XFA forms are not allowed

PDF/UA check XFA_FORM_PRESENT · Forms · severity Critical · PDF/UA 8.10.1 General

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Why it matters#

XFA (XML Forms Architecture) is deprecated in PDF 2.0 and does not support the accessibility requirements of PDF/UA-2. XFA form fields cannot be made fully accessible.

What you will see#

The document uses an XFA form, a deprecated technology that cannot be made accessible.

How to fix#

Remove the XFA entry from the AcroForm dictionary and rebuild the form using standard AcroForm fields, with each widget annotation tagged inside a Form structure element.

Step-by-step guide#

1. Determine which XFA flavor you have: dynamic XFA (the page content is just a rendering shell for the XML form, typically produced by LiveCycle/AEM Forms Designer) or static XFA (normal PDF pages plus working AcroForm fields, with an extra XFA entry in the AcroForm dictionary).
2. Preferred fix at the source: rebuild the form as a standard AcroForm - recreate the layout in your authoring tool, export to tagged PDF, then add fields with All tools > Prepare a form in Acrobat Pro.
3. For static XFA, deleting the /XFA key from the AcroForm dictionary resolves the failure and the AcroForm fields keep working; use the Acrobat Preflight path in the next step.
4. Acrobat Pro has no menu that removes only the XFA entry. Some Preflight fixup libraries (All tools > Use print production > Preflight) include an XFA-discarding fixup - search the fixups for XFA; if none is available in your Preflight libraries, rebuild per step 2.
5. For dynamic XFA, removing the XFA entry leaves no usable page content - a full rebuild per step 2 is the only real path.
6. After removal or rebuild, tag the form for accessibility: each widget annotation enclosed in its own Form structure element (section 8.10.1), with tooltips and Lbl labels per section 8.10.2.
7. Confirm the AcroForm dictionary no longer contains an XFA entry (check with Preflight > Browse internal structure).

Verify: Re-run the EQChecker scan: the document-level XFA_FORM_PRESENT check should pass. Acrobat's accessibility check should report no XFA, and the form should remain fillable.

Note: ISO 14289-2 section 8.10.1 flatly states XFA forms shall not be present; XFA is deprecated in PDF 2.0. There is no way to make an XFA form itself PDF/UA-2 conforming - conversion to AcroForm is mandatory, not optional.

Fixing it in your authoring tool#

WCAG success criteria#

4.1.2 Name, Role, Value — Level A#

Every UI component must expose a correct name, role, and (where relevant) state/value to assistive technology.

Understanding 4.1.2

Standards#

This check contributes to the following standards:

PDF/UA WCAG A EN 301 549