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sarina merged 3 commits into from
Apr 21, 2026
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docs: update PDF embed instructions #1432

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1a4e730
docs: update PDF embed instructions
Kelketek Apr 20, 2026
a5768b9
fixup: remove unnecessary width constraint on image
Kelketek Apr 21, 2026
e5609cd
fixup: better alt text and image locations
Kelketek Apr 21, 2026
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Binary file added source/_images/educator_how_tos/pdf_editor.png
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0 ..._images/educator_references/pdf_embed.png → ...ce/_images/educator_how_tos/pdf_embed.png
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34 changes: 15 additions & 19 deletions source/educators/how-tos/course_development/exercise_tools/add_embedded_pdf.rst
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Expand Up @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ The PDF embed tool allows you to add PDF documents to your course. It uses an
the browser's built-in PDF viewing capability, and provides options for
downloading the document or its original source.

.. image:: /_images/educator_references/pdf_embed.png
.. image:: /_images/educator_how_tos/pdf_embed.png
:alt: An embedded PDF showing trigonometry functions.
:width: 500

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -42,42 +42,38 @@ How to Embed PDFs in Open edX Studio

#. On the Course Outline page, open the unit where you want to add the PDF.

#. Under **Add New Component** click **Advanced** and then select **PDF**.
#. Under **Add New Component** click **Advanced** and then select **PDF**. A
customization form will appear, allowing you to set the settings of
the PDF embed block.

The new component is added to the unit with a default example PDF embedded.
.. image:: /_images/educator_how_tos/pdf_editor.png
:alt: The PDF embed component in Studio modal dialogue has a field to provide a file upload. It has a checkbox to show the PDF download link, and optional fields to provide the source document, as explained in the following steps in this tutorial.

.. image:: /_images/educator_references/pdf_embed.png
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@sarina sarina Apr 21, 2026

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Can you please delete this outdated image as part of this PR?

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@Kelketek Kelketek Apr 21, 2026

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This image isn't out of date-- only the authoring interface has changed, so the image at the top of the article is still good, and refers to the same file.

:alt: The PDF embed component in Studio.
:width: 400
#. In the header of the form, click the pencil to set the title of the block.

#. In the new component, click the **Edit button, or pencil icon**.
#. In the **File** field, hit the dropdown menu and select **Replace** to
upload a new file.

#. In the **Name** field, enter the name for the new component. This will be
displayed above the component as a title.
You may optionally set a URL for your PDF by selecting
**Manually specify URL** from the dropdown.

#. In the **PDF URL** field, set the URL of the PDF you would like to embed.

If you do not have an existing URL for your PDF, you may upload the PDF by
:ref:`adding a course file<Add Course Files>` and copy the
URL of the resulting handout.

#. Toggle the **PDF Download Allowed** field to optionally display a
#. Toggle **Show PDF download link** field to optionally display a
download link for the PDF.

.. note::

PDF display is handled by the browser's built-in PDF viewer. The option to hide the download button will not hide the browser's built-in download button if it provides one. A determined learner will always be able to download a PDF.


#. In the **Source document URL** field, optionally add the URL to the source
#. In the **Original File URL** field, optionally add the URL to the source
of the PDF document.

This might be, for instance, the PowerPoint or Word document this PDF is
based on. Providing a source URL is heavily encouraged, as source files
tend to have better accessibility than PDFs. Please visit the
:ref:`Accessibility Best Practices Checklist` for more information.

#. In the **Source document button text** field, you can change the display
#. In the **Original File Link Text** field, you can change the display
text of the source download link.

#. Select **Save**.
Expand All @@ -88,5 +84,5 @@ How to Embed PDFs in Open edX Studio
+--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------+
| Review Date | Working Group Reviewer | Release | Test situation |
+--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------+
| 09/02/2026 | Fox Piacenti | Verawood | Pass |
| 20/04/2026 | Fox Piacenti | Verawood | Pass |
+--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------+