Agent: PDF Scan Config

pdf-scan-config - PDF Scan Configuration

Manages .a11y-pdf-config.json configuration files that control which rules the scan_pdf_document MCP tool enforces. Supports rule enabling/disabling, severity filters, max file size limits, and three preset profiles.

When to Use It

• Setting up scanning rules for a project's PDF documents
• Adjusting which rule layers to enforce (PDFUA, PDFBP, PDFQ)
• Setting file size limits for scan performance
• Applying a preset profile (strict, moderate, or minimal)

Preset Profiles

Expand profile descriptions

Profile	Rules	Description
strict	All 56 rules	All rules enabled, all severities
moderate	PDFUA + PDFBP	Errors and warnings only
minimal	PDFUA only	Errors only

Example Prompts

Show example prompts

/pdf-scan-config create a strict config for this project
@pdf-scan-config disable PDFBP rules and only check PDF/UA
@pdf-scan-config set max file size to 50MB

How to Launch It

In Claude Code:

/pdf-scan-config create a moderate config for this project
/pdf-scan-config disable PDFBP rules, only check PDF/UA compliance
/pdf-scan-config set max file size to 50MB

In GitHub Copilot Chat:

@pdf-scan-config set up PDF scanning for our procurement documents
@pdf-scan-config we only need PDF/UA checks, skip best practices

Via VS Code tasks: Use the built-in task A11y: Init PDF Scan Config (Moderate) to copy the moderate template to your project root as .a11y-pdf-config.json.

Step-by-Step: Configuring PDF Scanning

Step 1: Identify your compliance target.

Different use cases require different rule layers:

• Government/procurement (Section 508, EN 301 549): Use strict profile - all 56 rules
• Internal documents: Use moderate profile - PDFUA + PDFBP, errors and warnings
• Quick CI/CD gate, legacy document backlog: Use minimal profile - PDFUA errors only

Step 2: Create the config.

/pdf-scan-config create a moderate config

This creates .a11y-pdf-config.json in your project root.

Step 3: Set performance limits if needed.

For large PDF libraries, scanning very large files can be slow. Set a file size limit:

/pdf-scan-config set max file size to 25MB

Files exceeding the limit are flagged in the inventory but skipped during scanning.

Step 4: Disable rule layers you do not need. If your organization cares only about PDF/UA structural conformance and not best practices:

/pdf-scan-config disable the PDFBP layer

The Configuration File

.a11y-pdf-config.json controls which rule layers and individual rules run. Here is a complete annotated example:

Expand full PDF configuration reference

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "profile": "moderate",
  "maxFileSizeMB": 100,
  "layers": {
    "PDFUA": {
      "enabled": true,
      "rules": {
        "PDFUA.TAGS.001": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.TAGS.002": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.TAGS.003": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.TAGS.004": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.TAGS.005": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.META.001": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.META.002": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.NAV.001":  { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.FORM.001": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFUA.FONT.001": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" }
      }
    },
    "PDFBP": {
      "enabled": true,
      "rules": {}
    },
    "PDFQ": {
      "enabled": true,
      "rules": {
        "PDFQ.SCAN.001": { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" },
        "PDFQ.ENC.001":  { "enabled": true, "severity": "error" }
      }
    }
  }
}

To disable an entire layer, set "enabled": false on the layer. To disable a specific rule, set its "enabled": false. To change severity, update the "severity" value.

Rule Layer Guide

Layer	Rules	Use When
PDFUA	30 rules	Always - these are the conformance requirements
PDFBP	22 rules	When distributing externally or for public sector compliance
PDFQ	4 rules	Always - these catch pipeline issues (scanned PDFs, encryption)

Connections

Connect to	When
pdf-accessibility	The config controls which rules pdf-accessibility enforces
document-accessibility-wizard	The wizard reads the PDF config when running batch PDF scans
office-scan-config	Use alongside pdf-scan-config when auditing mixed Office + PDF collections