In this lesson
Prepare a delivery copy, check its language and hidden information, then inspect the PDF’s pages and bookmarks.
Practice material
Start with the practice file. Open the worked answer after trying the exercise. CSV and text briefs are also available. All resources and import notes →
Example
Client onboarding guide — ready to send
Priya is sending a six-page onboarding guide to a client. It has two unresolved comments, an image without alt text and her name in the file properties. Prepare a delivery copy and check the exported PDF.
- Spelling & GrammarReviewed
- Comments0 remaining
- Check AccessibilityNo errors
- Inspect DocumentPersonal info removed
PDF Options
How it works
A file can contain comments, revisions and personal properties even when it looks clean. Make a delivery copy before removing them so the team keeps its working review record.
Headings, useful alt text and clear table headers help readers navigate. The accessibility checker finds common problems, but you also need to read the descriptions and inspect the PDF’s text, reading flow and bookmarks.
Steps
Make a delivery copy. Run Review › Spelling & Grammar or Editor and read each suggestion before accepting it.
If Track Changes was used, accept or reject remaining edits according to the agreed review decisions. Delete comments with Review › Delete › Delete All Comments in Document, then check All Markup.
Run Review › Check Accessibility. Add alt text to the image and mark each table’s first row as a header. Fix the reported errors, then check that the descriptions and labels are useful.
For an external copy on Windows, choose File › Info › Check for Issues › Inspect Document. Review its findings and remove Document Properties and Personal Information from that copy.
Choose File › Save As or Export and select PDF. In Options, turn on “Create bookmarks using: Headings”.
Open the PDF. Check the bookmarks panel, each page break and the absence of comment markup. Read the text around tables and images to spot clipping or an awkward reading order.
Try it yourself
- Use a document with at least three headings, such as the earlier memo.
- Fix its accessibility-checker errors and export “Onboarding-Guide-v1.pdf” with heading bookmarks. Open that file to check the result.
Show expected result
- The PDF’s bookmarks panel contains the document’s headings.
- No comments or tracked-change markup appear in the PDF.
- Check Accessibility reports no errors in the source; the image descriptions, tables and exported reading flow have also been checked.
If something goes wrong
- The PDF has no heading bookmarks.
- Check that the source paragraphs use Heading styles, then enable bookmarks from headings in the export options and export again.
- Comments are hidden but still in the DOCX.
- Open All Markup and check the review pane. Delete comments from the delivery copy, handle remaining revisions, save and reopen.
Quick check
Try these questions after the exercise. Check the result in your app before marking the lesson complete.
Choose an answer for all 3 questions to check your understanding.
Optional: try it with Copilot
If you have Copilot, try this after the exercise. Keep the original file and compare its suggestions with your own result.
Proofread this client document. List unclear sentences, inconsistent terms and unfilled placeholders under their section headings, with suggested fixes for me to review.
More from Microsoft
These Microsoft guides cover the tools used in this lesson.
- Make Word documents accessible
- Save or convert to PDF with heading bookmarks
- Document Inspector and the Mac difference
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