How to Add an Embedded PDF in WordPress Without a Plugin

This week I hunted around on the internet and discovered how to embed a PDF file in WordPress without using a special plugin to do it. You can see how it turns out here. This method will work with other file types like Word documents as well. Here’s how I did it.

First, set up an account with Google if you don’t already have one.

Go to Google.com.
Select the Sign in button in the upper right-hand corner.
Select More options and then Create account.
Set up your username and password.

Add the PDF to Google Docs.

Go to Google Docs.
In the Recent Documents area select the dark file folder, the Open file picker.
In Open a file select Upload and Select a file from your computer.
The file with upload and open.

Select Embed for the PDF.

With the file open, select the three vertical dots and then Embed item…
Select the text under Paste HTML to embed in website: and copy.
Select the OK button.

Add the embed text to your WordPress post.

In the WordPress post, select the HTML tab right below the post title.
Select where in the post to put the embedded file. (Don’t get intimidated by the angled brackets; those are just formatting instructions.)
Paste the embed text you copied from Google Docs.

I have to thank two sites in particular for their assistance in figuring this out.