PDFs & documents on your site
When to use PDFs on your website, when not to, and how to make them accessible to screen reader users.
PDFs (Portable Document Format files) are common on business websites — price lists, brochures, terms and conditions, downloadable guides. They're easy to share. But they also have significant accessibility problems if not prepared correctly.
This guide explains when to use PDFs, when to avoid them, and how to make them accessible.
Quick summary
Use PDFs for documents people need to print or save (like formal quotes or contracts). For content people read on screen, a web page is almost always better. If you do use PDFs, make sure they have selectable text, document structure, titles, and alt text for any images.
When a PDF makes sense
PDFs are appropriate when:
- The document needs to be printed (a physical form, a brochure)
- It has a fixed, designed layout that must be preserved exactly (a formal proposal, a certificate)
- It's a legal or compliance document people need to save
- It's a resource people will refer back to offline (a guide or checklist)
When a web page is better
For most content that people read on screen, a web page is better than a PDF because:
- Web pages are easier to read on phones
- Web pages can be updated without re-uploading a file
- Web pages work with all assistive technologies by default
- Web pages load instantly — PDFs take time to open
- Web pages are indexed better by search engines
If your "PDF" is really just a page of text, convert it to a web page.
Accessible PDFs: what to check
An inaccessible PDF is one that was exported from a word processor or design tool without accessibility settings enabled — it looks fine visually but is essentially an image of a document. Screen readers cannot read it at all.
An accessible PDF has:
Selectable, searchable text
You should be able to click and drag to highlight text. If you can't, the PDF is a scanned image of a document — it needs to be recreated properly.
A document title
In the PDF's properties, the Title field should contain the document's name (not just the filename). Screen readers announce this as the document's identity.
Document structure (tags)
Headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables should be "tagged" — marked up so a screen reader can interpret them. Most word processors (Word, Google Docs) export tagged PDFs by default when you use proper heading styles in the document.
Alt text on images
Images within the PDF need alt text, just as images on a web page do. See Alt text explained.
Reading order
The order elements appear to a screen reader must match the logical reading order. If you're using a design tool like InDesign or Illustrator to make PDFs, the reading order must be explicitly set.
Sufficient color contrast
The same contrast requirements that apply to web pages apply to PDFs. Text must meet the 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background. See Color contrast & readability.
How to create an accessible PDF
The simplest approach:
Write your document in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Use the built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) rather than just making text bold or bigger manually.
Add alt text to any images in the document. In Word: right-click the image and select "Edit Alt Text." In Google Docs: right-click the image, select "Alt text."
Export as PDF. In Word: File → Save As → PDF (or use the Acrobat add-in if you have it). In Google Docs: File → Download → PDF Document.
Check the exported PDF. Open it, try selecting text. If you can select and copy text, the PDF contains real text. If you can't, something went wrong with the export.
Naming your PDF files
Use descriptive, readable filenames — not doc1.pdf or V2_FINAL_REVISED.pdf. A good filename: chykalophia-brand-guidelines-2025.pdf. This helps visitors understand what they're about to download and improves SEO.
Common questions
Related guides
- Web accessibility basics
- Accessible content checklist
- Color contrast & readability
- Alt text explained
Need a hand?