Not every PDF is worth saving.

Some documents can be cleaned up with targeted fixes—others need to be torn down and rebuilt from the ground up. Knowing the difference is key to saving time, money, and frustration (yours and your client’s).

Here’s how to tell when remediation is the right move—and when starting over is smarter.

What Is “Remediation”?

Remediation is the process of taking an existing document—usually a PDF—and fixing the structure, tags, reading order, and metadata to make it accessible. This often happens in Adobe Acrobat Pro, and it includes:

• Tagging headings, lists, and paragraphs
• Correcting reading order
• Adding alt text to images
• Fixing tables
• Cleaning up form fields
• Running and passing accessibility checkers

If the base structure is clean, remediation is efficient and effective.

What Does “Rebuilding” Mean?

Rebuilding means starting from the original source file (or recreating it) to fix issues before the file is ever exported to PDF. This might involve:

• Rebuilding a Word or PowerPoint file using semantic styles
• Converting a scanned image into real text using OCR
• Replacing outdated formatting or layout structures
• Re-creating a PDF using clean HTML > Word > PDF workflow

Rebuilding is often faster and less painful than trying to salvage a broken or messy file in Acrobat.

So… When Should You Remediate?

Choose remediation when:

• The document was exported cleanly from Word, InDesign, etc.
• Tags exist but just need cleanup
• Reading order is mostly logical
• There are minimal layout quirks
• The document is short, simple, or time-sensitive

Example:
A 3-page PDF report with headings, a table, and 2 images. A bit of manual tag cleanup, add alt text, run the checker—you’re good.

When It’s Better to Rebuild

Start over when:

• The PDF is a scanned document or image-only
• Tags are missing or so broken that the tag tree is useless
• Tables fail “Regularity” checks or have merged cells everywhere
• Reading order is completely out of sequence
• Content was designed visually (e.g., Canva, Illustrator) with no semantic structure
• You’re spending more time fighting Acrobat than fixing content

Example:
A 12-page policy PDF created from scanned pages of a physical document. No tags, poor OCR, and formatting that breaks the tag tree. Rebuilding in Word is faster and produces better results.

Bonus: Ask These Questions Before You Start

1. Do I have access to the original source file?
2. Is the PDF primarily text-based or visual?
3. Are there complex structures (tables, forms, footnotes)?
4. Will remediation cost more time than a rebuild?
5. Do compliance needs require clean, structured source files?

My Approach at Properly Tagged

I review every file before I begin. If remediation will be effective and efficient, I do it. If rebuilding will lead to a more accessible result in less time, I recommend that—and I explain why.

Sometimes the best fix is starting fresh.

Not Sure Which Your File Needs?

Let me take a look. I’ll evaluate your document and give you a clear recommendation—no guesswork required.

Request a DocCheck audit or Contact Me for a Quote