Modern web development technologies have allowed web developers and admins to display documents on a website. There are numerous plugins and widgets that you can use to embed PDF files into your web pages.
This article provides a detailed answer to this question: How do I embed a PDF file into a web page?
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The first PDF (Portable Document Format) document was developed in the 90s by Adobe to enable people to share documents without connecting their computers to specific hardware, operating systems, or applications.
Today, PDF is one of the most commonly used formats to create and share documents.
How to Embed a PDF File Into a Website
One of the easiest and most reliable ways to embed a PDF file into your website is to upload it to an online storage space, such as Google Drive or OneDrive, and copy-paste the iframe code offered by the storage service you choose.
Here is a good example of a PDF embed code for Google Drive that is compatible with all browsers:
<iframeframeborder="0"scrolling="no"width="640"height="480"src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/<<FILE_ID>>/preview"></iframe>
However, this method doesn't allow you to choose how the PDF file will be presented to your target audience.
It requires you to have coding skills–especially because you'll be required to embed a PDF HTML code into the existing code, which is not an easy feat.
Your PDF HTML code will look something like this:
<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title>Title of the document</title></head><body><h1>PDF Example</h1><p>Open a PDF file <a href="/uploads/media/default/0001/01/540cb75550adf33f281f29132dddd14fded85bfc.pdf">example</a>.</p></body></html>
So, if you want more control over how the file appears on your web page and offers your audience a more immersive reading experience, use a more customizable approach.
Fortunately, you can use a plugin like POWR File Embed to make the process simple and quick.
This type of embed PDF-free plugin has advanced features designed to make the embedding process successful.
How to Use a Plugin to Embed a PDF File Into a Web Page
A plugin is a simple and quick way to display PDFs in HTML because it doesn't involve many complex steps.
For instance, if you use the File Embed plugin from POWR, you'll need to take the following three simple steps:
- Open your File Embed editor interface
- Click 'Content' and then go to 'Upload File'
- Click the 'Add File' option
- Drag and drop your PDF file or use the 'Upload' button to add the file to File Manager
Your PDF file will automatically be added to the App View.
After that, you need to follow the instructions at the end of the process to embed it on the web page.
If you want to make your embedded PDF file look better and give your target readers a better reading experience, you should take the following options into account:
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Make it shareable
With a plug-in like File Embed, you can make your embedded PDF file shareable through social media by adding social share buttons.
That way, your target audience can share the file on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
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Create a title
It's essential to give your embedded PDF file a title so that your target readers can have an easy time finding it on your website.
This title should appear above the embedded file.
Additionally, if you need to change the title before embedding it, there are tools available that allow you to edit PDF files online.
For those concerned about protecting their embedded PDF content, Watermarkly offers a straightforward solution to add watermarks, ensuring your documents remain secure and branded when shared online.
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Design your file's settings
You can adjust its width, height, border style, and font style.
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Choose a file viewer
Since the default Google file viewer can be blocked in certain regions, you should choose a reliable file viewer that will keep the PDF file readily available to your intended audience all the time.
Please note that some file viewers like MS have internal restrictions that are likely to prevent your embedded file from downloading fully; some require the uploaded file to be less than 10 megabytes.
In Conclusion
Lastly, with a plugin like POWR File Embed, you don't need to have prior experience in coding because every step is straightforward.
Having a readily available web developer who can help you go through the other methods that involve generating the embed code can be quite helpful.
If you want to embed the PDF document yourself and don't have any coding prowess, install a plugin that will guide you through the entire process.
