How to Embed a PDF in HTML (With & Without Code)

Static PDF files don’t have to live hidden away in downloads or email attachments. Embedding a PDF directly into a web page gives your visitors immediate access to your content — whether it’s a product catalog, presentation, report, or magazine — without forcing them to open a new tab or external viewer. This not only improves the user experience but can also keep readers engaged longer, which is great for SEO and conversions.

There are several ways to embed a PDF in HTML5, from basic native tags like <iframe>, <embed>, and <object> to more advanced HTML5 PDF viewer solutions and even full PDF-to-HTML conversions. Each method has its advantages, depending on your level of technical expertise and the type of content you’re embedding.

But if you want a professional, responsive, and mobile-friendly experience without writing or maintaining complex code, a digital publishing platform like Flipsnack is a much more efficient option. With just a few clicks, you can transform a static PDF into an interactive flipbook and embed it on your website in seconds.

In this guide, we’ll walk through every major method of displaying a PDF in HTML, compare their pros and cons, and show you why Flipsnack offers the simplest and most powerful way to bring your content to life online.

Manual embedding methods (with code examples)

If you want to embed a PDF in HTML5 without any external tools, there are a few simple methods you can use right in your website’s code. These methods work well for basic use cases — like showing a menu, report, or product catalog — and don’t require any advanced programming knowledge.

Below, we’ll walk through the three most common options: using the <embed>, <iframe>, and <object> tags.

1. Using the <embed> tag

The <embed> tag is the easiest way to display a PDF in your web page. All you need to do is tell the browser where the PDF is located and set the size.

Here’s a simple example:

<embed src=”file.pdf” type=”application/pdf” width=”100%” height=”600px”>

• src is the path to your PDF file (it can be hosted on your server or a CDN).
• type tells the browser the file format.
• width and height control how big the PDF appears on the page.
  

Pros:

• Extremely easy to set up.
• Works in most modern browsers.

Cons:

• Not very flexible.
• May not display well on mobile screens.

2. Using the <iframe> tag

An <iframe> works like a window inside your web page that loads the PDF file. It gives you a bit more flexibility with design and is often better for responsive layouts.

Here’s how it looks:

<iframe src=”file.pdf” width=”100%” height=”600px”></iframe>

You can adjust the width to 100% so the PDF resizes with the page, and control the height to match your layout.

Pros:

• More control over sizing.
• Easy to make responsive.
• Works well on most devices.

Cons:

• Still depends on the browser’s built-in PDF viewer.
• May not offer the smoothest reading experience on mobile.
  

💡 Pro tip: If you’d prefer a more polished and responsive HTML5 viewer without manual code tweaks, a solution like Flipsnack can make this process much easier. (We’ll cover this option in detail later.)

3. Using the <object> tag

The <object> tag is slightly more advanced but useful if you want a fallback message in case the PDF doesn’t load. This can make your site more user-friendly.

Example:

<object data=”file.pdf” type=”application/pdf” width=”100%” height=”600px”>

  <p>Your browser doesn’t support viewing PDFs. <a href=”file.pdf”>Download the file</a> instead.</p>

</object>

Pros:

• Lets you add fallback content (like a download link).
• Good browser support.

Cons:

• Slightly more code to write.
• Can be trickier to style on smaller screens.
  

4. Making your PDF embed responsive

A common problem with PDF embeds is that they don’t always adjust well to mobile screens. To make the embed more flexible, it helps to use a responsive container.

For example:

<div style=”position: relative; padding-top: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;”>

  <iframe src=”file.pdf” 

          style=”position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;” 

          frameborder=”0″>

  </iframe>

</div>

This CSS trick ensures the PDF scales properly across devices, giving users a better viewing experience on tablets and phones.

When to use these methods

These manual methods are great if you:

• Only need to show a few basic PDFs.
• Are comfortable adding a bit of HTML to your website.
• Don’t need advanced features like interactivity or analytics.

But if you want your PDFs to look great on all devices, load quickly, and feel professional, a tool like Flipsnack can make things a lot easier — no extra coding required.

Using HTML5 PDF viewers and converters

Manual embedding methods work well for simple use cases, but they can feel a bit limited if you want your PDF to look great on all devices, load smoothly, and offer a better reading experience. This is where HTML5 PDF viewers and PDF-to-HTML converters come in.

These tools let you display PDFs in a way that’s more flexible and visually appealing than just dropping the file into an <iframe> or <embed> tag.

What an HTML5 PDF viewer is

An HTML5 PDF viewer is a tool or library that renders PDF files inside a web page using HTML5 and JavaScript, instead of relying on the browser’s built-in PDF reader. This gives you more control over how the document looks and behaves.

Some common benefits include:

• Better mobile responsiveness
• Faster loading (especially for large files)
• Interactive features like search, zoom, or navigation
• Consistent display across different browsers
  

A popular example of this is PDF.js, an open-source library created by Mozilla. With it, developers can integrate a more advanced viewing experience directly into their sites.

However, setting up a PDF viewer like this often requires more steps, including hosting files, configuring scripts, and managing updates — which may not be ideal for beginners or marketers who just need a fast way to publish content.

Converting PDF files to HTML

Another option is to convert your PDF into HTML. This means the content isn’t displayed inside a viewer — it actually becomes part of your web page.

Benefits of converting to HTML include:

• Full control over layout and styling
• Better SEO, since search engines can index the content directly
• Faster load times for some documents
• Easier to make the design responsive

However, this method can be time-consuming and may require extra formatting after conversion, especially for PDFs with complex layouts.

