How-To, Flipbooks, PDFHow to Make a Flipbook from a PDF

By: Robert Soares     |     Jan 18, 2026

Time needed: About 2 minutes for basic conversion. 5-10 minutes if you add interactivity.

Skill level: None required. If you can upload a file, you can do this.

What you'll need: A PDF file and access to a flipbook platform.

The Quick Version

1. Export your document as a PDF (if it isn't already)
2. Upload it to a flipbook platform
3. Wait about 15 seconds for conversion
4. Customize (optional but recommended)
5. Share your flipbook link

That's really it. Let's walk through each step.

Step 1: Prepare Your PDF

You probably already have a PDF. If not, create one.

Almost any program can export to PDF:

• Microsoft Word/PowerPoint: File > Save As > PDF
• Google Docs/Slides: File > Download > PDF Document
• Canva: Download > PDF Print or PDF Standard
• Adobe InDesign: File > Export > PDF

Quick PDF tips before upload

Resolution matters. For on-screen reading, 150 DPI is fine. If readers might zoom in on details, go higher.

File size. Larger files take longer to convert. If your PDF is over 50MB, consider compressing it first. Most flipbook platforms handle this, but starting smaller is faster.

Page orientation. Both portrait and landscape work. But landscape often looks better on widescreen monitors. Portrait works better on phones. Think about where your audience will read.

Bleed and margins. The page-flip animation sometimes crops the extreme edges slightly. Keep important content at least 0.25 inches from the edge.

Step 2: Choose a Flipbook Platform

Several platforms convert PDFs to flipbooks. They differ in features, pricing, and quality.

What to consider:

• Conversion speed: Some take minutes, some take seconds
• Customization options: Can you add your logo? Change colors? Remove their branding?
• Interactivity: Can you add links, videos, buttons?
• Analytics: Do you get reader tracking?
• Pricing: Free tools usually have limits or watermarks

For this tutorial, I'll use Flipbooker. The steps are similar across platforms.

Step 3: Upload Your PDF

Go to your flipbook platform and find the upload area.

In Flipbooker:

1. Log in to your account (or start a free trial)
2. Click "Create New Flipbook" or the + button
3. Drag your PDF into the upload area, or click to browse

What happens next: The platform processes your PDF. Each page becomes a high-quality image. The page-flip animation gets applied. This usually takes 10-20 seconds for a typical document.

Expected result: You'll see a preview of your flipbook with page-turn animation working.

If something goes wrong

"File too large" error: Compress your PDF first. Tools like SmallPDF or Adobe Acrobat can help. Or check if the platform has a size limit you're exceeding.

"Processing failed" error: Usually means a corrupted or password-protected PDF. Try re-exporting the original document as a new PDF.

Pages look blurry: Your source PDF resolution is too low. Go back to your design tool and export at higher quality.

Step 4: Customize Your Flipbook

This is where flipbooks pull ahead of plain PDFs.

Add your branding

Most platforms let you customize appearance:

• Logo: Upload your logo. It appears on the toolbar or cover.
• Colors: Match your brand colors for the background, buttons, toolbar.
• Background: Some platforms offer custom backgrounds or textures.

In Flipbooker, go to Settings > Branding. Upload your logo and pick colors.

Why this matters: Your flipbook represents your brand. Generic software branding looks cheap. Your branding looks intentional. According to Demand Gen Report research, 93% of marketers say interactive content is effective at educating buyers versus just 70% for static content.

Make it interactive

Here's where things get interesting. Your PDF pages are now a canvas.

Add clickable links:

1. Go to the editor view
2. Select the page with content you want to link
3. Draw a hotspot area over the text or image
4. Add your destination URL
5. Save

Now readers can click that area and go somewhere.

Embed a video:

1. Pick the page where you want the video
2. Add a video element
3. Paste a YouTube, Vimeo, or direct video URL
4. Position and size it

The video plays right inside your flipbook. No leaving the page.

Add buttons:

1. Create a button element
2. Set the text ("Learn More", "Contact Us", whatever)
3. Link it to a URL or email address
4. Style it to match your design

Expected result: Your static PDF pages now have working links, embedded media, and clickable calls to action.

Step 5: Configure Settings

Before sharing, check your settings.

Privacy options

Who can view this?

• Public: Anyone with the link
• Unlisted: Not searchable, but anyone with link can view
• Private: Restricted to specific people or email domains

Lead capture

Want to collect emails before people can read?

Enable email gating. Readers enter their email to access the content. You get a lead, they get the flipbook.

Decide what's gated:

• Gate the entire flipbook
• Let them preview first few pages, then gate
• Gate only after a certain page

SEO settings

If you want your flipbook found in search:

• Add a descriptive title (not just "brochure.pdf")
• Write a meta description
• Make sure SEO indexing is enabled

Download permissions

Do you want readers to be able to download the original PDF? Some companies do, some don't. Your choice.

Step 6: Preview and Test

Before sharing, check everything.

1. Click through every page. Make sure they all converted correctly.
2. Test on mobile. Does it look good? Can you flip pages easily?
3. Click your links. Do they go where they should?
4. Play any videos. Do they load?
5. Test the email gate (if enabled). Does it work?

Better to catch problems now than after you've shared it with 500 people.

Step 7: Share Your Flipbook

You have options.

Direct link

Every flipbook gets a unique URL. Copy it. Share it anywhere.

• Email it directly
• Post on social media
• Add to your email signature
• Include in presentations
• Put it in a QR code

Embed on your website

Get the embed code (usually an iframe snippet). Paste it into your website's HTML.

The flipbook appears right on your page. Readers view it without leaving your site. Good for product pages, resource libraries, or landing pages.

In Flipbooker, go to Share > Embed. Copy the code. Paste it where you want the flipbook to appear.

Email campaigns

Most email platforms don't support embedded flipbooks. But you can:

• Include the link with a preview image
• Use an animated GIF thumbnail that links to the flipbook
• Design an email that drives traffic to the flipbook

Social media

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook all support links. Share your flipbook URL.

For better engagement, add a compelling preview image or short description.

Step 8: Track Performance

After sharing, check your analytics. Research from Kapost shows that interactive content generates conversions 70% of the time compared to just 36% for passive content, so tracking what works is essential.

What to look for:

• Total views: How many people opened it
• Unique viewers: How many different people
• Average time spent: Are people actually reading?
• Page-by-page engagement: Which pages get attention
• Drop-off points: Where do people stop reading
• Link clicks: Are your CTAs working

This is the insight you never had with PDFs. Use it.

If page 5 has high drop-off, look at page 5. Maybe it's boring. Maybe it's confusing. Maybe the pacing is off. Now you know where to improve.

Advanced Tips

Make pages more readable on mobile

With over 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, mobile readability is critical:

• Use larger fonts (14pt minimum for body text)
• Keep important content in the center
• Avoid text that runs to the very edge
• Test on an actual phone, not just preview mode

Optimize for faster loading

• Compress images before adding to your original document
• Avoid huge full-page photos if they're not necessary
• Keep PDF under 30MB when possible
• Use JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with text

Create a table of contents

Many flipbook platforms support clickable TOCs. Readers can jump directly to sections.

Worth the extra 5 minutes, especially for longer documents.

Add a call to action on every page

Don't make readers hunt for how to contact you or take the next step. Make it obvious. Consistent.

Update without breaking links

One of the best things about flipbooks: you can update the content and the link stays the same. Readers always see the latest version.

Changed a price? Fixed a typo? Updated a photo? Replace the PDF. Existing links still work.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Problem: Pages are in the wrong order Your source PDF page order is what the flipbook uses. Fix it in the original document and re-upload.

Problem: Text looks fuzzy Source resolution too low. Export your PDF at higher quality (300 DPI for best results).

Problem: Links don't work Make sure you've published/saved changes. Test in an incognito browser to rule out caching issues.

Problem: Video won't play Check the video URL format. Most platforms need YouTube, Vimeo, or direct MP4 links. Some video hosts block embedding.

Problem: Flipbook loads slowly Large source file. Compress images in the original document. Or check if your platform offers optimization settings.

What's Next?

You've made a flipbook. Now:

1. Share it with someone who would have received a PDF before. See if they engage differently.
2. Check analytics after a day or two. Did people actually read it?
3. Iterate. Based on what you learn, make the next version better.
4. Explore more features. Lead capture, email notifications when someone opens it, team sharing. There's more to discover.

For the bigger picture on why flipbooks work and when to use them, check out our complete flipbook guide.

Quick Reference

Total time for basic flipbook: Under 5 minutes.

Total time with full customization: 10-15 minutes.

Either way, faster than you probably expected.