Question: How do I create a docmetrics document?
Answer: Docmetrics documents are created by enhancing standard PDF files. To create a dynamic docmetrics document, simply create a PDF as normal, then use the docmetrics application to enhance the file.
The docmetrics application’s user-friendly web-based interface makes it easy to create dynamic documents. The creation of docmetrics documents is handled via a simple five-step Document Enhancement Wizard:
Step 1: Upload documents
In the Documents section of the application, choose “add document” to enter the Document Enhancement Wizard. The first step allows you to browse your computer for the standard PDF file or files that you wish to enhance. Once you have selected all the documents you wish to process, you can click on “next” to upload the documents and move on to step two.
Step 2: Describe documents
After uploading a document (or documents), you will be offered the chance to provide document metadata – additional information that makes it easy to search for documents in the docmetrics system. This information may include
- Category: Select a document type (white paper, data sheet, brochure etc)
- Tags: Enter keywords relevant to the content
- Notes: Enter other information relevant to the content
Step 3: Enable document analytics
Next, you will be asked to choose whether or not you want to enable document analytics functionality. In order for documents to report metrics on reader behavior and engagement, you must enable this functionality.
You may wish to disable analytics if you are solely interested in form responses. Also, disabling document analytics eliminates the communication windows that appear when documents transmit reader behavior data.
Step 4: Add dynamic in-document forms
After choosing whether to enable analytics, you will be given the option of adding forms to your documents. You can apply preset forms or forms that you have created at an earlier time. You cannot create new forms using the Document Enhancement Wizard.
At this stage, you can choose
- which forms to apply and which pages they will appear upon
- which pages each form will provide access to, once completed
Step 5: Download enhanced documents
Next, the file (or files) will be processed by docmetrics. Once this has been completed, you will be able to download the enhanced document or – if you processed multiple documents – a zip file, containing all the enhanced documents.
In order to collect form responses and document analytics data from your documents, you must download and distribute the enhanced versions. If you distribute the original files, they will not include dynamic forms and will not report any data on reader engagement.
It is important to note that, when you upload multiple documents, any metadata, analytics settings and forms that you apply will be added to all the documents. Nevertheless, it is easy to alter settings for an individual document at a later time.
Question: How do I download documents from the system?
Answer: Documents can be downloaded from the system
- at the end of the document enhancement process
- by searching for the document in the Document Manager and then downloading it
When multiple documents are selected for download, the documents are downloaded together, in a single zip file. You can download multiple documents, either during the document enhancement process or via the Document Manager.
Question: What should I do if I want to stop gathering data from a document?
Answer: The docmetrics Document Manager provides you with two ways to stop gathering data from a document. You can either deactivate a document or delete it from your account entirely. In either case, no data will be collected.
Deactivated docmetrics documents can easily be reactivated at any time, so – as a general rule – it is better to deactivate unused documents instead of deleting them. However, you may find that your docmetrics account is easier to manage if you delete unused files from the system.