Add Attachments to PDF
Attach spreadsheets, source files, images or other PDFs to a PDF. They travel inside it in the attachments panel.
Select a PDF fileor drop it anywhere on this page, or paste
Opens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Add Attachments to PDF, free and private
Add attachments to a PDF and the files travel inside the document. Spreadsheets, source files, images, Word files and other PDFs go into the PDF's attachments panel, where anyone with the PDF can open or save them. The pages stay exactly as they were.
Attach one file or many, give each a short description and download the new PDF. Files the PDF already holds stay in place. The work happens in your browser on a computer or phone, so neither the PDF nor the files you attach are uploaded.
How to attach a file to a PDF
- 1
Add your PDF
Press Select a PDF file or drop the PDF on the page. If it already has attached files, they appear in the list marked In PDF.
- 2
Choose the files to attach to the PDF
Press Add files and pick one or more files of any type, or drop them onto the list. Add more the same way, or remove a new file with its X button.
- 3
Describe each file if you want
Type a description under a file, such as Raw survey data. PDF readers show it next to the file name. Turn on Show the attachments when the PDF opens if the reader should open its attachments panel first.
- 4
Attach and download
Press Attach files, then press Download PDF. The new file ends in -with-attachments.pdf, and your original stays unchanged.
Why use PDFToolz for this
Any file type
Excel and CSV files, Word documents, images, ZIP archives, drawings and other PDFs all attach the same way. Each file is compressed inside the PDF and comes out identical when someone saves it.
Name, type and date kept
Each attachment keeps its file name, its file type and the date it was last changed on your device. PDF readers use these to show the right icon and details.
Existing attachments stay
Files the PDF already holds are kept. If a new file has the same name as one already there, it is saved as name (2), so neither replaces the other.
Pages untouched
Attaching does not redraw or recompress any page. Text stays searchable, form fields keep working and links go where they did before.
Where to find attachments in a PDF reader
Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader show attached files in the left sidebar under the paper clip icon. The PDF viewer built into Firefox lists them in its sidebar too. With Show the attachments turned on, Acrobat opens that panel on its own when the file opens.
Some viewers, including many phone apps and some browser viewers, don't show attachments at all. The files are still in the PDF, and Extract PDF Attachments can list and save them on any device.
When to embed a file in a PDF
An attachment keeps a supporting file with the document it belongs to, so the two can't get separated in an email thread or a shared folder.
- Send a report with the spreadsheet behind its charts, so readers can check the numbers.
- Keep the source files of a design or a drawing with its PDF proof.
- Hand in an assignment or a tender as one PDF with its appendices attached.
- Store a signed scan together with the editable file it was made from.
How much bigger the PDF gets
The PDF grows by about the compressed size of each attached file. Text files, CSV files and many spreadsheets shrink a lot when compressed. JPEG photos, ZIP files and videos are already compressed and barely shrink, so check the final size before you email the result.
Limits and things to know
You can attach up to 200 MB of files in one run. The PDF and every file are held in memory while the new PDF is built, and each file is compressed on your device, so a large batch takes a while and a phone may run out of memory sooner than a computer.
Files go into the attachments panel. The tool does not place a paper clip icon on a page. Any change to a PDF breaks an existing digital signature, so add attachments before signing.
Files that open without a password but restrict editing can be used. The saved copy no longer carries those restrictions, so set them again with Protect PDF if you need them. If the PDF asks for a password to open, remove it with Unlock PDF first.
PDF/A-1 does not allow attachments, and PDF/A-2 allows only PDF/A files as attachments. Attaching other files to such an archive file means it no longer meets that standard.
Frequently asked questions
Add the PDF, press Add files, pick the files and press Attach files. Download the new PDF, and the files are inside it in the attachments panel. It is free and nothing is uploaded.
Yes. Any file type can be embedded, including .xlsx and .csv files. The spreadsheet is stored inside the PDF, and anyone can save it from the attachments panel and open it in Excel.
Use this page in a browser on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad or Android. It stores the file in the same attachment list Acrobat uses, so Acrobat and other readers show it as an attachment.
No. Pages are kept as they are. Only the attachment list and the file data are added, so text, images, links and form fields stay the same.
Not every viewer shows attachments. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader or Firefox and look for the paper clip in the sidebar, or list the files with Extract PDF Attachments.
You can attach up to 200 MB of files per run. The PDF grows by about the compressed size of each file, so large attachments make a large PDF. Many email services reject messages over 20 or 25 MB.
No. The PDF and the attachments are read and combined in your browser and never leave your device.
