---
title: "PdfValidator"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/api/python/validation/pdf-validator/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/api/python/validation/pdf-validator.md"
last_updated: "2026-09-02T09:34:35.870Z"
description: "Validates PDF documents against archival (PDF/A) and accessibility (PDF/UA) conformance standards."
---

Validates PDF documents against archival (PDF/A) and accessibility (PDF/UA) conformance standards.

The validator only accepts documents whose underlying type is PDF; other formats are rejected and are never converted implicitly. By default the document is validated against the conformance level it claims in its metadata. Set the `Conformance` property to force validation against a specific conformance level instead.

```python

from nutrient_sdk import PdfValidator

```

## Construction

`PdfValidator` cannot be instantiated directly. Obtain instances through static factory methods or via other SDK classes.

## Class Methods

### set

```python

@classmethod
def set(cls, document: Document) -> PdfValidator

```

Creates a PdfValidator instance for the specified document.

**Parameters:**

| Name       | Type                                | Description                   |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| `document` | [`Document`](/api/python/document/) | The PDF document to validate. |

**Returns:** [`PdfValidator`](/api/python/validation/pdf-validator/) - A PdfValidator instance ready to validate the document.

---

## Methods

### validate

```python

def validate(self) -> PdfValidationResult

```

Validates the document against the conformance level specified by the `Conformance` property.

**Returns:** [`PdfValidationResult`](/api/python/validation/pdf-validation-result/) - A `PdfValidationResult` describing the outcome: whether the document conforms, the conformance level it was validated against, and a detailed report. When the property is set to `Auto` and the document claims no conformance in its metadata, no validation is performed and the result reports the document as not valid.

---

## Properties

### conformance

```python

@property
def conformance(self) -> PdfValidationConformance

@conformance.setter
def conformance(self, value: PdfValidationConformance) -> None

```

The conformance level the document is validated against.

**Type:** [`PdfValidationConformance`](/api/python/enums/pdf-validation-conformance/)

---

---

## Related pages

- [All public classes import directly from the top-level package:](/api/python/validation.md)
- [Pdf Validation Result](/api/python/validation/pdf-validation-result.md)