When to consider these options

Using an HTML5 PDF viewer or converting to HTML can be a good choice if you:

• Need more flexibility than basic HTML tags can provide.
• Want your content to feel integrated into your site.
• Have a bit of technical knowledge (or a developer’s help).

But if your goal is to keep things simple, responsive, and professional-looking without manual setup, tools like Flipsnack can give you these benefits instantly — without the extra coding work.

We’ll explore how to do that in the next section.

Flipsnack: The modern way to embed PDFs in a web page

While manual embedding methods work, they can be tricky to manage — especially when it comes to mobile responsiveness, browser compatibility, or adding interactive features. That’s where Flipsnack comes in.

Flipsnack turns static PDF files into interactive HTML5 flipbooks that can be embedded into your website in just a few clicks. Instead of dealing with code or worrying about how your file displays across devices, you get a clean, responsive viewer that works everywhere.

What Flipsnack offers

Flipsnack isn’t just a basic PDF embed tool. It’s a full HTML5 viewer with built-in design, interactivity, and analytics features. The first visual enhancement to your PDF is the page flip effect which provides improved navigation instead of the endless scrolling one would have to do with a static, traditional PDF document. 

Here are a few of the biggest advantages that makes it a much better option for the whole reading experience you can offer your audience, beyond a simple embed:

• Responsive on all devices – Your publication automatically adapts to different screen sizes, no extra coding required.
• Customizable viewer (Design Studio) – Add your own branding, choose a layout, and match your site’s look and feel.
• Fast and reliable – No large file downloads or broken embeds.
• Analytics and engagement – See how readers interact with your publication by checking performance reports: heatmaps, location, overview of how people interact with a specific flipbook. 
• Secure sharing options – Control access, visibility, and permissions with options like password protection, one-time-passcode, or SSO for internal use documents.

This makes it a great solution not just for developers, but also for marketers, designers, and business owners who want a polished result without extra work.

How to embed a Flipsnack PDF flipbook in HTML

Embedding with Flipsnack is as simple as copying and pasting a line of code. It’s important to mention that the  <iframe> option provides more control via CSS when compared with <embed>. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Upload your PDF to Flipsnack to convert it into a flipbook.
2. Customize your flipbook (optional: branding, layout, interactivity).
3. Publish the flipbook using the public option. 
4. Click “Embed” to generate your code. You can set the starting page.
5. Paste the code into your website’s HTML.

Example embed code:

<iframe src=”https://cdn.flipsnack.com/embed/your-publication-id” 

        width=”100%” 

        height=”600″ 

        frameborder=”0″ 

        allowfullscreen>

</iframe>

That’s it. Your PDF is now displayed on your web page as a fully interactive HTML5 flipbook, without additional setup.

For more details, see Flipsnack’s embed instructions.

Why this works better than manual embedding

Feature	Manual HTML (iframe/embed/object)	Flipsnack HTML5 viewer
Mobile responsive	Often needs custom CSS	Fully responsive by default
Design customization	Very limited	Easy branding and styling options
User experience	Depends on browser viewer	Fast, clean, interactive interface
Setup time	Varies	Just a few clicks
Analytics & engagement data	Not available	Built-in

With Flipsnack, you’re not just embedding a file — you’re embedding a professional, interactive experience.

Iframe vs embed vs object vs Flipsnack

Now that we’ve covered all the main ways to display PDFs in HTML5, it’s helpful to compare them side by side. Each method has its advantages, but they also come with different levels of complexity, flexibility, and user experience.

Method	Pros	Cons	Best for
<iframe>	Easy to implement, flexible sizing, good browser support	Limited customization, relies on browser viewer	Basic embeds where simplicity matters
<embed>	Very simple setup, works in most browsers	Not responsive, minimal styling options	Quick, one-off PDF displays
<object>	Supports fallback content, good control	Slightly more complex to code, less intuitive styling	More advanced setups with graceful fallback
Flipsnack viewer	Responsive, branded, interactive, analytics included	Requires a Flipsnack account	Professional use cases, marketing content, responsive design

This table highlights a clear difference between manual methods and a dedicated HTML5 viewer like Flipsnack. While native HTML options are fine for simple embeds, they can be limiting if you want a mobile-friendly, customizable, or trackable solution.

If your goal is to publish professional, on-brand documents that look great on any device, Flipsnack offers a more modern and scalable approach.

Best practices for embedding PDFs – short checklist

No matter which method you use to display a PDF on your website, a few best practices can help ensure a better user experience and smoother performance.

• Optimize the file size before embedding. Large PDFs can slow down page load times, especially on mobile.
• Use responsive layouts so the embed adjusts to different screen sizes. A full-width iframe usually works best for flexibility.
• Test across browsers and devices to make sure your PDF displays properly everywhere.
• Include accessible titles or alt text to make your content more inclusive and SEO-friendly.
• Consider using a dedicated HTML5 viewer like Flipsnack if you want to avoid dealing with code and compatibility issues altogether.
  

Following these simple steps helps keep your embedded content fast, accessible, and reliable, whether you’re using native HTML or a specialized tool.

Conclusion on best way to embed PDF in HTML

There are several ways to embed a PDF in HTML5, and the best method depends on your goals. If you just need a quick and simple way to display a file, manual options like <iframe>, <embed>, or <object> work well enough. They’re straightforward, require minimal setup, and get the job done for basic use cases.

However, if your priority is delivering a professional, mobile-friendly experience with full control over design and functionality, manual methods can become limiting. That’s where Flipsnack stands out. By turning your PDFs into responsive HTML5 flipbooks, it eliminates the need for custom code and ensures your content looks great on any device.

Whether you choose to code it yourself or use a platform like Flipsnack, embedding PDFs can help you share information more effectively and keep visitors engaged on your site.