Add PDF to WordPress Library (new PDF on site)
Before you can add a PDF to a webpage, you’ll need to upload it to the WordPress PDF library.
- From your dashboard, on the left navigation panel, click on PDFs > Add New PDF.
- Drop or select the PDF to upload and give it a title. Make sure the title is concise and easy to understand, as this is how it will appear on the website. Check out our guidance on naming PDFs in the style guide.
- You can set category tags for the PDF to make it easier to find. Before creating a new category, be sure a similar one doesn’t already exist that can be used instead.
- Click Publish to add it to the library.
Add PDF to Webpage
You might want to link text to a PDF document. To link to a PDF:
- Go to the PDF Library and open the PDF you want to link.
- Right-click the permalink and select copy link address.
- Return to the page you want to link the PDF to. Highlight the text you want to direct the user to the document and click the link symbol.
- Paste the link in the field and hit return. The text should now be a blue hyperlink.
What’s a permalink and why does it matter?
A permalink is the place a document can always be found. If, for example, you need to update the PDF to a newer version down the line, the permalink won’t change. This means you only have to upload the new PDF in one place, and all locations the permalink is used across your site will update automatically.
Update PDF in WordPress Library (PDF already on website)
- From your dashboard, on the left navigation panel, click on PDFs > All.
- Find the PDF from the list and click on it to edit.
- Update the file by uploading a new PDF or changing the name or categories.
- Click Publish to add it to the library. After publishing, anywhere this PDF is linked on the site will update.
I updated the PDF, but I’m still seeing the old version (or an error message)
When you upload a new version of a PDF in WordPress, sometimes the old version still appears due to caching issues.
What’s happening
Your web browser, like Edge or Chrome, saves copies of files (like PDFs) to load them faster. Even if a new version of a PDF is uploaded, your browser may not check the live site. Instead, it pulls up the old version it saved previously.
The good news: Web browser caching problems are local. They’re only affecting you (or others who recently looked at the old PDF). Everyone else is seeing the updated document.
What to do
You don’t actually need to do anything. Your browser will clear its cache automatically and load the updated file. It could take hours or days.
If you want, you can confirm that the updated PDF is live by:
- Checking the link on your phone
- Using a different web browser or a different computer to open the link
- Opening the link in incognito (Chrome) or InPrivate (Microsoft Edge)
If you see the updated file, you’ve confirmed it was a caching problem.