How to make Word documents accessible

File name and document title

Add a clear file name an document title to tell people what your document is about.

On this page

What a file name is

A file name is the first piece of information most people will encounter when accessing or downloading your document. It also appears at the end of a folder path or web address (URL) when accessing the document online.

When saving your document, the file name should: 

  • be meaningful, but short - the file name should help individuals understand the topic and may be similar to your document title
  • not use spaces, hyphens or underscores - use capital letters to separate words if needed.
  • be under 50 characters, including a file extension ('.docx'').

Example file name

Good: WhocanclaimUniversalCreditEasyRead.docx

Bad: 'Universal Credit easy read v1.5 (final) 2019-09-24.docx'

Bad: 'Untitled Doc 1.docx'

What a document title is

The document title is not the same as a main heading in your document text or the file name. But, all three should concisely describe what the document is about.

The document title is part of the metadata, like file size, author or creation date. This means it will stay with the document even if it's converted to a PDF (Portable Document Format). 

A good document title is important because it:

  • tells the user what your document is about
  • displays in a browser tab when you open the document
  • is the first thing a screen reader reads out
  • is required to meet accessibility regulations

Example document title

Good: Who can claim Universal Credit: easy read

Bad: Easy read (Version 2)

Bad: UniversalCreditEasyRead

Bad: (leaving it empty)

How to add a document title

Add your document title in your Word document's file properties using the following steps:

  1. Open your Word document.
  2. Go to the 'File' menu, then 'Info'.
  3. Under 'Properties', select the 'Title' field.
  4. Type in your document title.
Screenshot of Title field in Properties under the Info tab in Word.
Screenshot of Title field in Properties under the Info tab in Word.

We recommend you also add an author, though this is not required. This does not have to be a person's name. For example, you can use 'Nottinghamshire County Council - www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk' as your author name.

How to check your document title

Before your document is published:

  1. Open your Word document on your desktop.
  2. Go to the 'File' menu, then 'Info'.
  3. Under 'Properties', go to the 'Title' field.

After you publish your document:

  1. Select a file on your desktop
  2. Right click and select 'Properties'
  3. Go to the 'Details' tab. 

Related standards and guidance

Document title relate to these accessibility standards and guidance: