PDF to link
PDF to link: turn a PDF into a link anyone can open
Upload a PDF and get a link instead of an attachment. It opens in the browser on any phone or computer, with no app and no download, and it tells you when it is read.
Uploading. Keep this page open.
Where should the code go?
File uploaded. Enter your email to get your link.
Enter the code
Sent to . It expires in 10 minutes.
Your link is ready
Free: every feature on 3 links, including who opened it and time on each page.
Opening it from here does not count as an open.
See when it is seenYour private stats page. Keep it to yourself: anyone with it can see the stats.Both links are in your email too. Upgrade to Pro.
How to convert a PDF to a link
PDF to link in three steps
No software and no sign-up form. A 6-digit code sent to your email is the only check.
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Step 1
Upload the PDF
Drop the file on the box above or pick it from your device. Anything up to 95 MB works.
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Step 2
Confirm your email
Type the 6-digit code FileSeen sends you. It stops abuse and it is how your links reach you later.
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Step 3
Copy your PDF link
The link is named after your file, for example q4-report.fileseen.page. Paste it into an email, a chat or a document.
What the reader sees when they open the PDF link
The link opens the PDF in a clean viewer in the browser, built on PDF.js, the open-source PDF reader that also powers Firefox. Pages load as the reader scrolls, they can zoom and go full screen, and nothing has to be installed. On a phone the pages fit the screen, so a long report is still easy to read.
PDFs are view-only by default: the reader can read every page but there is no download button. If you want people to keep a copy, switch downloads on from the link's stats page.
A PDF link instead of an attachment
An attachment is a copy you cannot take back. A PDF link points to one file that stays in your hands: you can add a password, set it to expire, or delete it, and the link stops working for everyone at once.
Hosting the PDF online
FileSeen does the PDF hosting for you, so there is no server or file storage to set up, and you can share a PDF online with anyone who has the link. The free plan has every feature on 3 links. Deleting a link does not free a slot; replace the file to reuse a link.
See when your PDF link is opened
A PDF link is more useful than a file because it reports back. You find out whether the document was read before you follow up.
Every link comes with a private stats page. It shows how many times the file was opened, which countries the opens came from, where the visitors arrived from, how many downloads there were and, for documents, the total reading time. You also get an email every time the link is opened, or one daily summary if you prefer. See what the stats page tracks.
Your own visits do not count: the link FileSeen gives you to check the file is marked as a preview, so it never shows up as an open.
FAQ
PDF to link questions
How do I convert a PDF to a link?
Upload the PDF in the box at the top of this page, confirm your email with the 6-digit code, and copy the link FileSeen gives you. There is nothing to install.
How do I create a link for a document that is not a PDF?
The same way. Word, PowerPoint and Excel files, images, audio and text files up to 95 MB all become links that open in the browser. Upload them from the home page.
Is the PDF link free?
Yes. The free plan gives you 3 PDF links with every feature, files up to 95 MB, and the opens, reading time and readers for each link.
Can the person I send it to download the PDF?
Not by default. PDFs open view-only, so the reader can read but not save. You can allow downloads at any time from the link's stats page.
Does the reader need an account or an app?
No. The PDF link opens in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
What is the difference between a PDF link and a PDF URL?
They are the same thing: an address that opens your PDF. On FileSeen the URL is named after your file and ends in fileseen.page.
Can I take a PDF link back after sending it?
Yes. Delete it from the stats page and anyone who opens it afterwards sees that it is no longer available.
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