PDF is a file format that by default cannot be displayed on a website like a JPG or PNG. A PDF always needs a special tool to make it visually visible.
The easiest way in Website Creator is to make the PDF available as a download via button. You can also display the PDF directly, but this is more complex and requires a bit more technical know-how.
PDF via button as download (simple)
- Add a button to the desired content section in the editor using the + symbol
- Open the settings of the button via the gear icon
- Select “File” from the drop-down menu for the link type
- Click the blue button at the bottom of File. Your file manager opens
- Select the file you want and click Add
- Change the text in the button by clicking on it
Remember that the people who download the PDF will see the file name. So name your PDF sensibly and understandably when you load it into your file manager.
PDF via iFrame directly on website (complex)
Using iFrame, PDF files can be integrated readably and scrollably on the website without the visitor having to download and open the PDF first. The prerequisite for this is that a current web browser is used which can open/display PDF files and that the browser does not block viewing. It should therefore be noted that, depending on the browser used, this function may not be available for some visitors. Also consider the display on mobile devices. It probably won’t be easy to read because cell phone screens aren’t that wide. We recommend placing important information directly as text on the website wherever possible.
To integrate the PDF, it must be stored on a web server and accessible under a URL. For example, the PDF can be uploaded to your own hosting server via the Media Library in Website Creator and the link to this file can be inserted in the iFrame module.
Internal hosting
If the PDF is provided internally on your own hosting server, which is also used for the Website Creator, you do not need to specify the full path in the iFrame settings, but only as follows: userdata/filemanager/data/samplefile.pdf
External hosting
For external links, i.e. files hosted on an external server, always include the full URL.