Title: Vanilla PDF Embed Author: Mike Doherty Published: Kevardhu 7, 2013 Last modified: Du 8, 2016 --- Search plugins This plugin **hasn’t been tested with the latest 3 major releases of WordPress**. It may no longer be maintained or supported and may have compatibility issues when used with more recent versions of WordPress. ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/vanilla-pdf-embed.svg) # Vanilla PDF Embed By [Mike Doherty](https://profiles.wordpress.org/_doherty/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed.zip) * [Details](https://cor.wordpress.org/plugins/vanilla-pdf-embed/#description) * [Reviews](https://cor.wordpress.org/plugins/vanilla-pdf-embed/#reviews) * [Installation](https://cor.wordpress.org/plugins/vanilla-pdf-embed/#installation) * [Development](https://cor.wordpress.org/plugins/vanilla-pdf-embed/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/) ## Description ### Basic use To embed a PDF you’ve uploaded to your WordPress site’s media library, simply put the URL for the attachment page in your post on its own line. The PDF will be embedded with the default settings at that location, as if it were using oEmbed. #### Examples: ``` Click to access report1.pdf ``` This doesn’t work for PDFs hosted on other websites, or if you need to change the parameters. ### Using the `[pdf]` shorttag If the PDF isn’t in your WordPress site’s media library, or if you want to customize any parameters for the embed, then use the `[pdf]...[/pdf]` shorttag. Between the tags, you’ll provide the URL for the PDF to embed. If the PDF is in your WordPress site’s media library, you can either give the attachment page URL, or the URL to the PDF file directly. The `[pdf]` shorttag accepts several optional parameters: * `width` – sets the width of the frame the PDF is embedded in. By default, this is set to 100%. * `height` – sets the height of the frame the PDF is embedded in. By default, this is unset. * `title` – sets the title of the PDF, for use in the fallback link text. * `open_params` – sets the [PDF open params](https://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/acrobat/PDFOpenParameters.pdf) which control how the PDF file is displayed in the embed frame. These are poorly supported in browsers. #### Examples: ``` Post short URL: [pdf width="200px"]http://localhost/?p=9[/pdf] Attachment default URL: [pdf height="500em"]http://localhost/?attachment_id=9[/pdf] Attachment pretty URL: [pdf title="Report 1"]http://localhost/test/report1/[/pdf] Media direct URL: [pdf]http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/report1.pdf[/pdf] Change PDF open params: [pdf open_params="page=10&view=Fit"]http://localhost/?p=9[/pdf] ``` ### Compatibility The PDF should be embedded in the page, with the document scaled so it fills the embed frame horizontally. Unfortunately, embedding PDFs is not well-supported. #### Auto-loading embedded PDFs Unlike with images, web browsers may not automatically download and display embedded PDFs when the page is loaded. For security reasons, some users prefer not to allow the PDF plugin to run unless they trust the website the PDF comes from. This generally leaves a grey rectangle that the user may click on to allow the PDF to be downloaded and displayed. #### PDF open parameters As of v0.0.8, you can set the [PDF open parameters](https://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/acrobat/PDFOpenParameters.pdf) by setting `open_params` in the shortcode, as shown above. This is unlikely to actually anything, since PDF open parameters are poorly supported in browsers. But you can try! Provide the parameters as a query string: `page=1&view=Fit`. Refer to the Adobe documentation on what parameters are available. #### Chrome The PDF should be scaled/zoomed within the embed frame so that the full horizontal width of the paper fills the frame. This is [not supported in Chrome’s default PDF viewer, so the document will probably be scaled to 100%, which may either mean the document doesn’t fill the frame, or, more likely, the document is too wide for the frame, and the right-hand side of the document is hidden. #### Internet Explorer Internet Explorer requires a PDF plugin to render embedded PDFs. Generally, that’s Adobe Reader. Without such a plugin, the fallback download link will be used. #### Mobile browsers In particular, mobile browsers may show a grey box instead of the embedded PDF, and will download the file when it is clicked. Other mobile browsers might embed the PDF, but won’t allow it to scroll. ### Alternatives Your best alternative is to **not** embed PDFs. PDFs are bad for many reasons: not easily indexed by search engines, not easily accessible by readers who use assistive technologies, poorly supported by web browsers (as seen above) and so on. They’re just **bad** and you should avoid embedding PDFs if you can. If you _really_ can’t, then you might consider using another solution like [https://pdfobject.com/](https://pdfobject.com/) or [PDF.js](https://mozillalabs.com/en-US/pdfjs/). ## Screenshots * [[ * [[ ## Installation 1. Upload `vanilla-pdf-embed.php` to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory 2. Activate the plugin through the “Plugins” menu in the WordPress admin panel ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f2949e1420c186ba7fe9eafb8f5c406b6b29ddebb639e7c7da6f93d39b784643? