Every design tells a story—through text, visuals, and structure. While most readers can naturally follow this flow just by looking, users of assistive technology like screen readers rely on a specific reading order to understand the content correctly.

Creating a logical flow in your document ensures that screen readers present your content in a meaningful sequence—just as you intended.

What is Tag Order?

Tag Order is the metadata encoded in PDFs that defines the order in which content should be read or accessed. Screen readers and keyboard navigation tools use this order to determine how to present information to the user.

For example:

• Screen readers read content following the tag order.

• Keyboard users navigate through each section in that same sequence when using the Tab key.

Why Tag Order Matters

Users with visual or cognitive impairments experience your design differently. While a sighted reader can easily scan from left to right or top to bottom, assistive technologies depend on tags that specify how the content should flow.

Consider a four-column infographic:

• A logical reading order begins with the title, then moves down the first column, followed by the second, then up to the last column.
  

• Without proper tag order, a screen reader might read across columns instead of down, creating confusion and breaking the narrative flow.
  

Setting the correct tag order ensures your message is delivered in a clear and logical sequence for everyone.

Use Venngage's Tag Order accessibility tool to set the reading order in your design and ensure the content is accessible to all readers.

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