How to Decide Between a Portable Document Format (PDF) and a Web Page

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When publishing content on the website, you often have a choice between posting a document as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file or creating a web page. Making the right choice can improve accessibility, make your content easier to update, and provide a better experience for users on all devices. This guide explains the factors to consider when deciding between a PDF and a web page and offers practical guidance for each option.

Turning your document into a web page is often the better choice. Web pages are easier to update, automatically meet most accessibility standards, and use less storage space than PDFs. They also display better on phones and tablets. 

If your content should be presented as a web page rather than a downloadable file, please submit a Marketing Project Request. Our team will be happy to help you make the conversion.

When content cannot be created directly on a web page, PDFs are the preferred file type. Unlike Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files - which can require specific software and may have compatibility issues - PDFs are more universally accessible. However, PDFs can still pose accessibility challenges.

 

Best Option: Create Web Content Instead of PDFs

PDFs are designed for printing, not for on-screen reading. Do not use PDFs to present digital content that could and should be a web page. 

Benefits of web content:

• Easier to update: Web content can be edited quickly, while PDFs must be re-uploaded after each update.

• Avoids version confusion: Old PDFs are often left on the server and may still appear in search results, even if they are no longer linked. 

• Improves accessibility: Web content is easier for screen readers and assistive technologies to navigate.

• Better mobile experience: Web pages are responsive, while PDFs can be difficult to read on mobile devices.

 

Alternative Option: Remediate for Accessibility

If a PDF must be included on the website, it must meet accessibility standards. Federal requirements - including 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA - apply to all web content, including PDFs.

Making a PDF accessible, a process known as PDF remediation, can be complex and time-consuming. The originating department is responsible for ensuring that PDFs meet accessibility standards prior to submission.

Important Considerations:

• Scanned PDFs are not accessible. Image-based PDFs that do not contain selectable text are not accessible and must undergo Optical Character Recognition (OCR) before remediation can begin.

• Accessibility compliance is required. PDFs must include proper tagging, logical reading order, alternative text for images, accessible tables, sufficient color contrast, and document language settings.

• Optimize file size. The recommended size is 1 MB or smaller to improve download speed and user experience.

• Create a gateway page: Develop a standard web page that summarizes the key information contained in the PDF document. The gateway page should include a clear option to download the full PDF. This improves accessibility and search visibility.

 

Recommended Resources for PDF Remediation

Use established tools and guidance such as:

• Converting Documents to PDFs (WebAIM)

• PDF Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (W3C)

• Accessibility Requirements for PDFs (Section 508)

• Create and Verify PDF Accessibility in Acrobat Pro (Adobe)

• PAVE 2.0, an AI-powered PDF remediation tool

Once a file has been fully remediated and verified, re-upload it through the Marketing Project Request form. 

 

PDF Requirements for Website Posting

If you are submitting a document for the website, it must be reviewed and checked for accessibility before uploading. Many PDFs contain information that is more effectively presented as web content. Web pages are typically more accessible, easier to search, and better optimized for viewing on mobile devices.

Before submitting a PDF, ask yourself:

Does this document truly need to be posted as a PDF?

• Yes, if the document is primarily intended to be downloaded and printed, or if it must be posted in a specific format for legal or compliance reasons. 

• No, if the content could be displayed as a web page. In that case, upload the PDF as a reference and indicate in your request that it should be converted into web page format.

If the document must remain a PDF format, you are responsible for ensuring it meets accessibility standards before converting and submitting it. Most Microsoft products - such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint - include built-in accessibility checkers that can help identify and correct issues.

If multiple issues are flagged or the document does not pass accessibility checks, try the following troubleshooting steps:

• Simplify the layout and remove unnecessary design elements.

• Reduce or restructure complex tables where possible.

• Use the PAVE 2.0 accessibility remediation tool as an additional resource.