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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.

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Table of Contents

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.

Why we need to add metadata to all PDF documents

We need to add metadata to all PDF documents produced by PHE.

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  • 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 'PHE Publication Template' on GOV.UK and in the search engines.

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How it displays to 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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When the title has been entered, save the document as PDF.