Documents

← Return to the Drupal User Guide

This section explains how to upload, manage, and link to documents on your website.

Recommended File Format

Whenever possible, use the PDF format when publishing documents to the website. Other file types, such as .docx, .pptx, and .xlsx, are supported, but regardless of the format you choose, all documents must be accessible. See Creating Accessible Documents for accessibility guidance and best practices.

7.1 PDFs vs. Web Pages

Before You Upload a PDF

Before adding a PDF to your website, consider whether the content would be better presented as a webpage instead.

While converting a Google Doc or Microsoft Word document to a PDF can be a convenient way to share information online, it is not always the best option for several reasons:

1. PDFs often present major accessibility issues. Microsoft has a built-in tool for all its products. For the Google Workspace suite, everyone on campus has access to Grackle. Very Important: Departments that publish PDFs online are responsible for ensuring the files meet all of Swarthmore's accessibility standards. Inaccessible PDFs are subject to removal.
2. PDFs are harder to update than HTML pages. Updating a PDF requires fixing the original source document, rerunning accessibility checks, uploading a new version, and updating any links that reference it. Updating a webpage avoids these additional steps.
3. Older PDFs often continue to appear in search engine results even after they have been removed from a website. This can result in visitors accessing outdated information. A webpage, by contrast, typically presents only the current version.

To learn more about creating accessible PDFs with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office, see Creating PDFs.

When should your content be a PDF?

Rarely is the simple answer. There is one situation where a PDF may be the better choice:

• Does the document require highly precise formatting that must be preserved for printing or distribution? If so, a PDF may be appropriate. Important: Even in this case, the PDF must still be fully accessible.

Otherwise, publishing the content as a webpage is usually the better option.

7.2 Accessibility Requirements

All documents hosted on Swarthmore.edu must comply with the College's ICT Accessibility Policy. Departments are responsible for ensuring that all documents shared online are accessible.

Our Creating PDFs guide provides step-by-step instructions for creating accessible documents. If you need assistance or encounter problems, please submit a support request and request an accessibility consultation.

Department Responsibility

Correcting accessibility issues is the responsibility of the department that published the document. Documents that do not meet the College's accessibility requirements are subject to removal.

7.3 Hosting Options

When hosting PDFs online, you have two primary options: Drupal or Google Drive. Each has advantages and disadvantages depending on your department's needs.

• Drupal — PDFs can be uploaded directly into Drupal.
  • Pros: Quick and easy to use. Documents can be indexed by search engines and appear in search results.
  • Cons: Drupal provides only a single document library. Creating subfolders is not supported, and there are no document-level permission settings.

File Organization

Because all Drupal documents are stored in a single document library, it is important to use clear, consistent file names. Following good file naming practices will make documents much easier to locate and manage over time.

• Google Drive — Documents can also be uploaded to your department's Google Drive folder. Every department has a Google Drive folder managed by ITS that can be used to share documents on your website.
  • Pros: Supports nested folders for organization and provides robust sharing and permission controls. For example, you can restrict a document so that it is available only to members of the Swarthmore community.
  • Cons: Requires signing into Google Drive, uploading the document, and creating a share link before it can be added to your website.

7.4) Uploading a Document to Drupal

1. Highlight the text that you wish to be a link to the document. Be sure to include the file type by appending [pdf] to the end of the link. This lets users know they are linking to a document and not to another webpage.
2. Click the LINK icon in the upper right corner or use the keyboard shortcut Command K (on a mac)

1. A new window will appear next to the text that you originally highlighted. Click the “Link to a Document” button.

1. A new window will appear called “Link to a document”. At the top you choose to upload a new document or choose a document that has been previously uploaded into the website’s documents folder.
2. Select the appropriate document from the list using the radio button to the left.
3. Then click the Select Document button located in the lower left corner.
   

1. You will be returned to previous window. Click the Advanced arrow to expand the advanced options.
2. Toggle the the “Open in new window” so that it is active/green.
3. Click the green check mark to save your changes.

1. The text that you originally highlighted will now appear as red and underlined (indicating that it is a link).
2. Save the page in DRAFT mode and then check your work.

7.5) Uploading a Document to Google Drive

Learn more about Google Drive by visiting: Sharing a File from Google Drive

1. Once you’ve followed the steps to upload your document to Google dive, then highlight the text that you wish to be a link to the document. Be sure to include the file type by appending [pdf] to the end of the link. This lets users know they are linking to a document and not to another webpage.
2. Click the LINK icon in the upper right corner.

1. A new window will appear next to the text that you originally highlighted. Add the Google share link generated by Google Drive to the Link URL field.

1. Click the Advanced tab and Toggle the the “Open in new window” selector so that it is active/green. This will make the link open in a new browser tab.