Want to add a PDF embedder to your WordPress site? I've rounded up the top WordPress PDF viewer plugins to help you display PDFs professionally, from simple embeds to searchable libraries.
WordPress is full of useful features. But a PDF viewer isn't one of them.
By default, WordPress admins can upload PDFs with text links. However, the PDFs open in new tabs and can take ages to load - not the best user experience for your site's visitors.
That's where WordPress PDF viewer plugins (or PDF embedder plugins) come in. The best PDF viewer plugins let your site visitors preview PDF files directly on the website, download them quickly, provide helpful file management features, and much more.
In this post, I'll share the top PDF embedder plugins for WordPress websites, starting with our own - Document Library Pro.
How to add a PDF viewer in WordPress (2 methods)
Before I reveal the best PDF viewer plugins for WordPress, I'll tell you how to display PDFs with and without a plugin.
WordPress PDF display methods include native options and plugin solutions. WordPress includes basic PDF display through the File block but lacks advanced features like search and organization. WordPress displays PDF files through the native File block, plugin solutions, or third-party embedding methods.
The WordPress File block is the easiest method for single PDF embedding without requiring additional plugins.
Adding a PDF viewer in the block editor
If you're using the WordPress block editor on your site, then the 'File' block lets you embed a PDF into a page. This is good for viewing individual PDFs. However, if you need to display multiple PDFs then it's best to use a PDF viewer plugin like Document Library Pro (our no. 1 pick below).
Open the page where you wish to add the PDF.
Click the + icon and add a 'File' block.
Click 'Upload' and then add the PDF file.
The single PDF viewer will appear on the page like this:
An individual PDF embedded in WordPress
Adding an interactive PDF viewer with Document Library Pro
Document Library Pro is a WordPress PDF viewer plugin that creates searchable document libraries. The Document Library Pro plugin creates a searchable PDF library like this:
Users can either download the PDFs or use the preview links to view them in their browser. This method is perfect for displaying multiple PDFs (plus other file types) at once. Here's how to set it up:
Access your WordPress admin area and navigate to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
Upload the Document Library Pro .zip file.
Click Install → Activate.
Input the license key in the setup wizard or on the dedicated plugin settings page at Settings → Document Library Pro.
2. Configure the main settings
Document Library Pro is a comprehensive PDF viewer and plugin file management plugin. This means there are lots of options to customize it. Here are the main PDF-related settings you need to configure:
Default layout: Choose between two distinct layouts, Table and Grid, based on your preferences.
Folders: Use this option to organize and structure PDFs hierarchically, making it easier for your site's visitors to locate PDFs.
Columns: Tailor the columns to be displayed on the PDF table on your site's front end. There are built-in columns to choose from, and you can rename them as preferred.
Link style and destination: 'Link style' controls how links appear. The options are Button with text, Button with icon and text, Text link, Download icon only, Button with icon, and File type icon. While 'link destination' controls what happens when a site visitor clicks on a PDF link.
Sorting and Search box: Enable this to add a sorting and search box to make it easier for people to locate PDFs.
Upload PDF files to your site
Choose from any of these options to add PDFs to your site:
Upload individual PDFs.
The drag-and-drop method.
Add PDF documents previously uploaded to your site's media library.
Let's explore each method in detail.
1: Upload individual PDFs
Use this approach to add a single PDF file to your site at a time:
Navigate to Documents → Add New within your WordPress admin.
Update the document name, description, slug, featured image, categories, tags, and all the relevant information.
Select the PDF you want to upload and click the 'Add File' button.
Tip: If you prefer, then you can alternatively embed PDFs hosted on 3rd-party sites like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
2: The drag-and-drop method
Use this method if you want to upload multiple PDFs at the same time:
Navigate to Documents → Import within your WordPress admin.
Select the PDFs you wish to upload from your computer.
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Drag the files and drop them in the Import page → Drop files to upload area.
Then, head to the 'All Documents' section to update details for the PDFs (categories, tags, slug, etc).
3: Add PDF files previously uploaded to your site's media library
Use this method to display PDF files already in your site's media library:
Head to the Media Library area within your WordPress admin.
Next, select the 'List view' and choose the PDFs you want to be displayed on your site's front end.
Now, select 'Add to document library' from the Bulk Actions dropdown, followed by 'Apply'.
Finally, click on the link near the top to update the document name, description, slug, and other relevant information for the PDFs.
How to view WordPress PDFs on your site's front end
After installation, Document Library Pro adds a new page to your site's front end, which showcases the PDFs in a sortable, searchable list with filters. Head to Pages → Document Library page → View to access this page.
As you can see, Document Library Pro is our top pick. If you'd like more choice, then checkout our full list of the best PDF viewer plugins below.
What makes a great WordPress PDF viewer plugin?
There are tons of PDF embedder plugins, and they all do different things. So, how do you choose the right one for your website? Here are the most important factors to consider when choosing a WordPress PDF viewer plugin:
User-friendly interface: The point of adding a PDF viewer plugin is to improve users' experience on your site. Your chosen plugin should have a clean design and an intuitive, easy-to-navigate user interface. Features like filter options, search bars, and preview and download buttons are invaluable as they significantly improve users' experience.
