We are often asked if content can be published in PDF format as this is a popular way of sharing documents.
The recommended format for web content is as an HTML publication. This is a time-stamped publication that opens in a web browser.
Content must be accessible for all users
The reason we prefer HTML to PDF is that HTML documents are more accessible for users.
It is important that users are able to quickly and effectively find information using desktop, mobile and tablet devices.
We have a commitment to make our service accessible for anyone who needs it.
The benefits of HTML
HTML documents are more accessible for users because:
- searchability HTML documents are easier to search and find online
- adaptability HTML documents reformat for different devices
- accessibility HTML documents adjust to fit specification of assistive technologies, and the functionality of GOV.UK pages is maximised for accessibility
- updatability HTML pages can be quickly updated
- printability HTML pages are easily printable
The drawbacks of PDFs
While PDFs are a useful document type for sharing internally, we try not use PDFs to share information on the web because:
- PDFs cannot be easily found through search engines
- PDFs adapt poorly to different screen sizes and devices
- PDFs are difficult to update
