On GovHub, we have a few best practices for browser behavior that we suggest following because they help provide a good experience for your visitors and ensure that we’re adhering to the accessibility standards that government agencies are required to follow.

Download PDFs Instead of Opening in a Browser

Having users download a PDF instead of having it open in a new browser window is a good idea for a couple of reasons: 

Accessibility

Opening anything in a new browser window without letting users know is a violation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). 

Downloaded PDFs can be made more accessible for people who rely on assistive technologies, such as text-to-speech and screen reader compatibility.

User Experience 

Through working closely with government agencies, we’ve observed that PDFs are commonly used as their own content. While creating the content on a webpage delivers the most optimal user experience, some agencies are legally required to provide the information in PDF format.

In these cases, users have more options when downloading a PDF to their computer. They are able to utilize certain features in their PDF reader that cannot be done in a browser window, such as viewing the PDF offline and adding annotations. 

Don’t Open Links in New Tab

By default, links should open in the same window as the page you're currently on. This applies to both internal links (links to pages on your website) and external links (links to pages on other websites).

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