Title: PDF Viewer Nova
Author: wpessentia
Published: <strong>June 29, 2026</strong>
Last modified: July 8, 2026

---

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# PDF Viewer Nova

 By [wpessentia](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpessentia/)

[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/pdf-viewer-nova.1.0.1.zip)

 * [Details](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-viewer-nova/#description)
 * [Reviews](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-viewer-nova/#reviews)
 *  [Installation](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-viewer-nova/#installation)
 * [Development](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-viewer-nova/#developers)

 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/pdf-viewer-nova/)

## Description

**PDF Viewer Nova** helps WordPress site owners embed polished, full-featured PDF
reading experiences directly inside pages and posts.

Use the PDF Viewer Nova block in the **WordPress Block Editor** or the PDF Viewer
Nova widget in **Elementor** to place PDFs from the Media Library or from public
external URLs.

The viewer is powered by PDF.js and highlights a helpful **bookmark and outline 
navigation panel for long PDFs**, along with responsive layout controls, floating
toolbars, page navigation, zoom controls, fullscreen modes, thumbnails, search, 
text selection, and configurable viewer sizing.

PDF Viewer Nova is built for easy document embedding and smooth PDF reading.

**PDF Viewer Nova Pro** is distributed separately by WP Essentia outside the WordPress.
org plugin package for teams that need additional publishing and visitor-experience
controls.

#### Key Features

 * **Bookmark and outline navigation panel** for long PDFs.
 * **Auto-hiding top and bottom controls** for clean PDF view when the reader is
   not interacting.
 * In-page fullscreen and native fullscreen modes for focused reading.
 * Pan and text-selection interaction modes.
 * Responsive embedded PDF viewer.
 * Media Library PDF selection or public external PDF URL embedding.
 * Thumbnail sidebar for quick page navigation.
 * Full-text search with result navigation.
 * Zoom, fit width, page input, previous page, and next page controls.
 * Share button in the top toolbar.
 * **Admin PDF Shelf** to discover where PDF viewers are used across the site.
 * One-click settings to enable or disable the Elementor widget and WordPress block.
 * WordPress Block Editor block for Gutenberg pages and posts.
 * Elementor widget for page builder workflows.

#### Pro Features

PDF Viewer Nova Pro is a separately distributed version for advanced PDF publishing
workflows:

 * Choose PDF display behavior by guest status or WordPress role.
 * Choose PDF download behavior by guest status or WordPress role.
 * Show selected preview page ranges for restricted viewers.
 * Optionally append a lock page for restricted viewers, with a customizable message
   and click-through redirection.
 * Show a single-image document preview instead of the full viewer for restricted
   viewers.
 * Render a selected PDF page as a **teaser preview image** for restricted viewers.
 * Show custom messages with customizable redirection, such as to your subscription
   or membership page.

#### Builder Support

PDF Viewer Nova supports two paths:
 * WordPress Block Editor: insert the PDF Viewer
Nova block. * Elementor: drag the PDF Viewer Nova widget into a layout.

Both authoring paths share the same core renderer so frontend behavior stays aligned.

#### Third-Party Libraries and External Services

PDF Viewer Nova includes PDF.js build files in the plugin’s `assets/pdfjs/build/`
directory for local PDF rendering. PDF.js is licensed under the Apache License 2.0,
which is GPLv3-compatible.

PDF Viewer Nova includes Motion, an MIT-licensed animation library, for local interface
animations such as the bookmark panel.

PDF Viewer Nova includes the Freemius SDK for checkout functionality. On first activation,
Freemius displays its own opt-in screen before collecting diagnostic or account 
data. You can skip that opt-in and continue using all free PDF Viewer Nova features.

Freemius Terms of Service: https://freemius.com/terms/
 Freemius Privacy Policy:
https://freemius.com/privacy/

The admin How to Use tab includes embedded tutorial videos from YouTube’s privacy-
enhanced domain. These embeds are loaded only when an administrator opens the How
to Use tab.

YouTube Terms of Service: https://www.youtube.com/t/terms
 Google Privacy Policy:
https://policies.google.com/privacy

## Screenshots

[⌊Reader hovers over the document to reveal the right-side bookmark and navigation
panel for easier jumping.⌉⌊Reader hovers over the document to reveal the right-side
bookmark and navigation panel for easier jumping.⌉[

Reader hovers over the document to reveal the right-side bookmark and navigation
panel for easier jumping.

[⌊Search results are displayed inside a sample PDF to help readers find matching
text quickly.⌉⌊Search results are displayed inside a sample PDF to help readers 
find matching text quickly.⌉[

Search results are displayed inside a sample PDF to help readers find matching text
quickly.

