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Do you want to serve some PDFs with secure protection while keeping others as standard embeds on the same site? PDF Embedder allows you to have both instances on your site as needed.
This guide explains how to switch between secure and normal upload modes, and how to control the download button independently per embed.
Switching Between Secure and Normal Upload Modes
The Secure PDFs option in Settings > PDF Embedder > Secure tab controls how subsequent PDF uploads are handled, depending on whether it is checked or unchecked when uploading the target file:
- Checked: PDFs you upload are stored in the protected
/securepdfs/folder and embedded with secure protection. - Unchecked: PDFs you upload go to the standard media uploads area, outside the
/securepdfs/folder, and are embedded as normal without secure protection.
Toggle this setting as needed before uploading your PDFs. PDFs already uploaded are not affected, and the setting applies to new uploads only.
For a full explanation of the secure upload process, see Using PDF Embedder Secure Settings.
Controlling the Download Button Per Embed
You can also mix download button behavior across embeds. For example, showing the download button on normal PDFs but not on secure ones.
Set the global default in the Main Settings tab under Settings > PDF Embedder using the Download Button checkbox. Set it to match whichever type makes up the majority of your PDFs.
To override the global setting for a specific embed, add the download attribute to the shortcode:
[pdf-embedder url="..." download="on"]Code language: JSON / JSON with Comments (json)[pdf-embedder url="..." download="off"]Code language: JSON / JSON with Comments (json)Use download="on" to show the button even when the global setting has it off. Use download="off" to hide it even when the global setting has it on.
If you use the PDF Embedder block in the Block Editor, a dedicated toggle for this option is in the Actions panel of the block sidebar; no shortcode editing needed.
Frequently asked questions
Below are some common questions about mixing secure and normal embeds on the same site.
Does the download attribute change where the PDF is stored?
No. The download attribute only affects whether the download button appears in the viewer toolbar. Storage location is set at upload time by the Secure PDFs toggle — these are two independent settings.