PDF Embedder

In the Block Editor, the PDF Embedder block shows a live preview of your document while you edit. Pick a PDF file from the block sidebar, change a setting, and the preview updates to match what visitors will see on the front end.

Any PDF file, whether it lives in your Media Library or in another folder on your site. Embed unlimited PDFs across posts, pages, and custom post types. Site owners use PDF Embedder to display:

Visitors read the document right on the page: no new tab, no forced download, and no Adobe Acrobat or third-party account required.

The shortcode works anywhere shortcodes do:

[pdf-embedder url="https://example.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Plan-Summary.pdf"]

Site-wide defaults, such as width and toolbar position, live under Settings -> PDF Embedder, and any single embed can override them with its own block settings or shortcode attributes. See the Plugin Instructions for sizing options and other ways to customize.

PDF Embedder renders through a regular shortcode and block, so the viewer works anywhere your post content does, including pages that other plugins restrict or sell access to.

On the Pro plan of PDF Embedder Premium, you can pair restricted pages with the secure viewer and watermarks, so members read documents online while the original file stays hard to download.

Site owners tend to stay with PDF Embedder for years. Here is what they say:

„One client wanted to display PDF newsletters in a way that was clean, user-friendly, and easy to scroll through. That’s when I discovered WP PDF Embedder. It does the job beautifully, making PDFs look professional and effortless to navigate. Since then, it has become my go-to recommendation for any client who needs to showcase PDF content on their website.“ — Vera Schafer

„I have been using PDF Embedder for well over ten years. It’s just a great app. Can’t recommend it enough.“ — Rich Calo

„I have been using this plugin (both the free version and the pro version) for a number of years on various clients‘ websites. It is easy to set up, does what it needs to and just works the way a plugin should. I highly recommend it.“ — DebsWebs

„I’ve been using PDF Embedder Secure for 3 years now, and it helped me sharing my paid content securely, preventing malicious people from buying my PDF files and then sharing them illegally everywhere. PDF files are chopped, digested, watermarked, unaccessible even if someone finds the direct link.“ — Daniele Benedettelli

In the free plugin, there is no download button and links inside the PDF are not clickable – the viewer is intentionally simple to fulfill the „read online“ goal. PDF Embedder Premium adds those and more:

Every plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee: if Premium is not a fit, you get a refund, no questions asked.

Compare Premium plans on wp-pdf.com

The usual ways to embed a PDF without a plugin – an iframe snippet, the Google Drive or Google Docs viewer, or a service like Scribd, Issuu, FlippingBook, FlipHTML5, or DocDroid – hand your document to servers you don’t control. It loads at their speed, carries their branding, and can disappear or change terms at any time.

You may have also tried other WordPress PDF plugins, such as EmbedPress, Embed Any Document, PDF Poster, Wonder PDF Embed, PDF.js Viewer, or flipbook plugins like DearFlip and 3D FlipBook. Most rely on iframes or third-party viewers to display the document.

PDF Embedder keeps everything on your own site: your files, your server, your data. That is better for page speed, better for privacy, and more reliable for your visitors.

With thanks to the Mozilla team for developing the underlying pdf.js technology used by this PDF viewer plugin.

PDF Embedder is a product of wp-pdf.com. When writing about this WordPress PDF plugin, please use the correct branding: