About PDF Embedder
PDF Embedder is a WordPress plugin that lets site owners display, protect, and track PDF documents right on their pages, with no coding, for bloggers, publishers, educators, businesses, and the agencies that build their sites.
What PDF Embedder does
PDF embedding and viewing
PDF Embedder displays any PDF inside a WordPress page or post using a Gutenberg (Block Editor) block, an Elementor widget, or a shortcode. It has continuous scrolling, jump-to-page, and links that work inside the document. Visitors read your documents on your site instead of downloading them and leaving.
Secure PDFs and download protection
Premium plans store PDFs securely and block direct file URLs. They also turn off right-click and keep search engines from indexing your files. Visitors can read your content but can’t easily download, save, or share it.
Dynamic watermarks
Each page can show the viewer’s name, email, or IP address, or your own custom text. You can adjust the font size, rotation, and opacity. If someone screenshots a protected document, the watermark shows who leaked it.
View and download tracking
View and download counts for every PDF appear right in the WordPress Media Library. You can see which documents get attention without setting up an outside analytics tool.
Full-text search and mobile viewer
Visitors can search text inside a PDF, even one that’s 100 pages long, right in the viewer. On phones, the viewer adapts to the screen and offers one-tap full-screen mode, with no pinching or sideways scrolling.
PDF Thumbnails
PDF Thumbnails automatically makes a preview image from each PDF’s first page, including secured PDFs. Document libraries look polished and load faster than a full embed or a generic file icon.
What makes PDF Embedder different
PDFs stay on your site
Many sites embed PDFs through Google Drive or Dropbox viewers, which show another company’s branding and interface. PDF Embedder shows documents in your own site’s design, and you can store the files securely on your own server.
Protection built into the viewer
General embed plugins focus on showing files from many sources without file access protection. PDF Embedder Pro puts download blocking, direct-URL protection, and dynamic watermarks in one plugin, so you don’t need a separate security add-on.
Tracking without extra tools
Most PDF plugins don’t count views or downloads per file, so you’d need custom Google Analytics event tracking to get those numbers. PDF Embedder shows per-file counts in the WordPress Media Library, starting on the Basic plan.
Proven at scale
PDF Embedder has been around since 2015 and runs on 300,000+ WordPress sites. It has a 4.7 rating from 500+ reviews and 5,000,000 downloads on WordPress.org. Several reviewers say they’ve used it for more than 5 or even 10 years.
Agency-friendly pricing with low risk
Plans cover 1 to 100 sites, and every plan includes premium support and updates. Every purchase comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Other solutions sell per-site licenses. PDF Embedder’s Elite plan covers 100 client sites under one license.
Who uses PDF Embedder
- Online course creators and membership sites who sell PDF workbooks and need watermarking and download protection to stop piracy.
- Web design freelancers and agencies with 5 to 100 client sites who want one PDF tool they can install on every site.
- Local news sites and publishers who post PDF newsletters, catalogs, and editions that readers flip through on the page.
- Schools, nonprofits, and government sites that publish forms, reports, and meeting minutes that need to be readable and searchable on phones.
- Businesses with large document libraries (1,000+ PDF catalogs) who need thumbnails and per-file tracking.
- Authors and creatives who want to show their work without it being scraped.
The team behind PDF Embedder
Origin story
PDF Embedder was launched in 2015 because there was no good solutions to display PDF files inline on your site at all.
Word spread quickly on WordPress.org as site owners found it was the easiest way to show PDFs without sending visitors off-site, and the reviews soon followed.
Joining Awesome Motive
In 2023, PDF Embedder joined Awesome Motive, the company behind WPForms, MonsterInsights, and OptinMonster. It’s run by WPAuth LLC.
The only thing that changed for our users and customers – they got better support and more frequent releases with improvements, new features, and compatibility updates with other plugins and latest WordPress versions.
How PDF Embedder works
Getting started: Install the free version from WordPress.org, or buy a premium plan and upload the plugin. Then add the PDF Embedder block to any page. Most sites have their first PDF embedded in under 5 minutes.
Support channels: Premium customers get support by email through their account dashboard. Free users can use the WordPress.org forum.
Response times: within 1 business day, Monday through Friday.
Who you work with: Support comes from the PDF Embedder team, and reviewers often mention they can talk directly to the developers.
Updates: Premium plans include plugin updates for as long as your license is active. The documentation is at wp-pdf.com/docs/.
Key facts
| Company Name | PDF Embedder (WP-PDF), operated by WPAuth LLC |
|---|---|
| Type | WordPress plugin (freemium, annual subscription) |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | West Palm Beach, Florida, US |
| Website | wp-pdf.com |
| Core Offering | Embed, secure, watermark, and track PDF documents on WordPress sites |
| Pricing | Free version on WordPress.org; Premium: Basic $59/yr (1 site), Plus $99/yr (5 sites), Pro $159/yr (20 sites), Elite $259/yr (100 sites) |
| Contract Terms | Annual subscription; 14-day money-back guarantee |
| Services | PDF viewer, secure PDF storage, download blocking, dynamic watermarks, view/download tracking, full-text search, mobile viewer, PDF thumbnails, Elementor widget, etc. |
| Communication | Premium ticket support, WordPress.org support forum, documentation |
| Notable Clients | Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Accenture, European Space Agency, LA County, Disney, etc. |
| Customers Served | 300,000+ active WordPress sites |
| Projects Delivered | 5,000,000 downloads; 4.7/5 average rating from 500+ reviews |
| Parent Company | Awesome Motive |
Frequently asked questions
Is PDF Embedder free?
Yes. The free version on WordPress.org embeds PDFs with a mobile-friendly viewer.
Can visitors download my PDFs?
With the Pro and Elite plans, you can block downloads and direct file access and turn off right-click. You can also add dynamic watermarks to discourage sharing screenshots.
Will PDF Embedder slow down my site?
Absolutely not. PDF Embedder is carefully built with performance in mind. We have developed everything with best practices and modern standards to ensure things run smoothly and fast. Your huge PDF files may take some time to render though, but it depends on the browser and the machine where this browser is running.
Can I use PDF Embedder on client sites?
Yes. Plus covers 5 sites, Pro covers 20, and Elite covers 100, so agencies can use one license across their client work.
What happens if I don’t renew?
License keys are subscription-based and will automatically renew every year. Lock in your pricing by keeping your subscription active. If you decide to cancel, you will lose access to support and updates as well as opt-out of your existing pricing.
Does support cost extra?
No. Every premium plan includes premium support and plugin updates.