Google Docs + Grackle: Making ADA Compliant PDFs the Easy Way

October 24, 2025

The good news? Google Docs + Grackle (a free add-on) can create properly accessible PDFs. You just need to know the right workflow and then validate your results.

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Quick note: If you’re planning to create a ton of accessible PDFs and you have Microsoft Word, you might want to check that out instead. Microsoft has been pretty progressive about building accessibility features right into Word, so the workflow can be a bit smoother. Google Docs will absolutely get the job done too – this guide walks you through exactly how. But if you’re curious about the Word approach, we’ve got a complete Microsoft Word + Adobe Pro guide that covers that workflow.

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What You’ll Need for This Adventure

Required:

• Google Docs (free with Google account)
• Grackle Docs add-on (free from Google Workspace Marketplace)

Highly Recommended:

• PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker) – free download for validation

Optional:

• Adobe Acrobat Pro (for advanced cleanup if you have it)

Time investment: About 30-45 minutes for your first PDF, then 10 minutes or less once you get the hang of it.

Phase 1: Install Grackle Docs (One-Time Setup)

0:50 : Installing the Grackle Docs Extension

1. Open any Google Doc
2. Go to Extensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons
   
3. Search for “Grackle Docs”
4. Click Install and follow the permission prompts
   
5. Once installed, you’ll see Extensions → Grackle Docs in your menu

Fair warning: Grackle will ask for permissions to access your Google Drive so it can save accessible PDFs. You need to allow this for the magic to work.

Phase 2: Set Up Your Google Doc for Success

Use Real Heading Styles (Not Just Big Bold Text)

1:41 Using Heading Styles for Structure

This is where most people mess up right out of the gate. Making text bigger and bold is NOT the same as using heading styles.

The wrong way: Selecting text, making it bigger, and clicking bold.

The right way:

1. Select your heading text
2. Click the Normal text dropdown (usually shows “Normal text”)
3. Choose Heading 1 for main headings, Heading 2 for subheadings, etc.
4. Use Normal text style for body text

Why this matters: Screen readers use heading structure to navigate documents. Without proper headings, blind users can’t jump to different sections – they have to listen to your entire PDF from start to finish.

Add Alt Text to Images (And Mean It)

2:24 Adding Alt Text to Images

Every meaningful image needs alt text. Every single one. Start by inserting your images normally in Google Docs. Then add alt text as you go.

1. Right-click on any image
2. Select Alt text
3. On the right under Image Options write your alt text in the ‘Describe the image’ box
   
4. Write a concise description of what the image shows, like you would explain it to someone wearing a blindfold.
5. For decorative images (borders, flourishes or things that don’t add information to the page), leave the description blank. Most screen readers will skip images without alt tags naturally.  But a missing alt tag will flag an error in a compliance checker. You will mark those images as Artifacts later using Grackle before exporting your PDF.

Good alt text examples

• “Construction crew installing solar panels on residential roof”
• “Bar chart showing 40% increase in donations from 2022 to 2023”

Bad alt text examples:

• “Image1.jpg”
• “Picture of stuff”
• “Click here to see more” (that’s not describing the image)

Keep Tables Simple for Now

3:32 Handling Tables Properly

Don’t worry about specific accessibility settings yet – Grackle will help you set up proper table tags and identify your headers during the check process. For now just:

• Avoid using tables for layouts.
• Create simple tables with clear header rows. 
• Avoid merging or leaving cells empty. 

Lists, Links, and Colors That Don’t Suck

4:13 Creating Accessible Lists, Links, and Colors

For lists: Use Google Docs’ actual bullet point and numbering tools (toolbar icons), not just dashes or asterisks.

For links: Use descriptive text that makes sense out of context.

• Good: “Download the annual report (PDF)”
• Bad: “Click here” or “Read more”

For colors: Stick to high contrast combinations. Light gray text on white backgrounds might look sleek, but screen readers can’t fix what people can’t see. When in doubt, go darker with your text colors. Grackle will flag contrast issues during its check, but it’s easier to avoid them upfront.