[⌊PDF Shelf shows where PDF Viewer Nova is used across supported Gutenberg and Elementor
content.⌉⌊PDF Shelf shows where PDF Viewer Nova is used across supported Gutenberg
and Elementor content.⌉[

PDF Shelf shows where PDF Viewer Nova is used across supported Gutenberg and Elementor
content.

[⌊In-page fullscreen or native fullscreen modes allows for a flexible, focused reading
experience.⌉⌊In-page fullscreen or native fullscreen modes allows for a flexible,
focused reading experience.⌉[

In-page fullscreen or native fullscreen modes allows for a flexible, focused reading
experience.

[⌊Auto-hiding top and bottom controls keep the PDF view clean and focused when the
reader is not interacting.⌉⌊Auto-hiding top and bottom controls keep the PDF view
clean and focused when the reader is not interacting.⌉[

Auto-hiding top and bottom controls keep the PDF view clean and focused when the
reader is not interacting.

## Blocks

This plugin provides 1 block.

 *   PDF Viewer Nova Display PDFs with PDF Viewer Nova.

## Installation

 1. Upload the plugin folder to `/wp-content/plugins/pdf-viewer-nova/`, or install 
    the plugin ZIP through the WordPress Plugins screen.
 2. Activate PDF Viewer Nova from the Plugins screen.
 3. PDF.js build files are bundled locally in `assets/pdfjs/build/`; no third-party
    PDF.js CDN is required.
 4. To use Elementor, make sure Elementor is installed and activated.
 5. Open a page or post and insert the PDF Viewer Nova block, or open Elementor and
    add the PDF Viewer Nova widget.
 6. Select a PDF, configure the viewer options, then publish or update the page.

## FAQ

### Can I use PDFs from the Media Library and external URLs?

Yes. You can embed PDFs from the WordPress Media Library or from public external
URLs.

### Is the viewer responsive, and can I customize its appearance?

Yes. PDF Viewer Nova is built for responsive page layouts and includes viewer settings
for sizing, layout, and interface behavior in both Gutenberg and Elementor.

### What additional options are available outside the WordPress.org package?

The separately distributed PDF Viewer Nova Pro version adds advanced visitor display
options, separate download-button behavior, preview display modes, custom visitor
messages, image preview modes, server-generated PDF-page preview images, and download-
related message or redirect workflows.

### Does the viewer support search and bookmark navigation?

Yes. The viewer includes full-text search and a bookmark/outline panel. Search works
best when the PDF contains real selectable text, and the bookmark panel appears 
when the PDF file includes outline or bookmark data.

### What is PDF Shelf?

PDF Shelf is an admin dashboard table that discovers and manages PDF Viewer Nova
usage across supported Gutenberg blocks and Elementor widgets.

## Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

## Contributors & Developers

“PDF Viewer Nova” is open source software. The following people have contributed
to this plugin.

Contributors

 *   [ wpessentia ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpessentia/)

[Translate “PDF Viewer Nova” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/pdf-viewer-nova)

### Interested in development?

[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pdf-viewer-nova/), 
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/pdf-viewer-nova/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/pdf-viewer-nova/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/pdf-viewer-nova/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).

## Changelog

#### 1.0.1

 * Stabilized bookmark panel in elementor editor.

#### 1.0.0

 * Initial public version of PDF Viewer Nova.
 * Added Gutenberg block and Elementor widget integrations.
 * Added responsive PDF.js viewer with floating controls, thumbnails, bookmarks,
   search, zoom, and fullscreen support.
 * Added PDF Shelf admin dashboard for discovering viewer usage across supported
   authoring paths.
 * Added plugin settings for builder toggles and uninstall cleanup behavior.

## Meta

 *  Version **1.0.1**
 *  Last updated **9 hours ago**
 *  Active installations **Fewer than 10**
 *  WordPress version ** 6.0 or higher **
 *  Tested up to **7.0**
 *  PHP version ** 7.4 or higher **
 *  Language
 * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-viewer-nova/)
 * Tags
 * [block-editor](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/block-editor/)[elementor](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/elementor/)
   [pdf](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/pdf/)[pdf embed](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/pdf-embed/)
   [pdf viewer](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/pdf-viewer/)
 *  [Advanced View](https://vec.wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-viewer-nova/advanced/)

## Ratings

No reviews have been submitted yet.

[Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/pdf-viewer-nova/reviews/#new-post)

[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/pdf-viewer-nova/reviews/)

## Contributors

 *   [ wpessentia ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpessentia/)

## Support

Got something to say? Need help?

 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/pdf-viewer-nova/)

## Donate

Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin?

 [ Donate to this plugin ](https://wpessentia.com)