PDFs

PDF downloadable files, along with Microsoft Office files like Word documents, Powerpoint presentations, and Excel files, are not native web formats.

Unless a document needs to be printed and signed, or otherwise edited by the user (think Excel files for reimbursement forms), it doesn’t need to be a downloadable file. If the content can be added to the site as a standard web page, then it should be.

Downloadable files should be regularly reviewed for accuracy and relevance and deleted from the website once they're outdated or no longer useful. If they need to be kept for record-keeping reasons, they can be stored internally in Google Drive, rather than on a public-facing website.

If you absolutely must have a PDF on your website, follow these guidelines and recommendations: