Updated on June 6, 2026easy, ~1 min

How to Embed a PDF in Notion

To embed a PDF in Notion, type /pdf on any page, press Enter, and either upload the file or paste a public PDF link, then click Embed. Notion renders an inline, scrollable viewer so readers can page through the document without downloading it. For files hosted on Google Drive or a website, paste the public link instead of uploading.

Why embed a PDF in Notion?

  • Keep a contract, brief, or handbook readable right on the page.
  • Avoid forcing readers to download files just to glance at them.
  • Centralise reference PDFs inside the workspace that uses them.

Embed, upload, or link: three ways to put a PDF in Notion

Which one you want depends on where the file already lives. Uploading is simplest when the PDF is on your computer and you are happy for Notion to host it. Embedding a hosted link is better when the file lives in Google Drive or on a website and needs to stay current. Linking out is the fallback when the file is private and must stay that way.

How to embed a PDF in Notion

  1. Add a PDF block

    On any Notion page, type /pdf and press Enter to insert a PDF block.

  2. Upload or link the file

    Either upload the PDF from your device, or choose "Embed link" and paste a public PDF URL (for example a Google Drive share link set to "anyone with the link").

  3. Resize the viewer

    Drag the handles to set a comfortable reading height. Readers can scroll through pages inside the block.

Good to know

  • Linked PDFs must be publicly accessible, or the viewer shows a permission error.
  • Very large PDFs can be slow to load inside the inline viewer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a PDF to a Notion page?

Type /pdf and either upload the file or paste a link to one. Uploaded files are subject to your workspace's file size limit on the free plan, so for large documents a hosted link usually works better.

What's the difference between uploading and linking a PDF in Notion?

Uploading stores the file in Notion and works offline-ish within the app; linking keeps the file at its source (like Google Drive) and shows the latest version, but requires the link to stay public.

Why does my linked PDF fail to load in Notion?

The link is probably private. For Google Drive, set sharing to "anyone with the link can view" and use that share URL.

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