The document viewer block in Applaud allows you to securely display employee documents, such as payslips, contracts, or tax forms, directly on a page. Instead of sending employees to external systems or requiring downloads, they can view essential files in one place.
To use a document viewer block, you must connect it to a model that stores the document data. If you don’t already have a model, you’ll need to create one first. See the knowledge base article, Create a new model.
Examples of use
- Payslips – Employees can log in and view their monthly payslips directly in Applaud without needing to download or open an external system.
- Employment contracts – HR can attach signed contracts to an employee profile, making them easy to find later.
- Tax forms – Annual forms such as P60s can be made available in one place, reducing requests to HR.
- Policy acknowledgements – Display policy documents for employees to read. Combine with a workflow to request acknowledgment.
Best practices for using document viewer blocks
- Keep it secure – Only connect to models that are protected by the right access control policies. For example, ensure that payslips are visible only to the employee they belong to.
- Use clear naming – Label documents in a way that makes sense to employees, for example, “March 2025 Payslip” instead of “Payslip_03_2025_v2”.
- Prioritise readability – Choose formats like PDF for consistency across devices. Avoid uploading documents in formats that may not render well, for example, large spreadsheets.
- Minimise clutter – Keep the viewer focused on essential documents. If you need to group items like policies or templates, consider using a list block alongside the viewer.
- Test on devices – Preview the block on desktop, tablet, and mobile to make sure the content displays correctly and employees don’t need to zoom or scroll awkwardly.