Documents
The Documents viewer lets you show document content on your displays — whether it’s a Google Doc that updates live, a PDF you’ve uploaded, or a Word file. Documents display as a page-by-page slideshow, advancing through pages at the interval you set.
What it looks like on a display
Section titled “What it looks like on a display”Documents appear as full-page slides, one page at a time. Pages advance automatically at your chosen interval — useful for policies, menus, procedures, price lists, or any multi-page content you want viewers to read on screen.
Supported document types
Section titled “Supported document types”| Type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Google Docs | Connected via your Google account — displays live content, updates automatically when the document changes |
| PDF upload | Upload a PDF file — each page becomes a separate slide |
| Word upload | Upload a DOC or DOCX file — BrandCast converts it to pages for display |
Step 1 — Add your file to the Documents tab
Section titled “Step 1 — Add your file to the Documents tab”Before you can display a document, add it to the Documents tab in Content Hub:
- Go to Content and open the Documents tab.
- In the Documents section, click Connect Google to link a Google Doc, or click Upload to upload a PDF or Word file.
- Your document appears in the Documents section and is ready to use on a display.
Step 2 — Create a content source
Section titled “Step 2 — Create a content source”Once your document is in the Documents tab, put it on a display:
- In Content Hub, click Add New.
- Select Documents.
- Under Select Document, choose the document you uploaded or connected.
- Set the time per page and other display options.
- Save and add to your playlist.
Tip: For files you update regularly, Google Docs is the easiest option — edit the document and your display updates automatically. For static reference content, PDF or Word uploads work great.
Settings
Section titled “Settings”Time per page — How long each page stays on screen before advancing to the next one. Set this based on how much text is on each page and how fast your viewers are likely to read.
Fit mode — How pages are sized to fill the display area:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Contain (default) | Shows the full page with letterboxing — no cropping |
| Cover | Fills the entire area by cropping edges |
| Fill | Stretches the page to fill exactly, may distort |
| Fit Width | Scales to match the display width; may overflow vertically |
| Fit Height | Scales to match the display height; may overflow horizontally |
Auto-advance — When enabled, pages advance automatically at the set interval. When turned off, pages only advance when triggered by a schedule or playlist transition.
- Keep documents concise when designed for displays — fewer words per page means viewers can read them from a distance.
- For policies or procedures, use larger font sizes (18pt or more) in the source document so text is legible on screen.
- PDF uploads work best for designed documents (menus, price lists, brochures) where formatting matters.
- Google Docs live rendering is ideal for any document that changes regularly — connect once via the Documents tab and all displays update automatically.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”Pages look blurry or hard to read. The source document may use small text or a complex layout. Edit the source document to use larger text and simpler formatting. For PDFs, re-export at higher resolution if possible.
Google Docs content isn’t updating. Check that your Google account is still connected in the Documents tab (Content Hub). Use the manual refresh option on the content item to force an immediate update.
File upload failed. Verify the file is a supported format (PDF, DOC, or DOCX). Very large files may time out — try compressing the PDF or splitting it into smaller sections.
Word file looks different on display than in Word. Some complex Word formatting — tables, custom fonts, tracked changes — may not convert perfectly. For best results, use clean formatting and standard fonts in your Word file.