Document Embedder – let visitors read files without downloading

Free Features

PDF viewer and document embedder

• Embed PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and 16+ file types : PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, Google Docs, images, code files and more.
• Four viewer engines, all free : Google viewer, local PDF.js viewer, 3D/2D FlipBook and slider.
• Real 3D PDF FlipBook : pick the page turn for each PDF flipbook: 3D (a lit WebGL book with curling pages), Soft (curling paper pages) or Flat (pages turn as rigid sheets). Browsers without WebGL, and phones unless you switch that off, show 3D as Soft, and visitors who ask their device for reduced motion get the Flat page turn. A flipbook with overlays (Pro) always uses the Flat page turn.
• Cloud links : paste a Google Drive, Dropbox or Box link, or any public file URL. Box shared links open in Box’s own viewer.
• Responsive embeds : set width and height separately for desktop, tablet and mobile.
• Live preview : see exactly what visitors will see while you edit.
• File name display : show the document title above the viewer.
• Download button : custom label, placed in the toolbar or below the document.
• Download behaviour : force a save dialog or open the file in a new tab, and set the filename visitors get.
• Download counter and download limit : show how many times a file was downloaded and cap downloads per visitor.

Document library (file download page)

Create a document library to list many files on one page, like a resource centre, download page or file archive.

• Library layouts: Grid and List : pick a layout when you create a library and switch at any time. Grid shows cards in columns; List shows one file per row with its description, type, size, date and author.
• Search, filter and sort : visitors can search by name, filter by file type and sort by name, date or size.
• View and download buttons : open any file in a preview popup or download it, with your own button text and colours.
• Load more : show a set number of documents and let visitors load the rest.
• Flexible uploads : add files from your computer, the Media Library or a URL. Descriptions written in the Media Library are used automatically.
• Full styling control : header, toolbar, card and row colours, borders, spacing, columns and corner radius.
• Responsive : built for phones, tablets and desktops.
• Up to 5 documents per library in the free version.

Works with every editor and page builder

• Gutenberg block : the Document Embed and Document Library blocks, with every setting in the sidebar.
• Elementor widget : a dedicated Document Embedder widget that shows a single document or a whole library, with layout, size and style controls inside Elementor.
• Shortcodes : [doc id="123"] for a document and [document_library id="123"] for a library. They work in the Classic Editor, Divi, Bricks, WPBakery, Beaver Builder, Oxygen, Breakdance and any builder that supports shortcodes.
• Document post type : every document is saved as its own post, so you can manage and reuse it anywhere.

Insights: document views and downloads

See how your documents are used, from Document Embedder > Insights. Counting is anonymous: no IP address is stored and no cookies are set. You can switch it off, exclude roles (administrators by default), choose how long history is kept, and reset the data in Settings.

• Views and daily unique views : every viewer and file type (PDF in the Default/Google, Custom PDF, Flipbook and Slider viewers, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, images, video, Google Drive and Dropbox links), whether it is embedded with the block, the Saved Document block, the shortcode or the Elementor widget. A view counts once the document has been at least half on screen for a second. A lightbox document counts when its lightbox is opened.
• Time on screen : how long a document was visible in an open browser tab, for every viewer and file type.
• Downloads : counted when the file is delivered for saved documents and Media Library files. For a pasted external URL, counted when the download button is used. In a Document Library, counted when a visitor clicks Download.
• Full-screen use : the full-screen or open-in-new-tab button on the plugin toolbar of the Custom PDF viewer.
• Leads and conversion rate : leads for saved documents, compared with their views.
• List and editor : a “Views today” column on the Documents list and today’s figures in each document’s Download Stats box.

The free version shows today’s figures. Every day is recorded from the moment you update, so upgrading to Pro reads back the history you already have: date ranges, a daily chart, top documents, top host pages and CSV export.

AI Agent Access

Ask an AI assistant about your documents. Document Embedder registers read-only abilities with the WordPress Abilities API, so AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT and others, connected through the WordPress MCP Adapter) and REST API clients can read your data. They never change anything.

• document-embedder/list-documents : your documents with file type, viewer, shortcode, tags, downloads and leads.
• document-embedder/get-document : one document’s settings and the pages that embed it.
• document-embedder/get-download-stats : lifetime downloads and leads, and downloads in any date range.
• document-embedder/list-leads : download leads. Off until you switch on “Allow AI agents to read leads”.
• document-embedder/get-insights : today’s views, downloads, leads, conversion rate and time on screen, and today’s top documents.

Requires WordPress 6.9 or newer, plus the WordPress MCP Adapter plugin for AI assistants. Only logged-in users with the right permissions can use the abilities. Switch them off in Settings > AI Agent Access. If you allow leads, lead names and emails are sent to the AI service you connect. IP addresses are never shared.

Pro Features

Upgrade to Document Embedder Pro for Insights history, advanced library layouts, lead capture, access control and cloud integrations.

Insights history

The free version shows today’s figures. Pro reads back every day recorded since you updated, straight from your own database.

• Date ranges : today, the last 7, 30 or 90 days, or any range you pick.
• Daily chart : views, downloads and leads day by day.
• Top documents and top host pages : see which files are read most and which pages they are read on.
• Per-document view : open any document to see its own figures and daily chart for the range you pick.
• CSV export : download the figures for any range.

Advanced document library

• Table layout : a sortable table of documents. Visitors click a column header to sort, and you choose, reorder and hide columns (icon, name, type, size, date, author, folder, description and actions). Includes striped rows, page numbers and a card view on phones.
• Folder layout : organise files into folders and subfolders (up to 3 levels). Visitors browse with folder tiles or a sidebar tree, follow a breadcrumb, and search across every folder at once.
• Link to a folder : send visitors straight to one folder with a link.
• Group by folder : group the List layout by folder, or add a Folder column to the Table layout.
• Unlimited documents in every library.

Lead capture and access control

• Email gate for downloads : ask for a name and email before a file is released, and turn any PDF into a lead magnet.
• Leads dashboard and CSV export : every submission is logged. Search it, filter it and export it to CSV in one click.
• View access control : show a document only to logged-in users or chosen user roles, with your own message for everyone else. Blocked visitors never receive the file link.
• Download access control : allow downloads only for logged-in users or specific roles.
• Secure document delivery : serve local PDFs through a signed, expirin