PDF iconAdding/Uploading PDFs

Preparing your PDF document for upload

Ensure that you have prepared your PDF document carefully in advance. PDF documents can be created using many different software packages.

Your PDF document should ideally be optimised for web use (as opposed to print). This will provide quicker loading for your users. There are plenty of free websites which offer compression services such as:

We recommend that the filename is relatively short and should avoid including any unusual characters (especially apostrophes). Otherwise the server may reject their upload.

When your document is prepared and ready to be added to your website, follow the steps below.

The steps to follow will depend on whether your website uses the newer Block Editor or the old Classic Editor. If unsure, check this with your website administrator.

For websites using the (newer) Block Editor:

First upload your PDF files to the Media Library

1. Log into WordPress and select ‘Media’ in the left sidebar.

2. Click the ‘Add new’ button.

3. Select your file to upload or drag the files into the ‘Drop files to upload’ box.

4. With your PDF file uploaded, select it and in the Attachment details pop-up box, select the ‘Copy URL to clipboard’ button. The URL (address) for your uploaded PDF is now on the your computer’s ‘clipboard’.

Copy URL to clipboard button

Adding the link to your page or post

1. Edit the page or post where your PDF link is required.

2. Select the text which you would like to link to your PDF document and select the link button in the toolbar above. TIP: your link text should be appropriate to the linked document – avoid linking text such as ‘click here’.

Creating a text link in wordPress

3. In the link box, paste in the URL of your PDF document (which should still be on your clipboard). For PDF links, we recommend turning in the ‘Open in a new tab’ option. This allows visitors to easily return to your website after reading your PDF.

Text link options

4. Select the ‘submit’ button to finish adding the link (showing an arrow).

5. Finally Update your page or post and we recommend checking it by viewing the page as a visitor and testing it.

Note that images can also be linked to PDFs, by selecting the image and selecting the same ‘Insert link’ button, as for text, with similar options available. WordPress buttons work in a similar way too.

For websites using the (older) Classic Editor:

If your website uses the Classic Editor, you can either upload your PDFs to the Media Library first (see above) or you can upload them when editing the page (as detailed below).

  1. Edit the page or post where your PDF link is required.
  2. Locate your cursor precisely where the text link will be placed (but don’t type any text).
  3. Add Media button (WordPress)Click the Add Media button (above the editing toolbar buttons).
  4. Click Select Files or drag your PDF file into the dotted box. Your PDF document will be imported into the WordPress Media library.
  5. Once the uploading/crunching process has completed, enter the text you require (for the link on the page) in the Title box.
    Title box
  6. Under ATTACHMENT DISPLAY SETTINGS choose Link To Media File. This ensures that text added to your post will link to the file you have just uploaded.
    Link To Media File
    Click the Insert into Page/Post button
  7. Don’t forget to press the Update or Publish button to finish.

Setting the PDF to open in a new browser tab (Classic Editor)

It’s often preferred that the PDF loads up in a new browser tab, so the user can easily return to your web page afterwards. To set this:

  1. Click anywhere within your linked text.
  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon).
  3. Click the Link options button (cog icon).
  4. Tick ‘Open link in a new tab’ and click Update.Open link in a new tab (WordPress)
  5. Update the page or post to finish.

Linking images to PDFs (Classic Editor)

Images can also link to PDF documents and can create a more visible link than text. As before, ensure you’ve uploaded your PDF to the Media Library and copy the URL to your computer’s clipboard.

Insert the image (if not already added). Select the image and press the Edit button (pencil icon).

Edit image (WordPress)

Under DISPLAY SETTINGS, set ‘Link To’ to Custom URL.

Linking images in WordPress

Paste the URL of your PDF into the box underneath. If you would like the PDF opened in a new tab, tick the appropriate box under ADVANCED OPTIONS.

To finish, click Update. Lastly, update the page or post.