Document

Owned by Chelsea Shadowens (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jun 25, 2020 by Jenna Tollerson
3 min read

When to use a Document

Use the Document media type to upload files within the WYSIWYG of most content types. Once uploaded, it can be referenced and used by multiple content items.

File size is limited to 256 MB.

File types must be one of the following:

  • pdf

  • doc

  • docx

  • xls

  • xlsx

  • xslm

  • ppt

  • pptx

  • ppsx

  • zip

  • csv

  • rar

  • txt

It is important to consider the following factors when publishing any piece of content to your website:

Who is the audience?

If there are numerous audiences then list the different audiences and then rank them in importance. Cater to the most important audience first.

What is the most important pieces of information?

And don't say 'all of it', this is another prioritization and ranking exercise. If you were to list all of the paragraphs or sub-topics contained on a page, how would they be ranked in order of importance. It may be helpful to consider which pieces of information are 'mission critical' or what actions are most frequently performed. List that information or highest up on the page.

Does the content change frequently?

Optimize for making the most up to date information the most readily available.

What format is the your audience(s) most likely to consume the information?

It's often useful to think about the context in which your audience is attempting to access the information that you are providing. Are they traveling and on a mobile device? Are they at a workstation with a laptop or a desktop? If the answers to these questions are numerous then list and rank them similar to the audience and important information above and cater to those rankings with the hierarchy and layout of your content. 

Webpage pros and cons 

Pros

  • Accessible: The Drupal 8 platform has optimized for modern accessibility standards with a minimum of input from the editor.

  • Responsive: The number of mobile device site visitors make up a significant percentage of agency traffic so it's important to separate content from format. Content published on a Drupal webpage will be ready to display and share in whatever medium suits it best.

    • Application-, browser- and platform-independent: Users will be able to access the content on any browser or platform they want, regardless of whether your user owns the application in which it was created.

    • Device-independent: Better for mobile as well as assistive devices.

  • Better for search engine optimization: The entire text of your document can be crawled and indexed by Google, making it more easily found.

  • Easily updated: Can update and overwrite the old version without worrying about previously cached versions..

  • Redirectable: URLs can be redirected if newer/better resources become available.

  • Translatable: Google and other services can translate a webpage into other languages with ease.

Cons

  • Limited Formatting for Print: If you have formatted a form within an inch of its life to fit perfectly on a 8.5x11" sheet of paper, it's just not going to look as pretty as an online form.

Document pros and cons

Pros

  • Maximum Formatting for Print: You have more control over the formatting and output of your content.

Cons

  • Not Accessible by Default: Creating an accessible document requires significant training and work on the part of the user, or potentially costly remediation.

  • Application-dependent: If you have a Word doc online and your visitors don't have Microsoft Office, you may lose control over your formatting (fonts, tables, etc).

  • Fixed-size: Ever tried to open an 8.5x11 PDF on a mobile phone? Be prepared to pinch and zoom.

  • Forever: Post a document on your site and anyone can download and save it. Even if you succeed in overwriting the document with a newer version down the line (easier said than done), there's no telling who will go on using the old one. Indefinitely.

For recommendations on how to create ADA accessible PDF's please see our Turning accessible Word docs into Accessible PDF's blog post.

Filename best practices:

  • Have a distinctive, human-readable name that gives an indication of the content.

  • Follow a consistent pattern that is machine-friendly

  • Do not change extensions - the file extension should match the file format.

Some elements that to consider including in your naming approach:

  • Date when the contents were created.

  • Project Name or document abbreviation for the project.

  • Your agencies name or abbreviation

  • Version number, often prefaced by "v" or another indicator such as "draft", "final", or similar.