Build Documents (PDFs)

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How to Add a Document (PDF)

In T4, you will use the General Content Type to add a document to a page. PDFs are preferred over Word documents for website use because they preserve formatting across all devices, are more secure from unauthorized edits, and can be optimized for accessibility. Unlike Word files, PDFs open directly in browsers, maintain a consistent design, and support compression for faster loading. Word files shouldn't be used on the web.

In this module, you will learn how to ensure the PDF document is accessible, how to add the PDF document to the T4 Media Library, and how to add the PDF document to the content on your webpage.

Learning objectives

  • Understand the purpose of using the General Content Type to add a Document (PDF)
  • Learn how to add and replace an existing Document (PDF) in the T4 Media Library

Instructions

Typically, PDFs are added using the general content type.

  1. In the General Content type, add your text. 
  2. Click where you want the PDF link to appear.
  3. Click on the image icon on the Main Body formatting toolbar. 
  4. Navigate to the T4 Media Library folder where you previously uploaded your PDF.
  5. Click on the PDF.
  6. The name of the PDF (that you entered when you uploaded the PDF to the T4 Media Library) will appear as blue-clickable text in your content.
  7. If you need to update the clickable text to say something else, double-click the text. The "Set media attributes" box will appear. Enter what you'd like the blue-clickable text to say.
  8. Click Save. 
  9. Click Save changes. 

How to add a PDF document to the T4 Media Library

You can add a new PDF document to the T4 Media Library, or you can save over an existing PDF in the T4 Media Library to replace it with a new PDF.

Upload a new PDF to the T4 Media Library

Upload a new PDF to the T4 Media Library

  1. Open T4.
  2. Select the "Content" drop-down menu in the upper left corner.
  3. Click "Media Library."
  4. Navigate to the program. If the program doesn't already have a folder in the T4 Media Library, add one. 
  5. Click "Add Media."
  6. Drag and drop the PDF file into the gray box, or click on the gray box in order to choose a PDF file from your computer.
  7. It is easiest if the "name" field of the PDF is what you want the clickable text to say in the content on the website. However, this can be updated later if needed.
  8. Include a description of the PDF in the "description/alt text" field.
  9. Click "Save Changes."

Replacing an existing PDF in the T4 Media Library

Replace an existing PDF in the T4 Media Library

  1. Save the new PDF with a new file name. Ensure the file name does not match the file name of the existing PDF currently used on your webpage. Note: If the PDF file names match exactly, it will create an error on the website.
  2. Open T4.
  3. Select the "Content" drop-down menu in the upper left corner.
  4. Click "Media Library."
  5. Navigate to the program folder in the T4 Media Library.
  6. Locate the existing PDF and click on the name of the PDF (blue clickable text). Note: If needed,  you can click on the Usage tab to see where the PDF is currently used on the website to ensure it is the correct PDF you need to replace.
  7. Drag and drop the new PDF file in the gray box, or click on the gray box in order to choose the file from your computer.
  8. Update the name or description/alt text fields as necessary. 
  9. Click "Save Changes."

Accessibility check

Only PDF documents may be added to the college.mayo.edu website, do not add Word documents. All PDF documents on the website must be accessible. You can check a document's accessibility in Adobe Acrobat or in Word (before you convert it into a PDF file).

How to check a Word document for accessibility

Note: You should not add Word documents to the college.mayo.edu website. Only PDFs should be added to the website. That said, it is recommended to check the accessibility of a Word document prior to saving the document as a PDF to upload to the website. 

  1. Open the Word document.
  2. Select Review from the top menu bar.
  3. Click Check Accessibility. 
  4. Click Check Accessibility again.
  5. Follow the recommendations in the inspection results in the right sidebar window.
  6. Select File from the top menu bar.
  7. Click Save as Adobe PDF.
  8. Change the file name and location as needed. Click Save. 

Note: It is extremely important for accessibility purposes to save the document properly when converting a Word document to a PDF:

  • Do not use the Print to PDF function.
  • Always save the document using the Save as Adobe PDF function. 

How to check a PDF for accessibility

Note: It is significantly easier to check a PDF for accessibility if it was saved properly from the program that was used to create the PDF. Always Save as Adobe PDF. Do not use the Print to PDF function.

See below for other tips on how to ensure a document is accessible before saving it as a PDF when using Microsoft Word. 

  1. Prior to starting this process, ensure you have access to use Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. If you do not have this program on your computer, contact Help Desk to request access. 
  2. Open the PDF document in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. 
  3. Click on the Accessibility Checker on the right sidebar (purple icon with stick figure person).
  4. Click Accessibility Check.
  5. The Accessibility Checker will run. Issues with the document will appear on the left side of the document when the Accessibility Checker is finished.
  6. Click through the issues that have been found. Follow the on-screen instructions to fix the accessibility issues.
  7. Once you've fixed all of the accessibility issues, re-save the document. Click File. Click Save As. 
  8. Update the name of the PDF to ensure you know which version is the original, and which is the accessible version. 

File name tips:

  • Good: Use an appropriate title to make it easy to recognize what the document is about. Do not include spaces in the PDF file name. Example: documentname.pdf is acceptable, but do not use spaces in the file name such as: document name.pdf
  • Better: Consider adding the word "Accessible" to the file name to help differentiate between the original document and the new accessible version. Example: documentname-accessible.pdf
  • Best: Consider adding the revision date to the file name to help differentiate between the original document and the new version. Example: documentname-accessible-10.29.22.pdf

Best practices

  • Be sure your PDF file is accessible
  • Always double-check PDFs on the live website one hour after the content has been approved and published to ensure it appears the way you expect
  • Use text-based PDFs rather than scanned images to allow screen readers to read the content
  • Keep file sizes small to improve load times
  • Organize PDFs in a structured way within the T4 Media Library for easy management
  • Replace outdated documents in the T4 Media Library rather than deleting and re-uploading to maintain existing links

Additional resources

By now, you should feel confident General Content Type to add PDFs to your website.

Explore the possibilities: Content type examples

Browse through the examples below to see how the type can be used in different scenarios and design choices.

NCCPA PANCE first-time pass rate summary report

For a comparison of the first-time pass rate of the graduating classes with the national average, see the NCCPA PANCE first-time Pass Rate Summary Report.

Ready to enhance your content further?

Check out the next module.

Tiles

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