Setup

PDFDraft allows you to embed PDF documents directly into your WordPress pages and posts using either the Gutenberg block editor or a shortcode. This guide covers both methods and shows you how to configure the embedded PDF viewer.

Prerequisites

PDFDraft plugin installed and activated

At least one PDF design created in PDFDraft

Method 1: Using the Gutenberg Block

Adding the PDF Embed Block

Open the page or post where you want to embed the PDF

Click the plus icon to add a new block

Search for PDFDraft Embed PDF or browse to find it under the Media category

Click the block to insert it into your content

Configuring the Embedded PDF

Once the block is inserted, you can configure the following settings:

Select a project

Click the Select a project dropdown

Choose from your available PDFDraft designs

The selected document will display with its title and page count

To change the selection, click the X icon to remove the current document, then select a different one

Publishing the Embedded PDF

After configuring the block, click Save Draft or Update to save your changes

Click Publish or Update to make the embedded PDF live on your site

Visitors will see an interactive PDF viewer with navigation and zoom controls

Method 2: Using the Shortcode

The pdfdraft_embed_pdf shortcode allows you to embed PDFs in any content area that supports shortcodes, including the Classic Editor, widgets, and custom fields.

Basic Shortcode Usage

The basic shortcode syntax is:

[pdfdraft_embed_pdf]

This will embed the default PDF design with standard dimensions.

Shortcode Attributes

You can customize the embedded PDF using the following attributes:

project

Specifies which PDFDraft design to embed

Use the project slug or ID

Example: [pdfdraft_embed_pdf project="certificate-of-appreciation"]

width

Sets the width of the embedded viewer in pixels

Example: [pdfdraft_embed_pdf width="800"]

height

Sets the height of the embedded viewer in pixels

Example: [pdfdraft_embed_pdf height="600"]

Complete Shortcode Example

[pdfdraft_embed_pdf template_id="abc123" width="800px" height="600px"]

This embeds the Certificate of Appreciation design with a viewer that is 800 pixels wide and 600 pixels tall.

Troubleshooting

PDF not displaying

Verify that the selected project exists and is published

Check that the project slug or ID in the shortcode is correct

Ensure the PDFDraft plugin is active

Viewer appears too small or too large

Adjust the width and height attributes in the shortcode or block settings

Use pixel values that fit your page layout

Shortcode displays as text

Ensure you are using the shortcode in a content area that supports shortcodes

Check for typos in the shortcode syntax