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Rachael Olmsted County MN
Participating Frequently
November 17, 2025
Answered

Tagged Annotation Failed - Signed DocuSign PDF

  • November 17, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 83 views

Hi,

 

I am testing Docusign & Adobe PDF accessibility issues.  I downloaded a signed Docusign form which Docusign converts to PDF and locks it down to prevent editing.  When I open the document in Adobe and run the accessiblity check I have one error.  "Tagged Annotation Failed".  When I expand the list there is one Element 1.  

 

Normally, if I clicked on Element 1 the offending element in the document is highlighted.  But this is not happening.  I have no idea what element isn't tagged.  The original Word document that was uploaded to Docusign passed all accessibility checks.  All accessiblity requirements on the Docusign form itself were met.   I will be reaching out to Docusign as well but I'm afraid they are going to ask me exactly what element didn't tag.   How do I find this out?  I've attached two examples of the same issue.  

 

Rachael Leyba

Olmsted County, MN

Correct answer creative explorer

@Rachael Olmsted County MN to pinpoint the exact failing element when the checker won't highlight it is to use the Reading Order Tool and the Tags Panel in Acrobat. Go to Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order. This will help you visualize and interact with the invisible tags that make the document accessible. Look for any element (like the signature block, a time/date stamp, or a security certificate area) that does not have a tag box or seems disconnected from the main content flow. If you find the untagged element, you can attempt to draw a box around it using the Reading Order tool to tag it, though this may be blocked since the document is locked.

 

The Tags panel shows the underlying structure of the PDF. The problematic element will usually be at the end of the tag structure or entirely outside of it. In the left-hand navigation pane, click the Tags icon (looks like a bookmark with a tag on it).


Sorry, I have a flatten file at the moment, but if you were to xxpand the tag tree fully by clicking the little triangles next to each parent tag until you see all individual elements. Look for the element near the end that says <Annotation>. Click on the <Annotation> tag. When you click the tag in the panel, Acrobat will usually select or highlight the corresponding content in the document, even if the Accessibility Checker fails to. This will almost certainly be the digital signature and/or the associated data fields added by DocuSign.

 

1 reply

creative explorer
Community Expert
creative explorerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
November 18, 2025

@Rachael Olmsted County MN to pinpoint the exact failing element when the checker won't highlight it is to use the Reading Order Tool and the Tags Panel in Acrobat. Go to Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order. This will help you visualize and interact with the invisible tags that make the document accessible. Look for any element (like the signature block, a time/date stamp, or a security certificate area) that does not have a tag box or seems disconnected from the main content flow. If you find the untagged element, you can attempt to draw a box around it using the Reading Order tool to tag it, though this may be blocked since the document is locked.

 

The Tags panel shows the underlying structure of the PDF. The problematic element will usually be at the end of the tag structure or entirely outside of it. In the left-hand navigation pane, click the Tags icon (looks like a bookmark with a tag on it).


Sorry, I have a flatten file at the moment, but if you were to xxpand the tag tree fully by clicking the little triangles next to each parent tag until you see all individual elements. Look for the element near the end that says <Annotation>. Click on the <Annotation> tag. When you click the tag in the panel, Acrobat will usually select or highlight the corresponding content in the document, even if the Accessibility Checker fails to. This will almost certainly be the digital signature and/or the associated data fields added by DocuSign.

 

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