TIP 99: Adding Metadata to a PDF

Metadata such as author information, description, and keywords makes a better PDF because:

• Search engines can more easily find the PDF.

• The PDF can be better managed by an asset-management system or database.

• The metadata is embedded in the PDF so readers know who created it and what the document is about.

Editing Metadata in a PDF

If you've already exported a PDF but want to edit the metadata, you don't have to create a new PDF if you own Acrobat. Just open the PDF file in Acrobat (not the free Reader), choose File > Document Properties, and edit the Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords fields under Description. You can also edit a PDF's metadata in Adobe Bridge by selecting the PDF in the Bridge window and then choosing File > File Info.

Using metadata in a PDF essentially makes the file more valuable, and it's really easy to add with GoLive. Switch to PDF Preview and choose File > Export > HTML as Adobe PDF. Choose the appropriate PDF settings for the file and then select the Advanced section on the left side of the Export Adobe PDF dialog.

If the Web page already has a good title, check the Use HTML Page Title option. If the page title isn't that descriptive, or if you want to customize the title, uncheck this option and type a better one in the Title field. You can also enter custom metadata for the Author, Subject, and Keywords fields (Figure 99).

Figure 99. Customize metadata in the Advanced section of the Export Adobe PDF dialog.