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There are several reasons why you might want to add a PDF to your blog post. Perhaps you have created a downloadable worksheet or how-to guide that you want your reader to have handy access to once they’ve clicked off your page.
Perhaps you’ll charge for access to this PDF, keep it password protected, or have it freely downloadable for everyone. Whatever your reason for making a downloadable PDF available on your blog, read on to find out how to add a PDF to your blog post.
The ‘Traditional’ Way To Add a PDF to Your Blog Post
The traditional way to add a PDF to your blog post is relatively simple. Simply add in a block by clicking the Toggle block inserter icon (as shown below) and select ‘File’ from the options available.
A window will then open with your documents on your computer. You can select which file you would like to make available to your reader.
An image of your PDF will appear. Below this will be the PDF’s title and a ‘Download’ button next to it.
And that’s it! You’re ready to finish off your blog post and publish it ready for your readers to read and download your newly accessible PDF!
However, I wouldn’t recommend adding a PDF this way!
The reason? The files uploaded take up precious space on your site and can affect your site speed. I’m fortunate that my hosting package with Hostinger comes with 200GB of storage. But even so, I don’t want to be taking up storage space with downloads when there’s another solution.
What Are The Alternatives For Adding a PDF to Your Blog Post?
Instead of adding a PDF directly to your blog post/website for download, I would suggest uploading your PDF to a cloud drive. There are quite a few options available, including:
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Office 365
Once uploaded, you can set the document sharing settings, allowing people with a specific link to read only, edit, use as a template, or download only.
Use the link provided by the cloud drive you have chosen and then add this into your blog post. You can add the link into your post like you would any other hyperlink, by selecting the text with your call to action and pasting the link into the hyperlink box.
By including your PDF for download in this way, you aren’t taking up any space on your website, meaning that your site isn’t being slowed down by unnecessary uploads and files!
Tips For Your Call To Action
When creating your Call To Action, make sure that it’s obvious for your reader. Something like ‘Click here to download’ is direct, to the point, and obvious what you want your reader to do.
If you like the idea of having a ‘traditional’ PDF icon, you can download one for free from websites such as Pixabay. However, I would strongly advise not just including an icon, but a text Call To Action also so as your reader isn’t confused on how they download your PDF.
This post was proofread using Grammarly.
