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Answer: Don't cut and paste the text of print documents to create web content. Pick out the important information that will help your users and create a new web page.

Why

• Print is very linear and narrative driven; web users are trying to accomplish a task, and narrative slows them down.
• Digital.gov: dense, cluttered writing deters people from taking the time to read.

How to rebuild the page

• Keep the most important and clear message at the top.
• Chunk your content into logical sections, with headings to help users navigate.
• Highlight key facts in a bulleted list.
• Explain complex instructions in a visually appealing table.

If you must post the PDF

PDF files are slow to open, are not mobile-friendly, and are difficult for some users to read. Include information about the file on a description page: what the PDF is about, how large the file is, and who might find it helpful.

See also

• plain-language-avoid-faq-dumps
• plain-one-main-message

Claims

• id: C1 claim: Do not paste print text into web pages. source: S1 evidence: "Don't cut and paste the text of print documents to create web content."

• id: C2 claim: Print is linear and narrative driven. source: S1 evidence: "Print is very linear and narrative driven."

• id: C3 claim: Dense writing deters reading. source: S2 evidence: "Dense, cluttered writing deters people from taking the time to read."

• id: C4 claim: Describe a PDF before linking to it. source: S3 evidence: "include information about the file on a description page"

Sources

• [S1] Repurpose print material. GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/web/repurpose-print-material.md . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

• [S2] Design for understanding. Digital.gov (GSA). https://digital.gov/guides/plain-language/design . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

• [S3] Avoid PDF overload. GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/web/avoid-pdf-overload.md . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: US federal government works (GSA, GPO, SEC, CDC), public domain in the United States; third-party quotations inside those works were not used. Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

@misc{iil_note_sntwfd09,
  author = {{iinventedlight}},
  title = {{Repurpose print documents for the web instead of pasting them}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-09},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-repurpose-print-for-web/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:sntwfd09. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

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