Word, Excel, PDFs, and other documents are common, but they don’t always have a place on the web. By providing content only in certain formats, we make assumptions about the resources and capabilities of our visitors. Before uploading a document, consider the information it contains, how it will be used, and whether it needs to be a document at all.
Add content directly to the page
Whenever possible, avoid linking to a document. Instead, add the content directly to one or more web pages. This makes content:
- searchable;
- responsive;
- readable via assistive technology;
- available to people without specific software or devices.
Use PDFs
If the content must remain as a file, it should be made available as a PDF. This is especially the case with documents created in Word or another writing app. In general, PDFs present fewer barriers to visitors than other file types and ensure that as many people as possible can access the content.
PDFs do require care in making them compliant with assistive technology. WebAIM provides some helpful guidelines on PDF accessibility.