Publishing PDFs online

Webpages are are ideal for on-screen reading:

they change shape based on the device a person is reading them on
they appear high in search results on Google and other search engines
you don't need to know HTML (the language our webpages are written in)
the website helps with formatting to make sure the content is as accessible as possible making webpages accessible for everybody to read.

PDFs are ideal for print.

Problems with publishing PDFs online

Difficult to maintain - a PDF may be more difficult to update than a webpage

the PDF may have been produced by a third party, which means you have to go back to them to make any amendments. They may charge to do this.
the PDF may have been produced from a Word PowerPoint, or Excel original. Do you still have the original to amend it?
if you don't have the original or can't afford to pay for amendments, you may not have the editing software to amend your PDF.

Difficult to navigate and read

over 60% of our website users access the website on a mobile device - PDFs are a fixed size so they don't display well on mobile devices
mobile users must zoom in and out, and scroll from left to right to read them
this can be a significant barrier for people with physical disabilities, low vision or learning difficulties
users might be confused when a new application (like a PDF reader) opens unexpectedly
when a user opens a PDF, they leave the website and lose access to familiar functions such as site search and navigation
PDFs lack the dynamic navigation features of webpages and key information may be buried in the document making it harder to find specific information quickly
layout of content in a PDF may be challenging for neurodivergent users to follow
some PDF features, such as embedded forms, can be difficult for assistive technologies such as screen readers to interpret correctly.

Out-of-date information

once somebody downloads a PDF, they may not return to the website to download a more recent copy
sensitive information published by mistake cannot be removed from downloaded copies
people can spread false information by sharing a copy they think is current

Inconsistent brand

document authors may use their own style, which can detract from the corporate brand
structure and layout, colours, fonts, text size and alignment may all differ from corporate branding
this can be confusing for users, as it creates an unexpected difference between webpages and PDFs.

Search engines rank PDFs lower than webpages

Essential information, such as what a user needs to know to complete a transaction, should always be presented on a webpage.

search engines like Google consider PDFs a print format, which means they appear lower in search engine results than webpages.
search engines may not index the content in a PDF content as effectively as content in a webpage, making it harder to find the information.

Speed of loading time

PDF files can be large, leading to longer loading times on user devices, especially on slower internet connections. This can frustrate users who expect quick access to information without having to wait.

What you should do

Consider whether publication of a PDF is the right thing to do.

generally, anything which is short or presents essential information should be published as a webpage
longer documents such as reports may still be appropriate for PDF publication.

If you need to publish a PDF follow these guidelines: