# Check a file for accessibility

> Check a document, deck or design for things that make it hard to use with a screen reader, such as missing alt text, skipped headings and bare links.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/office-accessibility-check
Section: Office > Office basics
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

People who use a screen reader rely on a file's structure: headings in order, descriptions of images, and links that say where they go. **Check accessibility** looks through a document, deck or design for the common problems and lists what it finds, so you can fix them before you share the file.

## Before you start

- **Plans.** The accessibility check is on every plan.
- **Which apps.** PlexiDocs, PlexiSlides and PlexiDesign have the check.

## Check a document

1. Open the document in PlexiDocs.
2. Choose **Tools** > **Check accessibility**.
3. The **Accessibility check** window lists each problem. Problems that block a reader are marked with a red error icon; things worth fixing are marked with an amber warning.
4. Close the window, fix what it found, and check again.

When there is nothing to fix, the window says **No accessibility issues found.**

### What it looks for in a document

| It reports | Why it matters | How to fix it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Images with no alt text (an error) | A screen reader has nothing to say about the image. | Describe what an important image shows in the text beside it, or remove images that are only decoration. |
| The first heading is not a Heading 1 (a warning) | The outline a screen reader announces starts in the wrong place. | Make the document's first heading the top level. |
| A heading that skips a level, such as from Heading 1 straight to Heading 3 (a warning) | Readers use the heading levels to move around, and a gap looks like something is missing. | Use the levels in order. |
| Links whose text is the web address itself (a warning) | "https://…" read aloud does not say where the link goes. | Select the link and type words that describe the destination, such as "the pricing page". |

> **Note:**
> The check counts heading levels from the top. In the toolbar's Styles list, the top level is called **Title**, and the next is **Heading 1**. In the **Format** menu and the / menu, the top level is called **Heading 1**. See [Format text and use styles](https://plexiidesk.com/help/docs-format-text-and-styles).

## Check a deck

1. Open the deck in PlexiSlides.
2. Choose **View** > **Check accessibility**.
3. The **Accessibility check** window lists any problems, or says **No accessibility issues found.**

It reports:

- **Images with no alt text.** Select the image and type a description in **Alt text (for accessibility)** in the panel beside the slide.
- **Slides with no title text**, by slide number. Give each slide a line of text that says what it is about.

See [Text, shapes, images and tables on slides](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-insert-elements).

## Check a design

1. Open the design in PlexiDesign.
2. Click **Export** in the toolbar, then **Check accessibility**.
3. A line above the design says **Accessibility: no issues found.**, or names the first problem.

A design is mostly pictures, so the check looks for images with no alt text. Select the image and fill in **Alt text** in the panel on the right.

## Common questions

**Does the check fix things for me?**
No. It lists what to fix, and you decide how. Nothing in the file changes when you run it.

**Is a clean result a guarantee?**
It covers the most common problems. Read the file through once more for anything a check cannot judge, such as colour contrast in a design or tables used for layout.

**Can I check a spreadsheet?**
PlexiSheets has no accessibility check. Give your columns clear names, so a reader knows what each one holds.

## Related tasks

- [Format text and use styles](https://plexiidesk.com/help/docs-format-text-and-styles)
- [Tables, images and links](https://plexiidesk.com/help/docs-tables-images-links)
- [Text, shapes, images and tables on slides](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-insert-elements)
- [PlexiiDesign overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/design-overview)
- [Use the desk with a keyboard or screen reader](https://plexiidesk.com/help/desk-accessibility)