PDF Guidelines
Creating PDFs for the Web
It’s important to make sure that PDFs uploaded to the web are both helpful and accessible to all users. Here are some PDF guidelines to follow that will help you provide a good user experience on your site.
1. PDF File Names
When choosing a file name for a PDF, it is important to make sure there are no dates or time markers in the name. Rather than naming a document “Fall 2024 Schedule of Events” you should title it “schedule-of-events” (with dashes included). This way, the file can be updated to reflect a newer version using the file replacement tool, and the URL will stay the same.
Benefits of well-named files:
- The new file will replace the old file automatically
- All links to your document will now point to the newly updated file
- You won’t have all those outdated versions cluttering up your Media Library folders
2. Accessibility Guidelines
PDFs uploaded to the web should be accessible for all users. There are several steps you can take to ensure that your PDFs follow accessibility best practices:
- Make sure the PDF has a descriptive document title (this is the title that appears in the metadata of the document). Learn how to add a document title in Microsoft Word or learn how to add a document title in Adobe Acrobat.
- Make sure the PDF has a language set. Learn how to set document language in Microsoft Word or learn how to set document language in Adobe Acrobat.
Browse our web accessibility page for more resources and guidelines to help you make your pages and files more accessible.
3. Linking PDFs
PDFs linked on your pages should have descriptive link text (no “click here”) and should have an indication that the link will lead to a PDF (usually designated by adding “(PDF)” at the end of the link text.
Example: Instead of “click here to learn more about usability tips” try “Learn more about usability tips (PDF)”
4. File Replacement
When managing PDFs on your site it’s important to use the File Replacement tool available on our site to update PDFs. This tool helps you avoid broken URLs on your site, and clutter in your Media Library.
Using the File Replacement tool also ensures that outdated files are removed from your Media Library. When files are left in the media library, they are still accessible via search, and through a bookmarked URL, even if the link is removed from the live web page.
- Read our tutorial for using the file replacement tool, and please reach out to webcontent@liberty.edu if you have any questions.