Quick answer: To embed a PDF or spreadsheet in Divi, use a dedicated module instead of a download link. Divi PDF Embed shows a PDF in a scrollable viewer right on the page and works in Divi 4 and Divi 5. Divi Sheets Table shows a live, searchable Google Sheet or CSV file and works in Divi 5. Neither needs code.
Most Divi sites still treat documents like links to a basement filing cabinet. You attach a PDF brochure, drop a "Download" button, and hope the visitor comes back. They almost never do.
Putting documents right on your Divi pages keeps people reading. Your brochure, price list or contract is right there, so nobody has to open a file in another tab and lose their place.
This guide walks you through three real-world embed scenarios: a PDF brochure, a live Google Sheets price list, and a sortable, searchable data table. It uses two DiviPeople plugins: Divi PDF Embed and Divi Sheets Table.
Why embedding beats "click to download"
When a visitor clicks a download link, three things happen, and none of them help you:
- They leave your page. The browser opens the PDF in a new tab or saves it to their device. Your page just lost their attention.
- The file loses its context. A saved PDF has no link back to your page, your prices or your contact form.
- Phone users give up. On phones, downloads are awkward and files get lost in a downloads folder.
Embedding fixes all three. The document shows on the page, visitors read it there, and your call to action stays right next to it.
There's also a search angle. A standalone PDF link is a dead end. An embedded PDF with clear headings and a short summary around it is a page search engines can understand.
Use case 1: Embed a PDF brochure inline with Divi PDF Embed
When to use this: Product brochures, sales contracts, whitepapers, menus, lookbooks, guides and case studies. Anything you want visitors to read in full without leaving the page.
Divi PDF Embed adds a PDF Viewer module that shows any PDF as a scrollable viewer inside your Divi layout. It also adds a PDF List module for a gallery of downloadable files. On Divi 5 both live in a "PDF Embed" folder in the module inserter.
Step-by-step
- Install Divi PDF Embed. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, upload the Divi PDF Embed zip, activate it, and enter your license key when asked.
- Open the page in the Divi Builder. Edit the page where the PDF should appear.
- Add the PDF Viewer module. Inside any row, add a new module and search for "PDF Viewer".
- Pick your PDF. In the PDF File setting, choose a file from your Media Library or upload a new one. Add a Document Title so screen readers can describe it.
- Choose a render mode. Native (browser) uses the visitor's built-in PDF viewer. Enhanced (PDF.js) draws the PDF the same way in every browser.
- Set the size and zoom. Set a Viewer Height (600px to 900px usually feels right on desktop) and a Default Zoom: Fit Width, Fit Page or Automatic.
- Pick the toolbar buttons. Turn on Show Toolbar, then choose Page Navigation, Zoom Controls, Download Button, Print Button and Fullscreen Button. The Download Button gives people who want the file an easy way to keep it.
- Save and preview. Save, view the page, and check that the PDF reads well on desktop and on a phone.
Have several files, like a set of menus or spec sheets? Use the PDF List module instead. It shows them as a grid, list or gallery, with a file icon, file size and a view button on each.
Use case 2: Show a live Google Sheets price list with Divi Sheets Table
When to use this: Price lists, inventory, schedules, leaderboards and comparison charts. Anything that changes often and that you'd otherwise retype in WordPress.
Divi Sheets Table pulls its rows from a public Google Sheet or a CSV link. Edit the sheet, and your Divi page updates on its own. Divi Sheets Table is a Divi 5 module, so you need Divi 5 for this one.
Step-by-step
- Prepare your Google Sheet. Put clear column headers in row 1, for example Plan, Sites, Price, Support. What's in the sheet is what shows on your page.
- Make the sheet viewable. In Google Sheets, click Share and set general access to Anyone with the link as a Viewer. Private sheets can't be read. Copy the sheet's link.
- Create the table in WordPress. Go to Sheets Tables in the admin sidebar, create a table, and paste the sheet link. A direct CSV link works too.
- Set how fresh the data is. Each table saves a copy of the sheet for 10 minutes by default. You can change that time per table, and click Sync Now any time to pull the latest rows.
- Add the Sheets Table module. Open your page in the Divi 5 Visual Builder, add the Sheets Table module, and pick your table under Select Table.
- Style the table. Pick one of 15 Theme Presets, such as Clean, Minimal, Striped, Dark or Ocean. Then adjust the header background, row hover color, borders and cell padding to match your brand.
- Save and check on a phone. On small screens, cells wrap and the table scrolls sideways, so wide tables stay readable. Edit a cell in your sheet, click Sync Now, and check that the change shows up.
Now your team can update the price list in Google Sheets, with no developer and no Divi Builder needed.
Use case 3: Turn a spreadsheet into a sortable, searchable table
When to use this: Product catalogs, course directories, staff lists and comparison charts. Any big list where people need to search, sort or page through rows.
The same Divi Sheets Table module handles this. You just turn on a few more options.
Step-by-step
- Start from a clean sheet. If your data lives in Excel or a CSV file, import it into Google Sheets first. Give row 1 clear headers. They become your column labels.
- Create the table and add the module. Same as use case 2: share the sheet, create it under Sheets Tables, then pick it in the Sheets Table module.
- Turn on search. Switch on Enable Search. A search box appears above the table and filters rows as people type.
- Turn on sorting. Switch on Enable Sorting. Visitors can click any column header to sort by it.
- Turn on pagination. Switch on Enable Pagination and set Entries Per Page to 10, 25, 50 or 100. Use Max Rows if you only want part of a long sheet.
- Show images and hide extra columns. In the table's settings under Sheets Tables, turn on Convert image URLs to images so image links show as small pictures. Use Hide Columns for columns visitors don't need.
- Save and test on a phone. Check that searching, sorting and paging all work on a small screen.
You've turned a static spreadsheet into something people can search and browse, the kind of page that gets bookmarked and shared.
Tips for phones, speed and downloads
A few habits help with every embed.
Check on a real phone. Both plugins are built to work on small screens, but always look for yourself. A tall PDF viewer can feel cramped on a phone, so try a shorter viewer height there and let people scroll.
Keep files light. A smaller PDF loads faster. In Native mode, the PDF Viewer uses the browser's lazy loading, so the file only loads when someone scrolls near it.
Always offer a download. Embedding doesn't replace downloads. It makes them optional. Turn on the PDF Viewer's Download Button, or link a CSV under your table, for people who want to keep the file.
Don't gate everything. Show the document first. If it's premium content, offer the download in exchange for an email after that. Trust comes before conversion.
The search angle: give the embed some words
Search engines read the text on your page best. So surround each embed with H2 headings that say what's inside, a short summary of the key points, and links to related pages. Then the page can rank for the document's topic even if the embed itself isn't fully crawled.
Tables have an extra advantage. Divi Sheets Table outputs a real HTML table, so the text in your rows is on the page for search engines to read. And because the data comes from your sheet, the page stays current without anyone editing WordPress. Google's sharing help page shows how to set a sheet to "Anyone with the link".
Get started
Ready to stop losing visitors to download links? Pick the plugin that fits your document.
- For PDFs, contracts and brochures: Divi PDF Embed. An inline PDF viewer with download, print and fullscreen buttons, plus a PDF List gallery. Works in Divi 4 and Divi 5.
- For live data, price lists and searchable catalogs: Divi Sheets Table. Connects to Google Sheets or CSV, with search, sorting and pagination. Works in Divi 5.
Both are DiviPeople plugins, and both come with the All Access Pass.
FAQ
Will embedded PDFs slow down my Divi page?
Not much, if you keep the file small. In Native mode, Divi PDF Embed uses the browser's lazy loading, so the PDF loads only when someone scrolls near it. Try to keep each PDF under 5MB, and split very large documents into smaller ones.
How often does a Google Sheet refresh in Divi Sheets Table?
Every 10 minutes by default. You can change that time for each table under Sheets Tables, and click Sync Now to pull new data right away.
Do Divi PDF Embed and Divi Sheets Table work with Divi 4?
Divi PDF Embed works with Divi 4 and Divi 5, and Divi 4 layouts convert to its Divi 5 modules when you upgrade. Divi Sheets Table is a Divi 5 module and needs the Divi 5 builder.
Can search engines read an embedded PDF or table?
Tables, yes. Divi Sheets Table outputs a real HTML table, so its text is on the page. PDFs are harder, so pair each PDF with a short text summary and clear headings on the page.
Ready to upgrade your Divi documents? Check out Divi PDF Embed and Divi Sheets Table.
Written by Fahim Reza, founder of DiviPeople. Fahim has 13+ years of web development experience and builds every DiviPeople plugin, including Divi PDF Embed and Divi Sheets Table, himself.