Compatibility and responsiveness: More than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Opt for a plugin that is compatible across various screen sizes. Also, it should seamlessly integrate with your WordPress theme and provide a consistent experience whether your site visitors are on a desktop, tablet, or mobile device.
Search functionality: I mentioned this earlier, but it's worth repeating. Adding a search bar and filter options makes it easier for users to sort through PDFs on your site and easily find what they want. See our guide for a full explanation on how to create a searchable PDF library.
Theme: Your PDF viewer shouldn't look out of place on your website. Opt for a plugin that blends in with the rest of your site automatically and that you can further customize its color scheme and overall appearance. It also needs to work with page builders, for example if you need to embed PDFs in an Elementor page.
PDF embedder plugins display individual files while document library plugins organize and manage multiple PDFs with search and filtering capabilities. WordPress flipbook plugins like DearPDF and TNC FlipBook convert standard PDFs into interactive page-turning experiences.
Choose native WordPress methods for simple, occasional PDF display needs. Select plugin solutions for enhanced navigation, customization, and multiple PDFs. Document Library Pro works best for organized collections requiring search and filtering.
Our top 8 WordPress PDF Viewer Plugins
These are the best PDF viewer plugins for WordPress at a glance:
As we saw above, Document Library Pro is a simple-to-use PDF viewer plugin that lets you embed and display PDFs (and other types of files) on your WordPress site. Web visitors can easily open, view, download, and interact with PDFs as if they were saved on their devices.
Document Library Pro specializes in organized PDF libraries while single-file plugins focus on individual document embedding. It works best for organized collections requiring search and filtering.
Here are some of the reasons why Document Library Pro is easily the best PDF Viewer plugin.
Robust search, sort, and filter
As well as being able to upload and manage PDFs from your WordPress admin dashboard, you can list them in a searchable table or grid layout on your site's front end with custom filters and sorting options:
Listing PDFs in a searchable library makes it easier for admins to manage files. At the same time, it enables visitors to your site to quickly search for specific keywords or use filters to narrow down their choices.
Showcase PDFs in a list or folder view
You can effortlessly present your PDFs as a single list or nest them into folders and sub-folders. The folder view is handy for sites with a diverse range of files. You can create folders to categorize files based on topics, projects, or other criteria.
If, for instance, you're a teacher uploading PDFs to make it easier for your students to access courses, you can add folders for each subject and sub-folders for each topic. This way, students can quickly identify and access the documents they need.
Preview and embed PDFs
If you don't want your site visitors to download the files, you can enable the preview option to allow people to view PDFs in a popup window without downloading them:
They can also embed them from third-party sites like Google Docs, Dropbox, or use a Flipbook plugin (I'll recommend a couple of options later).
Customize the appearance of buttons
There are plenty of button designs and styles to choose from. You can opt for PDF icons, buttons, download icons, and change the text as you like - whatever aligns with your overall design scheme.
Document Library Pro supports file uploads via WordPress media library. Shortcode implementation allows custom placement anywhere on sites. Integration with Password Protected Categories enables secure document access.
Create private PDF viewers
Document Library Pro integrates seamlessly with Password Protected Categories to create secure, private PDF libraries. This allows you to restrict access to sensitive PDFs, control who can view or download them, and protect your valuable content. You can set up different permission levels for various user roles, ensuring the PDFs are only accessible to authorized users.
With over 80,000 active installations, EmbedPress is a popular freemium plugin that lets you embed and display PDFs (as well as posts, videos, audio, images, maps, etc.) in just a few clicks.
You can embed PDFs and other content from over 150 sources, including Google Docs, YouTube, Maps, Vimeo, Wistia, etc., and display them on your site via block editors like Gutenberg, Elementor, and the classic WordPress editor.
EmbedPress' key features
Sources: Supports PDF upload from 5 different content platforms.
Compatibility: Works with Gutenberg, Elementor, and Divi page builders.
Branding: Add custom logos and call-to-action buttons for brand consistency (pro plans only).
Translation: Integrates with WPML for multilingual content.
Display: Modifies iframe width, height, margin, padding for optimal viewing.
You can combine EmbedPress and Document Library Pro to embed documents on the single document page. That way, Document Library Pro provides the searchable PDF library and EmbedPress provides additional ways to view them.
DearPDF is a freemium PDF viewer and 3D PDF flipbook WordPress plugin. It offers three modes to enhance your site's PDF viewing experience:
Vertical Viewer - This is the regular PDF reader. Best for PDF documents with different page sizes.
3D PDF Flipbook - Converts flat PDFs to interactive, real-life books using cutting-edge WebGL technology. Best for visual-heavy PDFs.
2D PDF Flipbook - Similar to the 3D PDF Flipbook option, this is best for visual-heavy PDFs. It uses CSS and HTML5 tags to create interactive, flippable flipbooks.
DearPDF's key features
Viewing modes: Offers three options - Vertical Viewer, 3D Flipbook, and 2D PDF Flipbook.
Navigation: Adds table of contents for quick PDF navigation and location.
