View a PDF online.
Choose a PDF and read it here, in the viewer your browser already has, with no Acrobat and no signup. The file never leaves your machine.
- Any sizeno limit set on this page
- 0 bytesof your file sent anywhere
- Freeno account, nothing to install
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What you see
Your PDF opens on this page, drawn by your browser.
Pick the file from your computer and it appears under the button, in the PDF viewer your browser already has. Nothing goes over the network, so once the page has loaded it keeps working with the connection off.
- Drawn by your browser's own PDF viewer
- Nothing uploaded and nothing stored
- Gone when you close the tab
How it works
Read a PDF in three steps, with nothing left behind.
Choose the PDF
Tap Choose a PDF file and pick it from your computer. There's no account to make and nothing to install.
Read it on the page
Move around the document with the controls your browser's viewer provides. Long or scanned files take a moment to appear.
Close the tab
The document closes with the tab. No copy was ever made, so there's nothing to delete.
Sharing it
When someone else needs to read it.
This page can't give a PDF an address. Uploading it can, and the person you send the link to reads it in their own browser.
A link with a preview
Upload the PDF and it gets a short nudgehost.com link. Apps that show link previews display its first page, and one tap opens it.
See whether it's been opened
Free accounts see how many times a link was opened. Pro and Studio add the time and country of each open, with a CSV export.
Add a password or an end date
Give the link a date and it stops working after it. On Pro and Studio, a password keeps the PDF closed to anyone without it.
Viewer or link
What this page does, and what a link adds.
| This viewer | A NudgeHost link | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the file is | On your computer | On NudgeHost, at its own address |
| Who can open it | You, in this tab | Anyone you send the link to |
| Account needed | None | None. Without one, the link lasts 7 days |
| Largest PDF | No limit set | 25MB free, 250MB on Pro, 1GB on Studio |
| Preview card in chat apps | Not included | The first page |
| Open tracking | Not included | Counts free, time and country on Pro and Studio |
| Password | Not included | Pro and Studio |
| Price | Free | Free to start, Pro is $12 a month |
A free account holds 10 links at once, with no end date unless you set one.
Reading PDFs
Why open a PDF this way.
A work computer with no PDF reader installed, or a shared machine you would rather not install anything on, can make a simple document awkward to open. The PDF viewer built into your browser does the drawing, and this page points it at a file on your own disk. Nothing is installed and nothing is sent.
The trade is that the document has no address. It lives inside this tab and disappears when you close it. When someone else needs to read it, create a PDF link and they open it in their browser with no account.
Most of the other viewers work the same way. A spreadsheet stays on your computer too when you read a CSV as a table. For a PDF too big to email, the large PDF guide covers the whole route. If you end up sending files often, a free NudgeHost account keeps 10 links live at once.
Guides
When the PDF has to go somewhere.
- A resumeSend your CV as a link that opens in the browser instead of an attachment.Share a resume as a link
- A deck for a clientSend the deck before the meeting and see whether it was opened.Share a deck with a client
- A Word documentUpload a .docx and read it in the browser, with a link you can send.Open a Word document online
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Adobe Acrobat to view a PDF here?
No. The PDF viewer built into your browser renders the document, so nothing else needs installing.
Does my file get uploaded?
No. The file you choose is opened straight from your disk and rendered by your browser, so it never leaves your machine. Nothing is sent to NudgeHost or anywhere else, no copy is stored, and the page works with the network disconnected once it has loaded.
Can other people view the same PDF?
Not from this page. The document is open on your machine only, and the reference your browser uses disappears when you close the tab, so there is no address to send anyone. Hosting the PDF as a link is the separate step that gives it one, and that is what the PDF hosting page does.
How big a PDF can I open?
There is no limit set here. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is parsed by us, so there is no ceiling to enforce. A long or heavily scanned PDF takes longer to appear because your browser renders every page, but it will open.
Is the PDF viewer free?
Yes. There's no account, no limit on how many PDFs you open, and nothing to pay.
What happens when I close the tab?
The document closes with it. Nothing was stored, so there's nothing to delete.
What if my browser can't show the PDF?
The page says so in place of the document, and the file stays where it is on your disk. Open it with a PDF reader on your computer instead.
Can I open a second PDF?
Yes. Choose another file and it replaces the one on the page, with nothing from the first one kept.
Which files can I open here?
PDFs, one at a time, since the picker asks for .pdf files. CSV, JSON and HTML files have viewers of their own that also keep the file on your computer, and Word files have a viewer that uploads them.
Does the page keep a list of what I've opened?
No. It stores nothing about the files you choose, so there's no history of past documents to clear.
How long does a hosted PDF link last?
If you upload the PDF to share it, a link made without an account lasts 7 days. On a free account it stays up until you delete it, and any account can give it an end date.
Can I see who opened a PDF I shared?
Not by name. A hosted link counts its opens on every account plan, and Pro and Studio add the time and country of each one, with a CSV export.
Can I share the PDF with a password?
Yes, once it's hosted on Pro or Studio. Anyone who opens the link enters the password before the PDF appears.
What does a hosted PDF show as a link preview?
Its first page, on a NudgeHost card. A password-protected link shows the standard NudgeHost card instead.
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Related tools
Other things you can do on NudgeHost.
Ready to view your file online?
Free forever, no credit card needed. The whole thing takes a few seconds.