Help viewing documents

Many documents on nidirect are provided as downloadable files, such as PDFs or Microsoft Office documents. Most modern web browsers and devices can open these files automatically. If a document does not open, you may need an app that can view that type of file.

Common document types

Documents on nidirect may use one of the following file types. The file type and size will usually appear beside or below the document link.

PDF files are commonly used for forms, leaflets and guidance documents.
Most web browsers can open PDF files automatically.

If a PDF does not open in your browser, try downloading the file and opening it with a PDF reader such as:

Adobe Acrobat Reader
another PDF viewer available for your device

Microsoft Office documents

Some documents may be provided in Microsoft Office formats such as:

Word (.doc or .docx)
Excel (.xls or .xlsx)
PowerPoint (.ppt or .pptx)

These files can usually be opened with:

Microsoft Office
Microsoft 365 online
Google Docs Editors suite
LibreOffice or similar document software

Many browsers can also preview these files.

Open Document formats

Some documents may use open formats such as:

Open Document Text (.odt)
Open Document Spreadsheet (.ods)
Open Document Presentation (.odp)

These can be opened with software such as LibreOffice or other compatible document programs.

If a document will not open

If you are unable to open a document, try the following:

download the file and open it from your device
try opening the file in another web browser
check that your device has software that can open that file type
make sure your internet connection is working

Opening documents on phones and tablets

Most smartphones and tablets can open PDF and Office documents automatically.

If a document does not open, you may need to install a free document viewer from your device’s app store.

Accessible formats

If you cannot access a document because of a disability or assistive technology requirement, you can request it in an alternative format. This may include:

accessible PDF
HTML (web page format)
large print
another format that works with assistive technology

If you still need help

If you still need help viewing files, contact nidirect by email on accessibility.nidirect@finance-ni.gov.uk.

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