Phase 3: Run Grackle’s Accessibility Check

6:46 Running the Grackle Accessibility Check

Now comes the magic. Grackle will scan your document and tell you exactly what needs fixing.

Launch Grackle and Run the Check

7:11 Analyzing Results and Remediating Images

1. In your Google Doc, go to Extensions → Grackle Docs → Launch
2. The Grackle sidebar will open on the right
3. Click “Run Check” (or “Re-Check” if you’ve used it before)
4. Wait for the scan to complete

Fix Everything Grackle Flags

Grackle uses a simple system:

• Red X: Critical issues that will break accessibility (fix these first)
• Yellow triangle: Warnings that might cause problems
• Green checkmark: You’re good to go

Your mission: Fix each issue in your Google Doc, then click “Re-Check” to see your progress. Keep going until all the red X’s are gone.

Mark Decorative Images as Artifacts

For decorative images (these are the borders, flourishes or things that don’t add information to the page) we need to tell screen readers to skip these images. Here’s how:

1. Scroll down to Images
2. Click the “Locate” button for any image that is flagged for missing alternative text to visually identify the image
   
3. If it’s a decorative image click the “+ TAG” button and select “Mark as artifact” 
   

Add Tags and Headers to Tables

8:01 Properly Formatted Table Headings

Shirt Size	Quantity	Total
Small	2	$20
Medium	7	$70
Large	3	$30

1. Scroll down to Tables
2. Click the “Locate” button for any table that is flagged to visually identify the table
3. Click the “+TAG” button to add a tag describing your table
4. Define your headers and their association with the information in your table
   

Grackle does not like divider lines…just FYI.

Phase 4: Export Using Grackle (This Part is Critical)

10:43 Exporting to PDF Using Grackle Docs

DO NOT use Google Docs’ regular “File → Download → PDF” option. It will strip out all the accessibility work you just did.

The Right Way to Export

1. In the Grackle sidebar, look for the “Export to PDF” button (usually at the top)
2. Click “Export to PDF”
3. The first time you do this, Grackle will ask for permission to save files to your Google Drive – click “Allow”
4. Grackle will create a new, properly tagged PDF and save it to your Drive
5. Download the PDF from your Google Drive

Why this matters: Grackle’s export preserves all the accessibility metadata (alt text, headings, table structure) that Google’s standard export strips away.

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Phase 5: Validate with PAC (Free and Highly Recommended)

12:00 Validating PDF in Adobe Acrobat or PAC

PAC is a free PDF accessibility checker that provides a second opinion – think of it as your accessibility fact-checker. It’s a Windows desktop utility that tests against WCAG and PDF/UA standards and gives you a detailed report with visual aids that actually make sense. When you download the PAC software it doesn’t install like a normal software though. Here’s how it works:

1. Click the download button on the PAC site
2. Unzip the folder that downloads
3. Open the unzipped folder and click on the PAC application file to launch the program
   

The best part? No installation required for the basic version – just download and run it. There’s also an installed version for Windows if you’re planning to make this a regular thing and want all the bells and whistles.

Understanding PAC Results

PAC shows you:

• Pass/Fail summary for different accessibility standards
• Detailed results that you can click to see specific issues
• Visual indicators showing exactly where problems are located

How to use PAC:

1. Open PAC
2. Click Open Document – the accessibility check will automatically run
3. To view the results in detail click “Results in detail”
4. Toggle to narrow down on any issue
5. Click or error items for an indicator of what’s triggering the error

PAC sometimes catches things Acrobat Pro misses, and vice versa. Think of it as getting a second doctor’s opinion.

Don’t panic if there are some issues – PAC is thorough and sometimes flags minor problems that won’t actually break accessibility for users.

Common Error: PDF/UA Identifier

How to Avoid Common Errors

PDF/UA = “PDF/Universal Accessibility,” the ISO standard (ISO 14289) for fully tagged, accessible PDFs. The identifier is just a tiny piece of metadata in the PDF’s catalog dictionary: it tells validators, “This file claims to conform to PDF/UA-1.”

