Layer configurations need a name

PDF/UA check OCCD_NAME · Structure & other · severity Medium · PDF/UA 8.7 Optional content · advanced check

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Advanced check. This is a file-internals rule. It is hidden from the standard report view and generally indicates a problem with the tool that produced the PDF rather than something an author did.

Why it matters#

The Name entry identifies layered content configurations in the user interface. Missing or empty Name entries leave users unable to distinguish between configurations.

What you will see#

An optional content (layer) configuration has an empty or missing Name entry.

How to fix#

Add a Name entry with a non-empty text string to every optional content configuration dictionary, including the default configuration in the D entry of OCProperties. Use a name that describes the layer configuration so users can tell configurations apart.

Step-by-step guide#

1. Inspect the OCProperties entry of the document catalog: the default configuration dictionary in D and every entry of the Configs array (Acrobat Preflight > options menu > Browse internal PDF structure shows these).
2. Add a /Name entry with a non-empty text string to every configuration dictionary found, including the default one in D. Choose names that describe the layer state each configuration presents (for example Print view, Screen view, Language: French) so users can tell them apart.
3. Acrobat has no UI for configuration names - the Layers panel edits OCG (layer) names, not configuration dictionaries - and no Preflight fixup covers this. Either regenerate the PDF from a source application that names its optional content configurations, or remove optional content entirely (next step).
4. If the document does not actually need optional content, remove it instead: open the Layers panel (View > Show/Hide > Side panels > Layers) and choose Flatten layers from its options menu, which eliminates OCProperties entirely.

Verify: Re-run the EQChecker scan and confirm OCCD_NAME passes with zero failures.

Note: PDF/UA-2 8.7 requires the Name entry on all configuration dictionaries, including the default, only when OCProperties has a Configs entry containing at least one configuration. EQChecker is stricter: it also checks the default D configuration whenever OCProperties is present, so name it in all cases. The Name is what a viewer shows when offering configurations - an unnamed configuration is indistinguishable in the UI.

WCAG success criteria#

No WCAG success criterion maps cleanly to this check — it is a PDF/UA structural requirement. The PDF/UA clause above is the normative reference.

Standards#

This check contributes to the following standards:

PDF/UA