How do I upload a PDF or document to my site?

How do I add a PDF to a page?

1. Name the file well. Use something like spring-menu.pdf or new-patient-form.pdf. Visitors see this name in their downloads.
2. Open the page. Go to Pages, hover over the page and select Edit.
3. Add a File block. Select the + button and choose File, or type /file and press Enter.
4. Upload it. Choose Upload to pick it from your computer, or Media Library if it’s already on the site. A link with the file’s name appears.
5. Fix the link text. Click the file name and type clearer words, and add “(PDF)” so people know what will open.
6. Choose the settings. In the sidebar, Show download button adds a button. Open in new tab keeps your page open behind it. Show inline embed shows the PDF on the page.
7. Save and check. Select Save (or Update or Publish), then open the live page on a computer and a phone and click the link.

By default, only Administrators, Editors and Authors can upload files. If you don’t see Upload, your login may not allow it.

These steps follow WordPress’s File block guide.

How do I replace a PDF with a new version?

1. Open the page and click the File block.
2. Select Replace in the toolbar and upload the new file.
3. Save, then click the link on the live page to confirm the new version opens.
4. Replace uploads a second file; it doesn’t remove the old one. Check whether other pages, emails or printed QR codes link to the old file’s address. Update the pages you can. If the old address is in print or in emails already sent, keep the old file (or ask us to redirect its address to the new one) rather than deleting it. Only delete it from Media, then Library, once nothing points to it.

How do I get a link to share?

Go to Media, then Library, open the file and select Copy URL to clipboard. The File block also has a Copy URL button. WordPress describes both on its Media Library screen page.

The short version

• Add a File block to the page, upload the PDF, and give the link clear text.
• To update it later, use Replace on the same block, then delete the old file from the Media Library. Put key facts on the page as text too.

Why does this matter?

PDFs are handy for things people print: menus, forms, price sheets. But they’re harder to read on a phone, search engines read them less well than a normal page, and an old version found through Google causes real confusion. A clear link, the current file, and the key facts on the page itself avoid all three.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

• Two versions online. Uploading “menu-new.pdf” next to “menu.pdf” leaves both findable. Replace, then remove the old one.
• Scans instead of real files. A scanned printout can’t be searched or read aloud by a screen reader. Export from your word processor or design app instead. The W3C lists ways to make PDFs accessible in its PDF techniques. This isn’t legal advice, but it’s a good guide.
• Word or Excel files. Not everyone can open them on a phone. Save them as PDF first.
• Private documents. Anything in the Media Library can be opened by anyone with the link. Don’t upload contracts, staff records or customer details.
• Forms people must send back. A form on the page is usually easier for customers than a PDF to print and scan. See adding or changing a form.

What if this didn’t work?

• “Sorry, you are not allowed to upload this file type.” The site may block that type. Save it as PDF and try again.
• The upload fails or stalls. The file may be larger than your host allows. Export it again at a lower image quality to shrink it.
• The old PDF still opens. Your browser may be showing a cached copy. Try a private window and check the link’s file name.

How does E-3 handle this?

A PDF can be too large to get through email. If yours bounces, upload it to a file-sharing service such as Google Drive or Dropbox and send us the link instead. Tell us which page it belongs on and what the link should say. A person at E-3 uploads it and adds the link. When a new version arrives, send it the same way and say which file it replaces.

Reach us at 814-399-4655 or support@e3help.me.

Related questions

• How do I update my phone number, address or hours?
• Can you add a new page to my website?
• Can you update the text on my website?