It's important that every PDF we publish has the correct metadata.
'Metadata' simply refers to the title, the author and keywords about the document.
This information 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.
Why we need to add metadata to all PDF documents
We need to add metadata to all PDF documents produced by PHE.
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 'PHE Publication Template' on GOV.UK and in the search engines.
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.
- Click on File
- Select Info
- You should see a window on the right-hand side that says Properties
- Take a look at the Title field
Amend this Title field so that it has a new and relevant title, of around 65 characters in length.
When the title has been entered, save the document as PDF.
Related links
- Guidance on PDF vs HTML publications