Important: It does not make the file accessible by itself. It’s like checking a box that says, “I promise this file already meets the standard.”

Neither Google Docs nor Grackle adds this. You can add it in Adobe Acrobat Pro if you need to add it. But not everyone does.

You only add it when:

• Your organization or a specific contract requires the file to formally declare PDF/UA compliance (for example, some EU accessibility procurements, or a government agency that demands “PDF/UA-1 certified” documents).
  
• You have already verified the PDF truly passes all PDF/UA requirements (e.g., with PAC 2021 showing no fails, manual checks done).

If you’re simply aiming for ADA/WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, U.S. law does not require the PDF/UA identifier. Screen-reader users care that it’s actually accessible, not that the flag is set.

Phase 6: Final Cleanup (If You Have Adobe Acrobat Pro)

If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can do some final polish, but honestly, most Google Docs + Grackle PDFs are pretty solid already.

8:05 Checking Accessibility in Adobe Acrobat

Run the Full Accessibility Check

1. Go to Tools → Prepare for Accessibility (you may need to click “View more”) → Check for accessibility
2. Choose the whole document and start checking
3. Review the results – expand each section to see specific issues
4. If you’re not sure where the error is, right click and choose “Fix”, it should take you to the issue. NOTE: If you fix the issue in the PDF but not in the original Word file you’ll have to fix it again if you export the document again.
5. If you can’t find the error location in Adobe consider using PAC to get a more detailed visual report. If the error is in the physical document and not in the meta data PAC will show you the location.

Don’t panic if there are issues – some are quick fixes, others might be false positives.

IF NEEDED: Check and Fix Tags Structure

1. Go to View → Show/Hide → Navigation Panes → Tags
   
   Once you have this enabled you’ll be able to toggle on the tags pane using the icon on the far right of your screen.
   
2. Expand the Tags tree to see document structure
3. Look for:
   • H1, H2, etc. for headings
   • P for paragraphs
   • L and LI for lists
   • Figure for images
   • Table, TH, TD for table elements

IF NEEDED: Set Tab Order for Interactive Elements

If your PDF has links or form fields, keyboard users need logical tab order.

1. Open Page Thumbnails (left sidebar)
   
2. Right-click any page → Page Properties
3. Go to Tab Order tab
4. Select “Use Document Structure” (best for accessible PDFs)

Double-Check Reading Order

8:50 Fixing Logical Reading Order

1. Go to Tools → Prepare for accessibility (you may need to click “View more”) → Fix reading order
2. Use this tool to verify content flows logically
   
   
   

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The Reality Check: What “Accessible” Actually Means

A truly accessible PDF should:

• Work with screen readers (main test: can someone navigate it with eyes closed?)
• Be navigable with just a keyboard
• Have proper heading structure for easy jumping between sections
• Include meaningful alt text for images
• Use sufficient color contrast
• Have a logical reading order

The truth: Perfect accessibility is hard to achieve, but basic accessibility isn’t rocket science. Focus on the big stuff (headings, alt text, proper structure) and you’ll help the vast majority of users.

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The Bottom Line

Creating accessible PDFs from Google Docs isn’t about checking boxes for compliance – it’s about making sure your content actually works for everyone who needs it.

The workflow in 30 seconds:

1. Use proper heading styles and add alt text
2. Run Grackle check and fix flagged issues
3. Export via Grackle (not Google’s download)
4. Validate with PAC
5. Share your accessible PDF with confidence

Yes, it takes a bit more time upfront. But once you get into the routine, it becomes just another part of creating professional documents. And honestly, accessible PDFs tend to be better organized and clearer for everyone.

Ready to make PDFs that actually work for all your users? Start with your most important document and work through this process. Once you’ve done it a few times, it becomes second nature.

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Need More Help?

For Microsoft Word users: Check out our Microsoft Word + Adobe Pro workflow guide

For PDF accessibility basics: Our PDF accessibility overview breaks down the requirements without the technical jargon

For advanced fixes: Sometimes you need the full Adobe Acrobat Pro treatment – but start with this workflow first.

Learn about Adobe Acrobat Pro Treatment