Exposure Business subscribers can attach PDF files directly to a story. Visitors see a thumbnail of the first page alongside a download button — no need to host the file elsewhere or rely on a third-party viewer.
Overview
PDF attachments live inside your story as a styled callout card. Each card includes:
An optional title for the document
An optional description for context
A thumbnail of the PDF's first page
A Download .PDF button that serves the file from your story
PDFs are perfect for:
Restaurant menus
Brand lookbooks and zines
Conference programs and itineraries
Resumes and CVs
Print-ready photo books
White papers and reports
Uploading a PDF
To attach a PDF to a story:
Open your story in the editor
Click the PDF button at the end of the power bar at the bottom of the screen
Select a
.PDFfile from your computerThe PDF uploads and the first-page thumbnail renders alongside the download button. Add an optional title and description above the download button to give your readers context.
You can also drag-and-drop a PDF onto the editor and choose the PDF drop zone.
PDF files must meet the following requirements before upload:
.PDFfile format onlyMaximum file size of 50 MB
Each PDF group holds a single file. To attach multiple PDFs, add multiple PDF groups.
Replacing a PDF
Already published a story with a PDF and need to swap the file? In the editor, click Replace next to the Download button on the PDF card. Pick the new file and the thumbnail and download link update in place — no need to delete and re-create the group. Your title and description are preserved.
The Replace button only shows in the editor and is hidden in preview mode and on the published story.
Adding a Title and Description
The PDF card uses the same callout layout as Exposure's text groups, so you can add a title and description directly in the editor — both are optional:
The title sits above the download button. Click into the placeholder to add a heading like "Yearly Review" or "Spring Menu".
The description sits below the title. Click into it to add supporting copy — what's in the PDF, why visitors should download it, etc.
How Visitors Experience It
On the published story:
The PDF card shows the title, description, thumbnail of page one, and a single Download .PDF button
Clicking Download .PDF triggers a file download (or opens the PDF in a new tab on iOS Safari, which doesn't honor the
downloadattribute)PDFs are served from a public URL — anyone with the link can download the file, even if they didn't visit your story
If you have link click tracking enabled, PDF downloads are tracked alongside other story link clicks in your stats dashboard.
Plan Availability
Feature | Free | Pro | Pro Plus | Business |
Attach PDFs to stories | No | No | No | Yes |
If you downgrade from Business to a lower plan, existing PDF attachments are automatically hidden from the published story (and from the editor). Re-upgrading restores them — nothing is deleted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many PDFs can I attach to one story? A: There's no limit. Add as many PDF groups as your story needs.
Q: Can I attach files other than PDF (e.g. .DOCX, .ZIP)? A: Not at this time. PDF is the only supported file type for in-story attachments.
Q: Are my PDFs private? A: PDFs are served from a public URL, the same way photos and videos in your stories are. Anyone with the link can download the file. Don't attach documents that contain confidential information.
Q: What's the difference between this and "Export Stories to PDF"? A: Export Stories to PDF generates a PDF version of an Exposure story for printing or sharing. PDF attachments let you upload your own PDF files into a story for visitors to download.
Q: Can I customize the thumbnail? A: The thumbnail is automatically generated from the first page of your PDF. To change it, edit the source PDF so the desired image is on page one, then use Replace to swap the file.
Need Help?
If you have questions, reach out to us at [email protected]. We're happy to help!