PDF Uploads and PDF Searching
PDF Searching
A new feature on the tier sites is the ability to search within .pdf files. This is a very exciting enhancement which is unavailable in the web marketplace! When you search your site using the search bar shown below (may look slightly different depending on the colors selected for your site), you will get results from both your site’s pages and posts text content, as well as from .pdf files attached or linked to your posts/pages AND .pdf files that you’ve uploaded to the media folder EVEN IF they’re not attached to any post/page. This will help the viewer find exactly what they are looking for.
PDF results are attached to the normal result of the first page, which means that if a .pdf file is included in the search results, the first page will show more than ten entries. For instance, if (13) PDF files are included in the search results, then (23) search results will be shown on the first page. First the PDF results, then the page/post results.
How to add a .pdf File to the Media Library
In order to add a .pdf file to your site, you must treat it the same as any other form of media and make use of the media library or the media upload buttons (both shown below). You can add new media to the library using the “Add New” link in the left menu. Or, if you are in the Media Library page, you can click “Add New” at the top left. When you click “Add New,” you will see the following menu. Click the “Select Files” button and a window will appear asking you to select files from your computer. Choose the media files that you would like to upload and wait for them to load.
Once the files have loaded, you will see the following menu allowing you to change certain aspects of the file, such as the title, alt text (text shown in case it has been blocked from display for some reason; also used for search engines), caption, and description. You can also choose not to alter any of this information. Click “Save All Changes” when you are done and you will be directed back to the Media Library.
Inserting a .PDF Into A Page or Post
If you are creating a page or a post, you will see some icons above the text area. The icons highlighted in the screen shot below are the media icons, which you will need to click to add pdfs or other forms of media to the page or post.
When you click one of the icons, an upload window appears. To insert a .pdf, click the first icon, and you will receive a menu very similar to the “Add New” menu that you just read about. You will also see some different tabs at the top of this screen. Note that the only way to insert a .pdf from this menu is if you have yet to upload the .pdf to the media library. Click select files and follow the prompts to insert a .pdf. If you have already uploaded a previous .pdf to the site, you will need to move on to the next step.\
Inserting a Previously Uploaded .pdf from the Media Library
If you have already uploaded a .pdf, you will not be able to access it via the buttons in the step above. What you will have to do is click on the media library, and find your .pdf. Copy the link to the .pdf and use the following steps to insert it into the post.
Start by going back to the media library, and copying the “Link URL”. Once this has been copied, you may now go back to the post or the page and insert this link. To do this you will need to paste the link as text or type the phrase you would like to make into a link, then highlight what you would like to transform into a link, as shown below.
Click the menu item that is shown highlighted in red in the above image. This is the hyperlink button that will create a link out of any image or text you have previously highlighted in your page or post. To remove the hyperlink, click the button to the right, which is the remove hyperlink button, looks like a broken chain link.
After you have clicked the hyperlink button, a menu will appear, as shown below. Fill out the fields accordingly and be sure to paste your .pdf link url into the field marked, “Link URL.” Once you click “Insert,” you should see that the text you have highlighted is now a link.
How will the .pdf be found in a search?
You do not have to do anything for the .pdf to be listed in the search results. This is an automatic function. A .pdf file should be indexed when it is uploaded through any of WordPress’ standard means, such as using the “Add New” link under the “Media” section or by clicking the button to add a media file to a post. It may take up to 48 hours for a file to be indexed by this new feature.
