Carer’s Allowance

Customer service summary

A digital BBC (Summary)

High Speed Two: Euston

BBC Studios

Local Bus Services in England

NAO report on DWP customer service

High Speed Two: Euston (Summary)

The Police Uplift Programme

Flow Chart for Web

Ensure that PDF documents specifies headings for accessibility.

## What this means

Specifying headings in a PDF involves clearly defining tagged heading elements within 
the document. These headings are used to structure the content, similar to how headings 
are used in web content (like HTML). 

## Why it matters

1. **Accessibility**: Headings are crucial for screen readers and other assistive technologies. They allow users with visual impairments to navigate the document more easily.
2. **Document Structure**: Clearly defined headings help in organizing the content, making it more understandable and navigable for all users.
3. **Search Efficiency**: Proper headings improve the document's searchability, enabling users to find information more quickly.

## How to fix

1. **Use Styles in Document Creation**: When creating a document, use heading styles (like Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) in your word processor before converting it to a PDF.
2. **Edit Existing PDFs**: If your PDF is already created, use a PDF editor to add or modify heading tags. Ensure that the headings are in a logical hierarchical order.

## Testing Methodology

Silktide flags PDFs that don't contain a single tagged heading.

## Further Reading

- [WCAG PDF9](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf.html#PDF9)
- [Creating Accessible PDFs](https://www.adobe.com/accessibility/pdf/pdf-accessibility-overview.html)
- [PDF Accessibility - Defining PDF Accessibility](https://www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/)

pdf-missing-headings

January 2026

December 2025

National Audit Office (NAO)

Title / URL	Issues
Carer’s Allowancewww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/carers-allowance-summary.pdf	1
Customer service summarywww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hmrc-customer-service-summary.pdf	1
A digital BBC (Summary)www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/A-Digital-BBC-Summary.pdf	1
High Speed Two: Eustonwww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/high-speed-two-euston.pdf	1
BBC Studioswww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/bbc-studios-summary.pdf	1
Local Bus Services in Englandwww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/local-bus-services-in-england.pdf	1
NAO report on DWP customer servicewww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dwp-customer-service.pdf	1
High Speed Two: Euston (Summary)www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/high-speed-two-euston-summary.pdf	1
The Police Uplift Programmewww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-Police-uplift-programme.pdf	1
Flow Chart for Webwww.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/Web-graphic.pdf	1

Specify headings for every PDF

National Audit Office (NAO)

Where this issue has occurred