Document Properties in Word

Document properties provide metadata about your document, including the title, author, and subject. The document title is particularly important for accessibility as it helps users identify the document.

What This Means

The document title property (not the filename) should describe the document's content. This title appears in various contexts including screen reader announcements and PDF exports.

Why It Matters

• Screen readers may announce the title when opening the document
• PDF exports use the title for the PDF's title property
• Document management systems display the title
• A good title helps users identify documents in a list

Common Violations

DOCX-07-001: Document Title Is Not Set {#DOCX-07-001}

What's Wrong: The document's Title property is empty or contains only the filename. This provides no meaningful description of the document's content.

Impact: Moderate - Users may have difficulty identifying the document without a descriptive title.

How to Identify:

1. Go to File > Info
2. Look at the Properties panel on the right
3. Check if the Title field is empty or contains a filename

How to Fix:

Method 1: Quick Properties

1. Go to File > Info
2. Click on the Title field in the Properties panel
3. Enter a descriptive title
4. Click outside the field to save

Method 2: Advanced Properties

1. Go to File > Info
2. Click Properties dropdown > Advanced Properties
3. On the Summary tab, fill in the Title field
4. Optionally fill in Subject, Author, and Keywords
5. Click OK

Good Title Examples:

• "Employee Handbook 2024"
• "Q3 Financial Report - Beacon Accessibility"
• "Meeting Minutes - Board Meeting March 15, 2024"
• "Product Requirements Document v2.1"

Poor Title Examples:

• "Document1"
• "report_final_v2.docx"
• Empty/blank
• Just the filename

Other Important Properties

While the title is most critical for accessibility, consider setting these other properties:

Author

• Identifies who created the document
• Useful for attribution and contact

Subject

• Brief description of the document's topic
• Helps with document organization

Keywords/Tags

• Search terms related to the content
• Improves document discoverability

Comments

• Notes about the document's purpose or status
• Internal information for document management

Properties and PDF Export

When you save or export a Word document as PDF:

1. The Title property becomes the PDF's title
2. The Author property transfers to the PDF
3. Subject and Keywords also transfer

To ensure properties transfer:

1. Go to File > Save As (or Export)
2. Choose PDF format
3. Click Options
4. Ensure Document properties is checked
5. Click OK and save

Using Document Properties in Your Document

You can display document properties within your document:

1. Go to Insert tab
2. Click Quick Parts > Document Property
3. Choose a property (Title, Author, etc.)
4. The property value will be inserted and updates automatically

This is useful for:

• Adding the title to headers or footers
• Including the author on a cover page
• Displaying version information

Best Practices

Do:

• Set a descriptive title before finalizing the document
• Use the title to describe the content, not the filename
• Update the title when document purpose changes
• Include version or date information if helpful

Don't:

• Leave the title blank
• Use the filename as the title
• Use generic titles like "Document" or "Report"
• Include special characters that might cause issues

Checking Properties Before Distribution

Before sharing a document:

1. Go to File > Info
2. Review all properties
3. Check Inspect Document to review metadata
4. Remove any sensitive personal information if needed

Document Inspector:

1. Go to File > Check for Issues > Inspect Document
2. Select what to inspect (including Document Properties)
3. Review and optionally remove sensitive information

Additional Resources

• Microsoft: View or change properties for an Office file
• W3C WCAG 2.4.2 Page Titled