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'Metadata' simply refers to the title, the author and keywords about the document.
This information Metadata isn't visible anywhere in the document but it makes PDFs more searchable by Google and other search engines and displays in search results.
You can add metadata to a PDF once it's created, but the best and simplest way is to add it while the document is still in Word format.
What is metadata?
Metadata is information about a PDF's subject and content that will show up when a user views the PDF on GOV.UK.
It is not visible when you view the PDF on your computer.
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We need to add metadata to all PDF documents produced by UKHSA.
Very often, PDFs do not contain the correct metadata or will contain generic metadata that has not been filled in properly.
This means:
- PDFs will not display correctly to users on GOV.UK, making your document look unprofessional.
- PDFs will not be easy to find and access in the search engines.
Example of poor metadata
For example, many PDFs on GOV.UK have incorrect metadata and display with the name 'UKHSA Publication Template' on GOV.UK and in the search engines.
Example of correct metadata
If the PDF contains correct metadata, it will display with the correct details to the user on GOV.UK, and will be more easily found by search engines.
How to add the correct metadata to a PDF
You should add metadata to a document when it is still in Microsoft Word format before you save as a PDF.
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1. Click on File
2. Select Info
3. You should see a window on the right-hand side that says Properties
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4. Select Properties and Advanced properties to open the Properties dialogue box.
In the Title field put the title of the document.
In the Author field put
Amend the title field so that it has a new and relevant title, of around 65 characters in length.
Make sure the Author field reads 'UKHSA'.
Add keywords . This makes your content more finable by Google searches.
When the title has been entered, save the document as PDF.
Related links
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from the title and/or describing the subject matter.
Click OK then save the document.
This metadata is now saved within the Word document and will be transferred over to the PDF when it is saved as a PDF.