University of Wisconsin–Madison
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When to use a web page instead of a document

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When content needs to be shared online, it is generally best to create a web page. This guide explains the differences between web pages and documents, reviews the benefits of using web pages, and includes a decision tree to help you determine the best format for your content.

If you are a content creator who does not have access to platforms like the KnowledgeBase, WordPress, or Canvas, work with your unit’s web team to explore ways to create a web page for your content.

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Key differences between web pages and documents

While web pages and digital documents can both deliver content online, they’re built differently and offer different levels of accessibility and usability.

Web pages

Web pages are files written in HTML or content created directly in a website, such as the KnowledgeBase, WordPress, or Canvas.

Web pages are built with standard web coding (HTML), which provides structure and labels that allow assistive tools like screen readers to interpret and navigate content.

Documents

Documents are files that you download or create on your computer separately from the web, such as PDFs, word processing documents like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, or other file types like slideshows and spreadsheets.

Documents are not built with standard web coding (HTML), so they often lack the underlying structure and labels needed to make content fully accessible to people using assistive technology. Documents are especially limited in their ability to accessibly present complex visual layouts, interactive forms, and math or music notation.

Benefits of web pages

Easier to make accessible

Content created directly in university-approved web platforms such as the KnowledgeBase, WordPress, and Canvas requires less time and effort to make it accessible. This is especially true for WordPress websites that use any version of the UW Theme, as the theme was built with accessibility in mind and has been tested extensively.

While it is still important to follow the Digital accessibility fundamentals when creating content, a blank web page on a UW Theme website is a more accessible starting point than a blank or pre-existing document. It will also be easier to apply accessibility fixes to content that already exists in a university-approved web platform such as the KnowledgeBase, WordPress, or Canvas.

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Easier to update and maintain over time

Web pages are best for presenting information that may change over time. When a change needs to be made, all you have to do is log in to the KnowledgeBase, WordPress, or Canvas and update the content directly in the platform.

When a document is the source of online content, it can be extremely difficult to make any changes later on, especially if the source file has restricted editing permissions or the file’s location is not known and requires tracking down. Additionally, people may save old documents in their local computer files, increasing the risk that they will mistakenly reference outdated information in the future.

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Easier to find in searches

People can bookmark and retrieve a web page’s URL more easily than finding a document saved locally to a computer or attached to an email.

Putting content on a web page also makes it machine readable, which means search engines and AI tools will know the content is there and will be more likely to display it in search results. When you write web content that is more likely to be found by keyword search, this is called search engine optimization (SEO).

If you upload document files to your website, some content may not be reliably picked up by search engines and AI tools. Even in cases where document content is picked up by search engines, these tools may reference outdated files, resulting in inaccuracies and misleading results.

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Responsive design

When viewing web content, people may need to zoom in or change the window width in different situations. People may also use mobile devices or tablets, which can be held vertically or horizontally. On an accessible web page, content will automatically respond to changes in screen size and orientation to ensure the text and visuals do not overlap, get cut off, or become hard to read.

When a document is the source of online content, the size and layout of text and images will not automatically adjust to different screen sizes and orientations. For example, documents can be extremely difficult to read on mobile devices.

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Consistent branding over time

When you put content on a web page, it will look cohesive with the rest of the pages on your website due to the site’s overall theme and branding. For example, when a website is upgraded from UW Theme Classic to UW Theme 2.0, all web pages on the site will adapt in a similar way due to the shared building blocks that make up the structure of each web page.

If you create a separate document file, it might look significantly different from the rest of your website content or become outdated over time.

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Documents created for print

Documents are often created when content needs to be printed out and shared with people as physical paper copies — but sometimes these files are also posted online despite being intended for print. 

Avoid uploading print files to your website unless necessary. In most cases, the printed format should be different from what is posted online. 

For example, if you need to share event information both in person and online, you can create a PDF flyer to hand out or mail, while creating a web page or today.wisc.edu post to share the event details on your website and on social media.

Decision tree: Upload a document or create a web page?

The following decision tree has been adapted from SMPH Web Strategy’s post on Choosing the best format for digital content. Go through these questions sequentially to determine the most accessible and user-friendly format for your content.

  1. Is the document required for legal, accreditation, or compliance purposes and formatted using a prescribed template?
    1. Yes – Ensure accessibility and upload the document; remove old versions of the same file
    2. No – Next question
  2. Does the document duplicate information already available on your website?
    1. Yes – Avoid duplicating content; it creates confusion for users and search engines, and is hard to maintain over time
    2. No – Next question
  3. Is it likely the information will change or need to be updated frequently?
    1. Yes – Create a web page; it will be easier to update and maintain over time
    2. No – Next question
  4. Could the content be easily recreated on a web page?
    1. Yes – Create a web page; it’s more accessible and user-friendly
    2. No – Next question
  5. Is the document a lengthy user manual with technical information?
    1. Yes – Consider creating a KnowledgeBase space to host the information contained in the document. While it may take some time to recreate a lengthy document as a series of KB articles, long documents also require significant time and expertise to remediate for accessibility
    2. No – Next question
  6. Does the document contain form fields, math formulas, or other complex elements?
    1. Yes – Use web-based options instead of a document whenever possible
      1. For forms and surveys, consider using platforms such as Qualtrics or Google Forms
      2. For math formulas, consider using equation editors that can generate MathML in your Canvas course or website
    2. No – Next question
  7. Is the document meant to be printed?
    1. Yes – Consider whether the print version needs to be posted online. If it must, make sure the document is clearly labeled as intended for print use. All information in the document must be available on your website as a digitally accessible web page
    2. No – Next question
  8. Has the document been checked for accessibility, and have all issues been remediated?
    1. Yes – Upload the document
    2. No – Test and fix accessibility issues before uploading; if remediation isn’t possible, consider creating a web page instead

These recommendations are intended as general guidance, but they may not address every situation. For more help, consider scheduling an office hours session with the Center for User Experience.

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