Select the hyperlink text.
Last updated on
18 December 2025
Learn how to add ARIA roles and labels for cross-references, hyperlinks, and objects to create accessible EPUB (Reflowable) files in Adobe InDesign.
InDesign supports ARIA Role (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) for EPUB digital publishing. ARIA roles enhance accessibility by enabling screen readers to accurately identify and announce the purpose of various content elements (e.g., math, note, chapter, credits). Apply roles at the Object, Frame, Paragraph Style, or Character Style level.
Add ARIA role for Hyperlinks
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Select the Accessibility tab in the New Hyperlink or Edit Hyperlink dialog.
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Select an ARIA Role: Custom Role, doc-backlink, doc-biblioref, or doc-glossref.
If you select Custom Role, you can type a custom role name in the same field.
Select any option from the ARIA Role to make hyperlinks accessible after exporting to EPUB (Reflowable) format.
Select any option from the ARIA Role to make hyperlinks accessible after exporting to EPUB (Reflowable) format. -
Export to EPUB (Reflowable) format for e-readers to recognize the selected ARIA role.
Add ARIA role for Cross-References
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Select the cross-reference text.
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Select the Accessibility tab in the New Cross-Reference or Edit Cross-Reference dialog.
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Select an ARIA Role: Custom Role, doc-backlink, doc-biblioref, or doc-glossref.
If you select Custom Role, you can type a custom role name in the same field.
Select any option from the ARIA Role to make cross-references accessible after exporting to EPUB (Reflowable) format.
Select any option from the ARIA Role to make cross-references accessible after exporting to EPUB (Reflowable) format. -
Export to EPUB (Reflowable) format for e-readers to recognize the selected ARIA role.
Add ARIA labels for objects
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Select any object in InDesign.
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Select Object > Object Export Options > EPUB and HTML.
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Select an ARIA Label:
- Automatic: To allow InDesign to generate a relevant ARIA label with the tag <aria-labelledby>. Ensure the following for the smooth functioning of automatic ARIA labelling:
- Select a text frame and add one of the landmark tags (main, section, article, nav, aside, header, footer, or headings) in the Tag field of the Export Tagging section of the Object Style Options dialog.
- Select a paragraph and apply a Paragraph Style with the tag h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, or h6 in the Tag field of the Export Tagging section.
- Custom Label: To add a custom ARIA label.
- None: To export the object without any ARIA label.
Select any option from the ARIA Label to make object accessible after exporting to EPUB (Reflowable) format.
Select any option from the ARIA Label to make object accessible after exporting to EPUB (Reflowable) format. - Automatic: To allow InDesign to generate a relevant ARIA label with the tag <aria-labelledby>. Ensure the following for the smooth functioning of automatic ARIA labelling:
