9 Best PDF Plugins for WordPress (Viewer, Embed, & Downloads)

Are you looking for the best PDF plugins for WordPress but don’t know where to get started?

By default, WordPress cannot generate or embed PDF files in posts or pages. This is where a PDF plugin comes in handy. You can create, edit, and embed documents with ease using a plugin.

In this article, we will show you the best PDF plugins for WordPress that you can use on your website.

Why Do You Need a PDF Plugin for WordPress?

WordPress does not support PDF embedding, or downloading blog posts as PDF by default.

If you have a PDF document and try to embed it in WordPress, then it will show your file as a downloadable link. This way if someone clicks on the link, they will leave your website.

A WordPress PDF plugin allows you to display your documents on your WordPress site. Your website visitors can then view them in a PDF viewer while staying on your site.

A PDF plugin also helps your users to download any blog post or page as a PDF document. It ensures that the page is neatly formatted, so people can save it or print it with ease.

With that said, let’s look at the best PDF plugins for WordPress.

1. EmbedPress

EmbedPressis a complete plugin that allows you to add and display PDF files in your WordPress posts and pages. It’s easy to use and you can upload your PDF documents through the media library and place them anywhere on your site.

EmbedPress also lets you upload other types of media to your WordPress website. You can use it to add videos from YouTube, Vimeo, or Twitch.

Besides that, EmbedPress lets you upload Google Maps, docs, forms, sheets, Facebook posts, audio files, and much more.

2. E2Pdf

E2Pdf is a clean and simple WordPress PDF plugin that lets you create, edit, and display PDF documents to your visitors.

You can show static or dynamic PDF files to your audience. It lets you create and edit PDF documents and forms without having to leave your WordPress site.

The plugin also lets you auto-generate PDF forms based on your WordPress posts, pages, or web forms.

3. WPForms

WPForms is the most beginner-friendly WordPress contact form plugin used by over 3 million website owners. With WPForms, you can allow users to submit PDF files to your website through a file upload form.

This way you don’t have to give access to your website’s backend to others in order to collect PDF files.

If you want to share your contact form submissions with someone else, then WPForms lets you download them as a PDF document as well.

You can check out our guide on how to create a file upload form in WordPress.

4. PDF & Print by BestWebSoft

PDF & Print by BestWebSoft, as the name suggests, this plugin adds a PDF download and print button to your WordPress posts, pages, and custom post types.

You can add your website title, featured image, custom styles, and fonts. The plugin can also execute shortcodes when generating PDFs or creating a printer friendly version.

5. WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips

WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips is a PDF plugin for WordPress that allows you to generate, download, and send PDF invoices with order confirmation emails on your WooCommerce store.

You get basic templates with the ability to customize them according to your business needs. The plugin also helps you handle your packing slips and invoices from your WooCommerce admin area.

You can follow our step by step guide on how to start an online store to get started.

6. PDF Poster

PDF Poster is another user-friendly WordPress plugin to embed PDF files on your website.

Using a shortcode, you can add PDF documents in your WordPress posts, pages, widget area, and theme files. Plus, you can add a download button, so people easily get hold of your PDF file.

And when you embed a file, it removes the black viewer frame, so visitors get a clean experience.

7. PDF.js Viewer

PDF.js Viewer lets you show PDF files inside your WordPress posts and pages through a simple shortcode or Gutenberg block.

It uses Mozilla’s PDF.js to display PDF documents in a browser. Users get all the functionality such as scrolling through the document, search, print and download PDF files.

Besides that, the plugin lets you password protect your PDF documents, setup advanced zoom settings, show a loading bar, and display partially loaded PDF documents.

8. PDF Embedder

PDF Embedder is a WordPress plugin that allows you to embed PDF files in WordPress posts and pages.

The plugin uses JavaScript to embed files with a fully functional toolbar allowing users to zoom, navigate, and even download the PDF file. This makes the plugin different from others on our list.

Javascript allows you to have more flexibility on how your PDF documents will appear. The plugin also automatically adjusts the size of your PDF files. You can also enter the width manually and the plugin will automatically calculate the height.

9. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is the best WordPress analytics plugin used by over 2 million website owners. It helps you see how people find and use your website.

It comes with a built-in download tracking feature that helps you monitor how many PDF downloads you get from your WordPress site.

Aside from download tracking, it also lets you see how many people are clicking on specific PDF files, links, buttons, or any other element on your site. You also get to see other important items such as real-time analytics, top referral sources, page level analytics, custom dimensions, and more.

The PDF tracking feature is also available in MonsterInsights Lite, which is the free version of the plugin.

Bonus WordPress PDF Plugins

These plugins do not offer a way to generate or embed PDF files. However, if you serve PDF files on your WordPress site, then you may find them helpful.

10. SearchWP

SearchWP is a paid WordPress plugin. It allows you to add a better search experience to your WordPress site.

One of the features of this plugin is the ability to search the text inside PDF files. However, it cannot search PDF files that are encrypted, stored outside the media library, or have images as text. See our guide on how to improve WordPress search with SearchWP

11. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best lead generation and conversion optimization plugin for WordPress.

It is a powerful tool that helps you grow your email list. You can convert abandoning visitors into subscribers by using OptinMonster. You can ask users to signup for your email list in exchange for free download PDF resources.

You can also use it to offer content upgrades. See this list of content upgrade ideas to 10X your subscribers.

Which is The Best PDF Plugin for WordPress?

The best WordPress PDF plugin really depends on your needs. If you are looking for a plugin to embed PDF documents and other media files with ease, then we recommend EmbedPress.

If you want to allow users to submit PDF files to your website, then WPForms is the best plugin.

As for creating and editing PDF documents right inside WordPress, then we recommend E2Pdf.

If you want visitors to subscribe in exchange for PDF downloads, then use OptinMonster, and lastly for tracking all PDF analytics, we recommend MonsterInsights.

We hope this article helped you find the best PDF plugins for WordPress. You may also want to see our list of the best WordPress page builder plugins, and our comparison of the best email marketing services.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 9 Best PDF Plugins for WordPress (Viewer, Embed, & Downloads) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 25, 2020 at 08:05PM

Beginner’s Guide: What is VoIP and How Does it Work? (Explained)

We are often asked by beginners: what is VoIP and how does VoIP work? If you are a non-techy user, then you may have heard that you could use VoIP to add a business phone number for your website.

VoIP is a more cost-effective way to get a business phone number for your website when compared to a traditional phone line. However before making any decision, you need to fully understand what the technology is all about.

In this beginner’s guide, we will answer what is VoIP, and how does VoIP work behind the scenes. The goal is to help you understand how VoIP can save you money and help you grow your business.

Here is an overview of what we’re going to cover in this guide. You can click on these links to jump straight to different sections.

• What is VoIP?
• How does VoIP work? (Behind the scenes)
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP?
• Which is the best VoIP phone service?
• How to make a call using VoIP?
• Frequently asked questions about VoIP (FAQs)

What is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is a phone technology that allows you to make and receive phone calls using the internet instead of traditional phone lines.

Unlike landline phone systems that are limited to a single desk phone in your office, VoIP lets you make and receive business phone calls from your laptop, tablet, regular smart phone (using an App), and even VoIP compatible office phone sets.

Since all calls are made over the internet, it’s extremely cost-efficient for both domestic and long distance (international) calls. Most business VoIP providers offer unlimited minutes without any extra cost.

Aside from the cost savings, you also get all the advanced phone features like call waiting, call routing, caller tones, auto-attendant, multiple phone numbers, and more.

This is why most small businesses and even enterprise companies are all switching away from traditional phone providers to a business VoIP provider.

At WPBeginner, we use Nextiva, a leading VoIP based business phone system.

How VoIP Actually Works? (Behind the Scenes Look)

To understand how VoIP actually works, we will take a look at what happens when you make or receive a phone call on VoIP phone.

When you make a phone call using VoIP, their business phone number app or VoIP adapter takes the analog audio signal and turn it into digital signal.

This digital voice data is then sent to the business phone service provider using your internet, and then finally the message is routed to your customer’s phone.

This process happens nearly instantly which is why sometimes VoIP sound quality is even better than regular phone calls.

How is VoIP different than Traditional Phone System?

VoIP works differently behind the scenes from a regular landline phone system.

Traditional telephony systems use the circuit switching method for connecting calls. When you make a call through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), you’re connected to the person on the other end, and they’re connected to you in a circuit.

The ‘Circuit switching’ technology is used for more than a 100 years now. It is reliable and still works, but is not the most efficient or cost-effective.

VoIP uses the ‘packet switching’ method instead. This means that data is only sent when needed. A brief, instant connection is created each time you speak. The connection doesn’t need to go both ways all the time. You and the person you’re talking to will not normally be both speaking at the same time.

Plus, packets of data are sent efficiently. They can use many different paths through the internet. The packages are then put back together when they reach their destination.

The data packets can also be compressed to save space. This lets them travel even more quickly through the internet.

All of this happens very fast. Unless there’s a problem with your internet connection, you will not notice any delay during the call.

While VoIP may sound quite technical and complicated, the main thing to understand is that VoIP is a more efficient method of transferring data during phone calls.

You probably have already used VoIP before without knowing it, through an app like Skype or Google Voice.

VoIP Pros and Cons Compared

Since we’ve been using a VoIP business phone service in our company for years, it’s fair to say that we know a thing or two about the pros and cons.

Here’s our detailed analysis of the pros and cons of VoIP.

VoIP Advantages – Benefits of Using VoIP

Switching from a traditional telephone company’s service to a cloud based VoIP phone system has many benefits.

Lower Monthly Cost

One of the biggest advantage of VoIP is that you have lower monthly cost on both domestic and international calls.

Most VoIP phone providers will often include unlimited domestic calls for free. International calls are normally very cheap, too.

Aside from that, you’ll also save money on repair and maintenance service expenses that you currently pay your landline phone provider.

Take calls from anywhere – Completely Portable

With VoIP, you don’t need to be in an office, on-premise, sitting by your desk phone to take phone calls. You can take incoming calls from wherever you are using an app on your phone, tablet, or laptop computer.

This is a big advantage for teams that are working remotely or out on the field. It is also great if you’re traveling.

Advanced business phone features

VoIP solutions normally include lots of extra business phone features. For instance, you can set up conference calls easily with VoIP.

Plus, most VoIP service providers offer a virtual receptionist, hold music, call waiting, voicemail to email or text, and much more. You can even get advanced telecommunications functionality like video conferencing.

This may also get you additional cost savings because often traditional telephone service providers charge recurring fees for these add-ons.

Improved Scalability and Flexibility

Another advantage of VoIP is higher scalability. Whether you’re hiring more staff or opening a new branch office in a new city, VoIP makes it easy to grow.

Unlike a traditional phone service that would require to spend money on expensive hardware on dedicated line, VoIP lets you add your team members with just a few clicks inside your account dashboard.

Since VoIP works on all smart phones, you can even cut additional equipment cost and free up desk space by having your team members install the app on their personal phone.

VoIP Disadvantages – Drawbacks of Using VoIP

While VoIP is an amazing technology, it may not be perfect for everyone. There are a couple of VoIP disadvantages that you should be aware of.

You need a good internet connection to make telephone calls

As we explained in the how VoIP works section, you need to have an internet connection to make phone calls.

If your internet is slow, then your call quality may be impacted.

The good thing is that VoIP technology doesn’t use as much bandwidth as you might think. A good connection with less than 70ms ping and at least 500 kbps of upload speed is good enough for VoIP calls.

However if you have a lot of team members in your office, then you may need to look at your bandwidth needs for the number of concurrent calls your business will be making at the same time.

You need to account for power outages

Regular phone service works during power outages. But you cannot make VoIP calls if you don’t have power or access to the internet.

Typically, most offices have wireless internet powered by WiFi routers. These routers need electricity, so if your building experiences power outage, then your internet can also go down which will impact your VoIP service.

The way we mitigate this in our office is by using a battery backup system for our internet router. Since our internet is provided by a different company than our electricity, we never have both outages at the same time.

Furthermore, since our team members use the VoIP app on their phone, they can always use their mobile data to make business phone calls.

You will need to retrain your staff on the new system

Switching to a new telephone system means you need to train your staff on how to use it.

Luckily, most VoIP services are designed to be as straightforward and intuitive as possible. This means it should be easy to train team members on how to use the cloud phone systems, even if your employees are working remotely.

Which is the Best VoIP Phone Service?

Here at WPBeginner, we use and recommend Nextiva as the best VoIP phone service. They offer a free local or toll-free number with all of their plans.

Nextiva comes with all the essential features you need including call routing, unlimited domestic voice calls, unlimited business SMS messaging, voicemail to email/text, number porting, caller ID, caller forwarding, custom greetings, auto attendant, hold music, online VoIP fax, phone extension for team members, and more.

They have an easy to use smart phone app for Android / iPhone (iOS), and a softphone app for your computer.

For Enterprise customers, then even let you convert your existing PBX (private branch exchange) system into a cloud phone system using SIP (session initiation protocol) trunking. This means you can easily transfer calls to different department and employees using your existing system and local area network.

Nextiva also has several useful advanced features. For instance, you can connect your VoIP phone system with real-time live chat and with your CRM system to help you create a unified communications system.

Plus, their support team is extremely helpful, making it really easy for you to get started. This is why we use Nextiva for our business.

Other great VoIP alternatives to Nextiva include:

• RingCentral – a big, well-known VoIP company that costs a little more than Nextiva. They have all the features you need, and they offer screen sharing and conferencing tools too.
• Ooma – an easy-to-setup option that offers toll-free numbers plus all the features you’d expect. You get 500 minutes included for free, but need to pay extra for more.
• Grasshopper – another great business phone service for solpreneurs and small businesses that offers all the essential features.
• Phone.com – a good IP telephone for businesses working with Canada and many EU countries, as these locations are covered as local calls.

How to Make a Call Using VoIP

To make a call using VoIP, you first need a VoIP business phone service like Nextiva. You also need an internet connection with good bandwidth. This normally means using a broadband internet connection.

Then, you can make a call using VoIP with any of the following devices:

• Your existing phone handset. This can be connected to the VoIP system using an ATA (analog telephone adapter) which gives it an IP address. Essentially, you just plug your phone into the ATA instead of straight into your wall socket.
• A special IP phone. This looks and works like a normal phone. It has a handset with buttons that slots into a charging cradle. However, instead of the a RJ-11 phone connector, the IP phone has an RJ-45 connector. This means it plugs into an ethernet port on your router, not into a phone connector. Depending on the season, some VoIP companies may give you a free phone handset.
• Your computer. You will need an app that lets you make calls over VoIP. This is sometimes called a ‘softphone’. Of course, you will also need a sound card plus a headset, or a microphone and speakers. You will also need internet connectivity, either by ethernet or wifi. Most well-known VoIP companies have apps for both Windows and Mac.
• Your mobile phone. Again, you will need the right app and a wifi connection. You can also use a mobile data plan with 4G or higher speeds. Most VoIP apps will work on all smart phone such as Android mobile devices and Apple iPhone (iOS).

Frequently Asked Questions about VoIP Phone (VoIP FAQs)

There are lots of different business VoIP providers, and it can be hard to know which one is the best for your needs.

Over the years we have helped thousands of beginners choose the best VoIP phone platform. We have heard almost every possible question about VoIP that you can think of.

Following are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about VoIP (Voice over IP).

How much do domestic vs international calls cost on VoIP?

Most VoIP services will include unlimited domestic calls for no extra charge. However, some cheaper VoIP services charge based on the number of minutes you use.

The international rates will vary depending on the VoIP provider you use, but these rates will almost always be more affordable than traditional landline rates for international calls.

Can you keep your existing phone number on VoIP?

Yes, when switching from traditional landline phone to business VoIP phone, you can ask for number porting which lets you keep your existing business phone number.

Most good VoIP services let you do this, but please check with them before signing up.

Is there a VoIP backup if your internet connection goes down?

Some VoIP services have a backup in case your broadband connection is down or your power goes out. For instance, Nextiva can automatically forward calls to a cell phone.

Does VoIP offer call routing or extensions for team members?

Yes, most good VoIP phone service providers include call routing, phone extensions, call queue, and auto attendant at no additional cost.

We hope this article helped answer the questions of what is VoIP and how does it work behind the scenes. You might also like our comparison of the best website builder platforms, and best email marketing services to grow your business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Beginner’s Guide: What is VoIP and How Does it Work? (Explained) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 24, 2020 at 06:00PM

How to Add Additional User Profile Fields in WordPress Registration

Do you want the ability to add new profile fields when users register on your WordPress site?

Maybe you want to allow users to submit their social media profiles. Or you might want to have them submit their business phone number when registering. This can all be done by adding additional profile fields.

In this article, we will show how to add additional user profile fields in WordPress registration.

Method 1. Add Custom User Profile Fields using Advanced Custom Fields Plugin

The best way to add extra user profile fields in WordPress is to use the Advanced Custom Fields plugin.

First, you need to install and activate the Advanced Custom Fields plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After you’ve installed and activated it, go to Custom Fields » Add New and give your new field a name.

We’re calling this example ‘Twitter Handle’ since we’re setting up a custom field to add a Twitter username. However, you can name it anything you want.

Next, click the ‘Add Field’ button, and you’ll see it open up to configure your new field. Here’s our example customization.

The ‘Field Label’ is the name of your field, which helps you organize your fields.

The ‘Field Name’ is auto-populated based on the name you give your field, but you can change this to be whatever you want.

The ‘Field Type’ is where you can select what type of information you want to be submitted.

You can choose many options such as email, number, text area, url, password, and more.

The ‘Required?’ area can be turned on or off. If you want to require anyone who registers to fill out this field, then you’ll need to toggle the required button to where it says ‘Yes.’

Lastly, the ‘Placeholder Text’ is what you’ll put in the field to show as an example for your users when they register. We used ‘@sample_username.’

The next step is to set the location for this profile field.

You’ll need to scroll down to the ‘Location’ area and make sure you select ‘User Role’ in the dropdown menu.

To the very right, the ‘All’ option simply means all users who register.

But if you wanted to make this rule only apply to certain user roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, or Subscriber, then you can make that selection there.

Next, scroll down to the settings box. Make sure the ‘Active’ field is set to ‘Yes’ and then click ‘Publish’ in the upper right corner to save this field.

In the Style section, make sure you select ‘Seamless (no metabox)’ to prevent the name of this field appearing on your registration page.

Since we’ve already given instructions to submit the Twitter handle, you don’t want it appearing multiple times in the field as it makes it look cluttered.

Lastly, you can see all your fields by going to Custom Fields » Field Groups.

Now it’s time to check out how this is displayed on your registration page. The default url for registration is located at ‘yoursite.com/wp-login.php?action=register.’

Our example looks like this:

If you’d like to create a custom user registration form in WordPress, then you can do so by using the WPForms plugin and following our tutorial on how to create a custom user registration form in WordPress.

Method 2. Add Additional User Profile Fields with Profile Extra Fields

This method allows you to easily add extra fields to user profiles and user registration form in WordPress. It is a little less flexible, but it gets the job done.

First, you need to install and activate the Profile Extra Fields plugin. If you’re unsure of how to do this, check out our full guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is activated, it’s time to create some additional user profile fields to use on your registration forms.

We’re going to create a phone number field as an example, but you can create as many of these fields as you want.

First, go to your Profile Extra Fields » Add New page. We’re creating a field for users to submit their phone number.

You’ll see that we’ve named the field ‘Phone Number’ and selected ‘Phone number’ in the dropdown menu.

In the Field Properties, we’re checking all the boxes for the ‘Author’ user level because we want to display this field when someone registers as an Author.

Lastly, check the box to make the field required if you want them to fill out their phone number when registering.

Scroll down until you’ll this:

Make sure that box is checked so the field shows in your registration form. Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom before going further.

When you create these fields, you can see them when you go to your Profile Extra Fields » Add New page:

Now, you’ll want to go into your WordPress dashboard to change some settings for new registrations.

Go to Settings » General page in your WordPress admin area and then check the membership box so anyone can register.

You will need to make sure that the default role is set to the role which you have added extra fields for.

This way, you can control the level of access new users have, and this will force the registration form to show the fields you selected earlier in this tutorial.

Here’s what the default registration form looks like:

Pro Tip: You can always create a custom WordPress user registration form by following our tutorial.

We’re using ‘AuthorJon’ as a test profile to show you how this new user registration will show up in the dashboard.

To see the extra fields in action, go to Users » All Users and then click on ‘edit’ for the profile you want to see.

We are looking at the user we just created, AuthorJon. When you scroll to the bottom of their profile, you’ll see the following:

As you can see, their phone number was created in their profile when they registered their account. This goes for any other field you want to use as well.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to add additional user profile fields in WordPress registration. You might also want to see our guide on how to create a custom WordPress login page, and our comparison of the best WordPress membership plugins to create & sell courses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add Additional User Profile Fields in WordPress Registration appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 23, 2020 at 05:30PM