- Send a PDF to One or Two People
- How to Send a PDF as a Link
- Hosting Your PDF Online with Tiiny.host
- Using Cloud Storage Services
- Next Steps
- FAQ: How to Send a PDF
Let’s say you’ve created an important PDF.
Now you need to distribute it.
Is it going to one person? A few? Many?
Do the recipients require their own copy of the PDF, or can they read it online?
You didn’t know it could get so complicated so quickly, did you?
Don’t worry. I’ll straighten it out right now.
Let’s walk through the options of sending a PDF—or a link to a PDF—to your audience in the most efficient way possible.
Send a PDF to One or Two People
The most direct way to send your PDF to just a few people is to include the PDF as an attachment in an email.
Most modern email apps allow you to drag and drop a file, such as a PDF (either as a document or after converting a presentation or screenshot to a PDF), onto the email you’re currently writing. The PDF will automatically be uploaded as an attachment to the email.
Those who receive the email can click to read the PDF.
It’s easy.
But there are a couple of gotchas.
- If you need to edit the PDF for any reason, you must resend the new, edited version to everyone on the list. This creates multiple versions. It results in extra work and confusion if someone uses the information from the original version. This should be avoided.
- Email attachments can be no larger than 20-25 MB in file size. Bigger files simply won’t get sent. PDFs with lots of images or video can quickly outgrow this size limitation, rendering this solution unavailable.
Email is seldom the best way to share a PDF, except with one or two people.
There are better ways to accomplish your goal.
How to Send a PDF as a Link
Because it is such a popular way to share PDFs, there are several ways to send a link to a PDF rather than the PDF itself. Those with the link can read the PDF online.
The advantage here is particularly obvious if the PDF ever needs editing or updating. You, the author, need only change the original, and everyone with the link can still access it—along with the updates.
This approach also avoids file size issues. It doesn’t matter how big the PDF file is. It’s only being viewed by the audience and not electronically shipped to them. They needn’t store anything on their device, and multiple versions won’t pile up.
There is no limit to the number of people who can view the PDF. In fact, you have the option of making it available for anyone or everyone to view.
For PDFs that require additional security, you can add a password to protect it from prying eyes.
Let’s look at our PDF link options.
Hosting Your PDF Online with Tiiny.host
Our service, Tiiny.host, is the simplest way to host and share a PDF online.
When you host a PDF with Tiiny.host, you automatically get a link to share in any way you wish, such as email, social media, and professional communities.
You can also generate a QR code pointing to your PDF. A QR code is a visual web link. Your audience scans the QR code with their smartphone. They tap the link and are taken to your PDF site—just like that.
If you require password protection for your PDF, we supply that, too.
Do you need to monitor how many people have viewed your PDF? We provide site analytics for this purpose. Pageviews, visitors, and sessions are all tracked.
Using Tiiny.host
Earlier, I said Tiiny.host was simple. Watch this.
Once you visit Tiiny.host’s home page, you are three steps from your PDF being live online.
- Give your PDF site a name. This name will be part of your human-friendly link (my-pdf.tiiny.co).
- Drag and drop your PDF onto the form.
- Click the “PUBLISH” button.
That’s it.
Sign in or register for a free account.
In moments your PDF is available for sharing.
It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
We offer free hosting for PDF files smaller than 3 MB. This free tier allows you to host and update your PDF for as long as you have an account with us.
No charge.
We also offer free customer support. Contact us at Tiiny.host/help to reach us by chat or email. We’re ready to help you with anything about PDFs, hosting, sharing, and internet-related topics.
Try Tiiny.host today for free.
Using Cloud Storage Services
If you already have access to a cloud storage service, you can share a link to your PDF. Popular storage services include Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive.
Upload the PDF to your cloud storage service.
On a desktop, right-click on the PDF to see the popup menu. You will see “Share as a Link” or something similar on this menu.
After some navigation, you will be provided a way to copy the link to the PDF.
NOTE: The link you get will not be human-friendly like Tiiny.host’s. It will be a long string of numbers and characters that mean nothing to your audience. This can confuse some people.
The downside of cloud storage services is that they come at a high cost. Both Dropbox and OneDrive have high yearly subscription tiers.
Google Drive is free to start, Like Tiiny, but suffers the same anti-human link-name problem:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cRSNkaTKCOIenOINDndokunDZnJBt7B4F-hoNGJNnfoM/
Next Steps
As I said:
Tiiny.host is the simplest way to host and share your PDF.
There are alternatives, but not without drawbacks.
Still, the best method is the one that suits your needs, audience, and budget.
If you have more questions, don’t forget our superb customer service people at Tiiny.host/help.
Try us out for free today.
FAQ: How to Send a PDF
What are the best ways to send a PDF file?
You can send a PDF file as an email attachment, share a link to the PDF hosted on cloud storage, or embed the PDF on a website or blog for direct access.
What should I do if my PDF is too large to send as an attachment?
For PDFs exceeding your email provider’s attachment size limit, consider using a cloud storage service to upload the file and then share the link via email or compress the PDF file to reduce its size.
Can I send a PDF through social media?
Yes, you can share a PDF on social media by uploading it to a cloud storage service and sharing the link or using any file-sharing features provided by the social media platform.
Can I track if a sent PDF has been opened?
Direct email attachments do not offer tracking, but sharing a PDF via specialized services like Tiiny.host can provide insights on whether the file was accessed.
What’s the difference between sharing a PDF as an attachment and a link?
Attachments are sent with the email and can be directly downloaded, while shared links direct the recipient to an online location. This is useful for larger files or when tracking access.
