Why is my converted PDF document not showing the Alt Text from my word document? I made sure to save it

Here is a solution, though not perfect:

In Microsoft Word, choose "save as"(not Save as PDF), select the file type as pdf, and save the file. Only in this way, the screentip (or tooltip, alternateve text... whatever you call it) can be shown in Acrobat.

But, such screentip won't show in Web browsers such as Chrome, Edge, etc. And many PDF readers other than Acrobat won't show them either, such as WPS PDF, Foxit, etc. I know WPS PDF is fixing this soon because the staff replied me.

It's a shame that Adobe haven't fix it for so many years.

I have been creating 508 compliant PDFs from Templated Word documents since 2001.  I have recently run accross this issue also.  The MS Word document tests as fully compliant, I create the PDF from the PDF tab in MS Word, I use Adobe Acrobat Pro DX.  I have only seen either fully working or fully failing alt tags in the results in the last 4 months.  

Replying to @showalters because their post has the most detail (2021).

What's described in the post is a hodgepodge of information that refers to utilities that either don't exist or are in another program. It also contains misconceptions about how these tools work.

First, here's a quick step-by-step of how to make an accessible PDF from MS Word.

1. Make an accessible Word document.
   • Format it correctly for accessibility (in other words, use Paragraph Styles to trigger the correct tags in the PDF).
   • Add Alt-text to all graphics in the Word document. Right-click on each graphic, select Alt-text, and write a short description of the graphic.
2. Export the Word document to Tagged PDF. Use either of these 3 methods.
   • Use Acrobat's PDF Maker plug-in, which is accessed through the Acrobat Ribbon in Word. Set the Preferences, then Create the PDF.
     
   • Use File / Save As Adobe PDF (note the wording) for a condensed version of the above utility.
   • Use Microsoft's built-in utililty: File / Save As, and choose PDF from the File Type menu.
   • Either of these 3 methods will carry over the Alt-text from Word into the exported PDF. Rarely fails. In fact, it's been a few years since this feature has failed. So there's something about how you're making the source Word document, not the conversion itself.
     And make sure you've updated your software to the latest version of Word (2019 or 365 as of 2021) and Acrobat (DC Pro 2020, and includes the PDF Maker plug-in for MS Office).
3. Open the PDF in Acrobat DC Pro and review it for accessibility compliance.

Comments about the post:

Quote: << then using the Acrobat Make Accessible option in the Microsoft Word ribbon. >>

There's no such utility in MS Word. There's no such Microsoft Word ribbon.

However, there IS a Make Accessible action wizard panel in Acrobat, looks like this:

It does not do what you think it should do: It Does Not Make an Accessible PDF for you.

• It only prompts you to do these tasks in Acrobat, but doesn't actually do them. It is not magic wand software.
• But really, all of these tasks should have been done long before the PDF was opened in Acrobat.
• I don't know of anyone in the industry who uses it, which is why it took 3 of us accessibililty experts to figure out what you were describing.

Quote: << Is there a way in Word, an option that needs to be checked, an accesibility format to save as to force all of the alt tags that are already created in Word to show in the converted PDF document? >>

I'm concerned that you're getting only some of the Alt-text and not all of the Alt-text.

• Please double-check you're using the steps above to create the Word source document and export it to PDF with the appropriate settings for Adobe Tagged PDF.
• Try each of the 3 export methods described above. Let us know if any of them works, or doesn't.
• And in Word, check the Alt-text for each graphic and ensure that the "Decorative" checkbox option isn't checked. That means to artifact the graphic and whatever Alt-text you might have written in the field box can be left out of the PDF.

Let us know if any of this corrects your situation.

AnandSri-

I reviewed the Alternate text disappears in Acrobat DC, but that does not help , as it refers to adding alt text manually with Adobe Acrobat and my issue is with adding text in Word and it not coming over when converting to a PDF. Your link for the Alternate text not always displaying is no longer working. 

ScI am having the same issue as the OP, where I am using the latest version of Word, adding in the alt text for the images, then using the Acrobat Make Accessible option in the Microsoft Word ribbon. When the document gets converted to an Adobe PDF then goes through the Make Accessible options, when it gets to the detecting "figures with missing alternate text" it is finding many items that I had already added the alt text in Word are now missing that alt text. Sometimes it converts some of the alt text, and not others for images/objects in the same document! This is making for double work, and is particularly concerning when some of the documents we create in Word are hundreds of pages long with hundreds of images and charts. Here is a screenshot showing that the alt text is added in Word, but not found by Acrobat Pro. What is further concerning is that the Accessbility Checker report shows that only 6 figures need alternate text, however if you go to the accessibility tool and use the Set Alternate Text method, it shows that 8 of the 18 figures do not have alternate text. I'm not sure why the report is showing a different number of figures to fix than the accessibility tool. Is there a way in Word, an option that needs to be checked, an accesibility format to save as to force all of the alt tags that are already created in Word to show in the converted PDF document?

Hi Jennifers,

We apologize for the inconvenience caused, please refer to the following KB articles which discuss the similar issue and scenario Alternate text disappears in Acrobat DC

Alternate text not always displaying

You may also refer to Repair tag structure accessibility | Adobe Acrobat DC PDF

Let us know how it goes and share your findings.

Regards,

Anand Sri.