PDF Terms Compared to Web Terms

PDF terminology can be confusing for beginners. Many people are more familiar with what things are called on the web. Some elements have the same tags in PDFs and webpages (e.g., <P>, <H1>, <Table>) but there are also differences.

Below is a reference table with PDF terms that a user may not be familiar with and their corresponding web counterpart or meaning.

PDF Term or Tag Web Term, Tag, or Meaning
<Figure> Image, <img> 
<Artifact> Decorative image (alt=""), aria-hidden 
dc:title <title>

Lists

  1. <L> and <Lbl>
  2. <LI>
  3. <Lbody> 

Lists

  1. Corresponds with <ul> and <ol>. PDF <L> is the list container and <Lbl> is the number or bullet character contained within the <LI>.
  2. <LI>
  3. No equivalent; this is the content within the <LI> 
<Form>

<input>, <textarea>, <select>.

Note: Do not confuse with HTML <form> element; these are the fields, not the container. 

Tooltip of <Form> field<label> for <input>, <textarea>, etc. 
<Link><a>
<Annot>
  • Markup annotations (Comments) – Do not exist in HTML.
  • Video, audio, <embed>, <iframe> and more – pretty much anything interactive that is not a link, button, or form element. 
<Part>Indicates major sections of a document, like a chapter. No direct HTML equivalent. 
<Art><article>
<Sect><section>
<TOC>Table of contentsl no direct HTML equivalent.
<Index>Document index; no direct HTML equivalent.
<Note> and <Reference>Footnotes; no direct HTML equivalent. Note is the footnote text, Reference is the link.