What does the report say?

Whether the file conforms, and every rule it breaks, grouped by fonts, color, metadata and so on, with how many places break each rule.

How do I fix a file that fails?

Convert it with PDF to PDF/A, then check the result. A file with fonts that are not embedded, or with transparency, may need its source changed.

Which levels can I check?

PDF/A-1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2u, 3a, 3b, 3u, 4, 4e and 4f, and PDF/UA-1 and PDF/UA-2.

Is my file changed or kept?

No. The file is checked as it is and deleted from our servers once the report reaches your browser.

PDF/A validator

Check whether a PDF really meets PDF/A, and see what breaks it.

Quick facts

Takes: PDFs, up to twenty at a time, each up to 500 MB. A password-protected PDF is refused.
Gives: A report on the page, and as a JSON file: whether the file conforms, the rules it breaks grouped by area, how many places break each, and a few of those places.
Runs: On our servers: veraPDF 1.30 checks the file without changing it, and the job is deleted as soon as the report is fetched.
Plan: Pro: 200 tasks a day on our servers, and a task that fails is not counted. The tools that run in your browser stay free.
Standards: PDF/A-1, 2, 3 and 4 at every conformance level, and PDF/UA-1 and 2. By default the level the file claims, or PDF/A-2b when it claims none.

Checked the way archives check

veraPDF was built for the PDF Association and the European Union’s PREFORMA project as the reference validator: its profiles turn every requirement of the PDF/A standards (ISO 19005) and of PDF/UA (ISO 14289) into a rule, and archives and court portals use it to accept files. The report names each broken rule by its clause, counts the places that break it, and quotes veraPDF’s own words, in English.

A file that fails can be converted with PDF to PDF/A and checked again. What a conversion cannot invent, such as the tags the accessible levels need, has to come from the program that made the document.

Measured on our sample file

The service as it runs on uvpdftool.com, on 2026-10-26: the sample report, which claims no level, checked against PDF/A-2b by veraPDF 1.30.3 through the same job flow the tool uses.
File	PDF	Result	Rules broken	Places checked	Time
quarterly-report.pdf	28 kB	does not conform	3 of 144	4,166	5.7 s

The sample is an ordinary report, not an archive file, and the report says so: it uses a colour space without an output intent, its trailer has no file identifier, and it carries no XMP metadata. All three are what PDF to PDF/A adds. The time is veraPDF reading the whole file, every rule of the profile against every object; the first job after the servers have been idle takes longer, because a machine is started for it.

What it cannot do

Repair what it finds. The file is only checked; convert it with PDF to PDF/A to fix it.
Check a file locked with a password. Unlock it first.
Translate the rules. Each rule is quoted from veraPDF in English, with the clause of the standard.

If something goes wrong

This PDF is protected. Enter its password to continue.: Open it in Unlock PDF with its password, then check the unlocked copy. Open Unlock PDF
This PDF is damaged and can't be read.: Run Repair PDF first, then check the repaired copy. Open Repair PDF
Today's tasks are used up: Pro runs 200 tasks a day on our servers, counted from midnight UTC, and a task that fails is not counted. The count starts again the next day.

About PDF/A validator

The PDF/A validator checks, rule by rule, whether a PDF meets PDF/A, the archiving standard, with veraPDF, the reference validator made for the PDF Association. It also checks PDF/UA, the accessibility standard. The check runs on our servers; the file is not changed.

Updated October 26, 2026

How to use PDF/A validator

Add the PDF.
Choose the level to check against, or the one the file claims.
Read the report, and download it if you need a record.

Frequently asked questions

What does the report say?: Whether the file conforms, and every rule it breaks, grouped by fonts, color, metadata and so on, with how many places break each rule.
How do I fix a file that fails?: Convert it with PDF to PDF/A, then check the result. A file with fonts that are not embedded, or with transparency, may need its source changed.
Which levels can I check?: PDF/A-1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2u, 3a, 3b, 3u, 4, 4e and 4f, and PDF/UA-1 and PDF/UA-2.
Can I trust veraPDF?: Yes. It was built for the PDF Association and the European Union's PREFORMA project, and archives use it to accept files.
Is my file changed or kept?: No. The file is checked as it is and deleted from our servers once the report reaches your browser.