PDF vs. Word: Which Format to Send, and When

The one-line rule

Send a PDF when the document is finished. Send Word when someone else needs to edit it. Then check the instructions, because a specific request always wins.

What each format is actually for

A PDF is a snapshot of a document’s appearance. Every character, image and line break is fixed in place, so it looks the same on a phone, a Mac, a Windows PC or a printer. That’s why it’s the standard for anything final: contracts, invoices, reports, forms you’ve completed and applications.

A Word document stores content and instructions for laying it out. Each computer re-lays the page using its own fonts, settings and software version. That flexibility makes Word ideal for drafts and collaboration — tracked changes and comments — but it also means your careful layout can shift on someone else’s screen, especially if they open it in Google Docs, Pages or an older version of Word, or don’t have your fonts.

When PDF is the right choice

• Anything you’re submitting — job, rental, visa and university applications.
• Documents with legal or financial weight — signed contracts, invoices, quotes, receipts, statements.
• Layout-heavy documents — CVs with columns, brochures, reports with charts.
• Documents you don’t want altered — a PDF isn’t tamper-proof, but it makes accidental or casual edits far less likely.
• Anything that will be printed by someone else.

When Word is the right choice

• Drafts for feedback, where the reviewer will use tracked changes or comments.
• Templates someone else will fill in — a report template, a letter they’ll adapt.
• Documents for editors and publishers, who usually want Word to edit and typeset.
• When you’re asked for Word. Some recruitment agencies ask for Word CVs so they can add their own branding or remove your contact details before passing them on.

The CV question

For most applications, send your CV as a PDF: it preserves your design and looks the same on the recruiter’s screen. Two caveats. First, if the job ad or agency asks for Word, send Word. Second, applicant tracking systems read text, so whichever format you use, make sure the PDF is created from a digital document — not a scan or photo — so the text can be read by software. A quick test: open your PDF and try to select a sentence. If you can, software can read it too.

Converting between the two

• Word → PDF: in Word, use File → Save As → PDF (or Export). In Google Docs, File → Download → PDF. Or use Word to PDF.
• PDF → Word: PDF to Word converts text, headings, lists, tables and images into an editable .docx. Complex layouts may need tidying — see how to convert a PDF to Word.
• Small edits to a PDF — a date, a typo — don’t need conversion at all: Edit PDF changes the PDF directly.

What about other formats?

• Google Docs links are great for collaboration inside a team, but check the sharing setting — “anyone with the link” means anyone. For external recipients, send a PDF or .docx instead of a link they may not be able to open.
• Pages (.pages) files open reliably only on Apple devices. Export to PDF or Word before sending to anyone else.
• Plain text (.txt) loses all formatting; it’s only suitable for code, logs or pasting into forms.
• Images (JPG, PNG) of documents are hard to read, search and print. Convert them to PDF.
• ODT (OpenDocument) is the default in LibreOffice. Word can open it, but layouts often shift — convert to PDF for final versions.

When in doubt, ask. A one-line email — “Would you prefer this as a PDF or an editable Word file?” — costs nothing and avoids a second round of sending.

Sending both

Sometimes the best answer is both: a PDF so the reader sees exactly what you intended, and a Word file so they can reuse text. Proposals, grant applications and consultancy reports often go out this way. Label them clearly — “Proposal (read-only).pdf” and “Proposal (editable).docx” — so nobody edits the wrong one.

Mistakes people make

• Sending a PDF of a draft and then receiving comments as a long email because the reviewer couldn’t mark it up.
• Sending a Word file of a signed contract. Signatures belong on final PDFs.
• Leaving tracked changes in a Word file sent externally — the recipient may see earlier wording and comments. Accept or reject all changes and delete comments first.
• Sending photos of documents instead of PDFs. Convert them with JPG to PDF; it’s easier to read and to file.
• Forgetting hidden details. A Word file can include your name as author and earlier versions of text; a PDF can include metadata too. Check before sending sensitive documents.

Worked example: one job application, five documents

Priya is applying for an office manager role. The ad asks for a CV, a cover letter, a completed application form, her Certificate IV and two references, uploaded as “a single file”.

She combines all five in the order the ad lists them with Merge PDF, then runs the result through Compress PDF because the certificate photo pushed the file to 14 MB and the portal accepts 5 MB. Final file: “Priya-Sharma-Application.pdf”, 1.9 MB.

A week later the agency asks for her CV “in Word so we can format it for the client”. She sends the .docx master — the request wins over the rule.