must be properly nested in the structure tree. Improper nesting causes the link's description to be hidden or announced incorrectly by screen readers.

What you will see#

A link is nested so that an ancestor element's alt text overrides what the link itself would announce.

How to fix#

Remove the Alt or ActualText entry from the structure elements enclosing the link annotation, or move the link out from under them so its content is not overridden. If the directly enclosing element genuinely needs an Alt entry, make its value identical to the link annotation's Contents entry.

Step-by-step guide#

1. In the Accessibility tags panel, select the structure element enclosing the flagged link annotation (click the link on the page with the panel open, or use Options > Find > Annotations to locate its OBJR).
2. Walk up the ancestors and check each one via right-click > Properties > Tag tab for Alternate Text or Actual Text. An Alt anywhere above the link replaces the whole subtree, hiding or mis-announcing the link.
3. Path 1: delete the Alt entry (and any ActualText) from every ancestor that does not genuinely need it.
4. Path 2: if the directly enclosing element legitimately needs an Alt (e.g. a Link element wrapping a logo image), keep it but set its value identical to the link annotation's Contents entry - ISO 14289-2 section 8.9.4.2 requires Alt and Contents to be identical in that case. Acrobat has no UI for a link annotation's Contents, so match the Alt to the existing Contents value.
5. Path 3: alternatively, drag the Link element out from under the Alt-bearing ancestor to a sibling position so the link content is no longer inside the replaced subtree, keeping its reading-order position.
6. If the flagged link's element sits nested inside another Link element, un-nest it: move it to a sibling position, since a Link ancestor shadows the inner link and also triggers this rule.

Verify: Re-run the EQChecker scan: LINK_ALT_TEXT_EXPOSURE should report zero errors. With a screen reader, confirm the link is announced with its own text/description and appears in the links list.

Note: Section 8.2.5.20 explicitly permits an Alt entry on a Link element that describes both the content and the link (e.g. a linked logo) - the fix is not always to remove Alt, only to keep it consistent with Contents. EQChecker inspects strict ancestors of the enclosing element: Alt on the directly enclosing element itself does not trigger this rule, but a non-empty ancestor Alt or a Link-typed ancestor does.

WCAG success criteria#

2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) — Level A#

The purpose of each link should be clear from its text (or its programmatically-associated context).

Understanding 2.4.4

Standards#

This check contributes to the following standards:

PDF/UA WCAG A EN 301 549