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Nice](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/nice-3180/)󠁿 [Martin Sauter](https://profiles.wordpress.org/martinsauter/) Kevardhu 2, 2019 Converts the URL of a PDF document automatically in to an embedded PDF. Very easy to use, very nice result. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b117d1429cff526413f6e66f90fa39a6f17bbc0bb66ec2f9cfc986386f2af984? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Very easy to use](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/very-easy-to-use-373/)󠁿 [indianplayschools](https://profiles.wordpress.org/indianplayschools/) Gortheren 21, 2018 Just paste the link to pdf file on the same domain and you can view it just as pdf and not a link. This is what I was looking for. The best plugin to view the pdf. You can download and print too. Thank you very much ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f28a5b915e730569ba49f741213d364c32a32c0ecd2c7f9a089fa9fd4f083ec2? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Does not embed PDF](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/does-not-embed-pdf/)󠁿 [clasherplayer](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clasherplayer/) Metheven 13, 2018 There was no embedding; only the link to the PDF file was placed. I think that this plugin has not been updated as of the time of writing. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/07b259d2c74295e4b1cc0168ef8d242eaf73ccf6be1d3565712dab6b9ca290b5? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Doesn't work on Latest Chrome or Firefox](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/doesnt-work-on-latest-chrome-or-firefox/)󠁿 [joey4040](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joey4040/) Gwynngala 3, 2016 1 reply Doesn’t work on Latest Chrome or Firefox ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a44d69f0d3a20b36ef35485a683ec60490cded760647e7d0c3e10bbff5b26698? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Doesn't embed Pdf](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/doesnt-embed-pdf/)󠁿 [swampy](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ziky/) Gwynngala 3, 2016 1 reply Doesn’t embed it all, just inserts a link to download the pdf ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1447d63d58562dbd0e76b2c9c3e9325a5a6fd63808b933b24dd759e5482dc663? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Works Nicely!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/doesnt-work-properly-21/)󠁿 [Zeshan Ahmed](https://profiles.wordpress.org/zeshanshani/) Gwynngala 3, 2016 1 reply [ Read all 32 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Vanilla PDF Embed” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Mike Doherty ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/_doherty/) [Translate “Vanilla PDF Embed” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/vanilla-pdf-embed) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/vanilla-pdf-embed/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/vanilla-pdf-embed/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/vanilla-pdf-embed/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/vanilla-pdf-embed/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 0.0.8 * Add the ability to set PDF open params #### 0.0.7 * Fix a couple corner cases – thanks AngelinaBelle! #### 0.0.6 * Set a default height of 500em #### 0.0.5 * Fix a simple programming error; thanks to firedog341 for the report #### 0.0.4 * By default, use a 100% width embed frame * Expanded readme #### 0.0.3 * Embed PDFs on attachment pages * Fix a spacing issue for PDFs with no title * Don’t use PDF open parameters for the fallback link #### 0.0.2 * Don’t embed non-PDFs from the media library #### 0.0.1 * Initial release ## Meta * Version **0.0.8** * Last updated **9 years ago** * Active installations **3,000+** * WordPress version ** 3.0.1 or higher ** * Tested up to **4.5.0** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/vanilla-pdf-embed/) * Tags * [embed](https://cor.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/embed/)[pdf](https://cor.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/pdf/) * [Advanced View](https://cor.wordpress.org/plugins/vanilla-pdf-embed/advanced/) ## Ratings 4.6 out of 5 stars. * [ 27 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 2 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 1 2-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 2 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/?filter=1) [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Mike Doherty ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/_doherty/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/vanilla-pdf-embed/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://flattr.com/profile/doherty)