Display: Provides button popup for on-demand PDF display on single pages.
Control: Toggles PDF downloads on or off for user download control.
Presentation: Adds 3D PDF book covers for realistic book structure.
DearPDF and Document Library Pro work well together. Combine them to embed documents on a single document page.
GravityPDF generates PDFs from user submissions on your WordPress site. Here's a quick overview of how it works: Site visitors fill in their details via online forms created with Gravity Forms. GravityPDF automatically creates a PDF with the submitted details and sends it via email to site admins and (optionally) the site visitors.
This plugin is perfect for ecommerce sites that need to send custom PDF invoices to customers after their purchase. I find that it's particularly useful for eLearning sites that generate certificates. However, it's only a good option if you use Gravity Forms to create your website contact forms.
GravityPDF's key features
Creation: Allows unlimited PDF creation for all users including free version.
Security: Generates documents directly on server for privacy and security.
Distribution: Creates downloadable links via shortcodes and merge tags after submission.
Customization: Adds watermarks, logos, headers, footers, and custom branding elements.
Preview: Enables PDF preview before submission for e-signatures and proofing (pro plans only).
Inspired by now-defunct Embed PDF and RV Embed PDF, Embed PDF Viewer is a simple plugin that performs just one primary function: it adds a PDF uploader block to the Gutenberg block editor.
This is a straightforward, lightweight plugin for websites that don't need the extra features robust PDF viewer plugins offer.
You can combine it with Document Library Pro to embed documents on a single page on your site.
Embed PDF Viewer's key feature
Embedding: Embeds PDFs from media library, oEmbed, blocks, or Google Doc Viewer.
TNC FlipBook is another popular plugin that lets users convert PDFs into flipbooks and embed them in their WordPress pages or posts.
It's a great option if you're looking to showcase restaurant menus, eBooks, product catalogs, product documentation, product manuals, flip magazines, flyers, brochures, reports, etc.
TNC FlipBook's key features
Format: Provides flipbook format with interactive page-flipping navigation.
Capacity: Supports unlimited file uploads with no size restrictions.
Security: Handles password-protected PDFs and fillable forms with attachments.
Branding: Customizes with logos, colors, viewing modes, and toolbar positions.
Viewing: Supports flip, vertical scrolling, and horizontal scrolling modes.
Tools: Includes open, download, print, share, zoom, rotate, and find functions.
TNC FlipBook is an excellent plugin overall. You can use it with Document Library Pro to embed PDFs on a single page on your WordPress site.
Technically, Flipsnack isn't a WordPress PDF viewer plugin. It's an online platform that allows you to convert regular PDFs into realistic-looking, interactive flipbooks (like Embed PDF Viewer and TNC FlipBook). However, unlike Embed PDF Viewer and TNC FlipBook, Flipsnack lets you embed and display PDF flipbooks on your site and share them via links, social media, emails, QR codes, and more.
Flipsnack is an excellent option for WordPress sites looking to embed and showcase PDFs for menus, catalogs, brochures, flyers, booklets, newspapers, etc.
Flipsnack's key features
Creation: Converts PDFs to flipbooks or creates from scratch with templates.
Links: Adds hyperlinks for external websites or internal navigation.
Organization: Creates virtual bookshelves with custom colors and thumbnails.
Analytics: Provides views, impressions, locations, and engagement statistics.
Integration: Connects Google Analytics for granular data tracking.
Privacy: Excludes flipbooks from search engine indexing when needed.
Flipsnack and Document Library Pro go hand in hand. You can embed your PDF flipbook into the Document Library Pro's single document page.
PrintFriendly is a freemium PDF viewer plugin with a unique use case: it lets people convert your website's content to PDFs and share them via email. It makes your web pages printer-friendly; people can easily remove ads, sidebars, headers, and other unwanted content before converting them to print-ready PDFs.
This plugin adds a print icon to the front end of your WordPress site. When users click it, a lightbox window will appear, from which they can customize the settings and preview the final, printed version.
PrintFriendly's key features
Access: Provides all features to free and premium users with ad-supported free tier.
Customization: Adds custom headers, footers, button styles, and copyright information.
Output: Generates PDFs with clickable links and custom paper sizes.
Preview: Allows content customization before printing for optimal output.
Languages: Detects and adjusts to user browser language preferences automatically.
PrintFriendly works with Document Library Pro to display print buttons above the searchable PDF library. Also, you can add the 'print' buttons to the single document page.
Create user-friendly PDF viewing with Document Library Pro
In this post, we've looked at the top PDF viewer plugins for WordPress.
Although there are many options, the best WordPress PDF viewer plugin for most sites is Document Library Pro.
Document Library Pro lets you add and showcase PDFs in a searchable, sortable, and filterable library on your site's front end. This makes it ridiculously easy for your web visitors to open, view, download, and interact with PDFs as if they were saved on their devices. With Document Library Pro, you can:
Display PDFs in a library with powerful sort, search, and filter options.
Organize and showcase PDFs in a list or folder view for your site's visitors to access quickly.
Allow people to preview PDFs before downloading them.
Embed and showcase PDFs from third-party sites like Google Docs and Dropbox.
