# Browser-based PDF Viewer with search and highlighting capabilities
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [May 25, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385 "2017-05-25T19:09:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@terraboss](https://meta.discourse.org/u/terraboss)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/1 "2017-05-25T19:09:35Z")
Hello my friends,
regarding to [my earlier topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/howto-open-pdf-files-in-same-browser-window/25823) - let’s say: unsolved key issue - I’m still looking for an option to open uploaded pdf files into the browser.
I’m using Discourse as knowledge-base. A lot of the content is embedded into pdf files. Unfortunately I can’t switch to other hosting alternatives like Dropbox or Owncloud … It’s simply too complicated to mange multiple systems and link every single file.
Moreover, it would be a real benefit for every single user, if highlighting and putting notes to the pdfs would be possible. But the most important feature I’m looking for, is to search through these documents in addition the Discourse search engine. Maybe enabled through another checkbox beside the search filed 🙂
This would be a real benefit for Discourse at all. 😊
What are you guys thinking about this feature request?
Best
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/2 "2017-05-25T19:36:08Z")
Changing Discourse so that PDFs could be displayed in the browser rather than downloaded seems like it would be pretty easy and useful, although clicking the downloaded file isn’t that difficult.
Including some kind of PDF editor/highlighter seems like a plugin that would be a fair amount of work. If you’d like someone to develop that, you should post in the #Marketplace.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/3 "2017-05-25T22:07:00Z")
Searching within attachments has been discussed and there are existing topics on that. Not easy to do and not on our current roadmap though.
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### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2017, 10:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/4 "2017-05-25T22:14:39Z")
I am not sure if this fits in here but I thought I’d mention it: there used to be a great tool called crocodoc but it has been discontinued and replaced by box view:
[https://blog.box.com/blog/new-box-view/](https://blog.box.com/blog/new-box-view/)
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### Author:  [@ufukayyildiz](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ufukayyildiz)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/5 "2019-03-18T20:46:05Z")
hi @terraboss Did you find any solution ?
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### Author:  [@terraboss](https://meta.discourse.org/u/terraboss)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/6 "2019-03-18T21:07:19Z")
hi @ufukayyildiz, nope 🙄
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### Author:  [@paulrudy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/paulrudy)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/7 "2020-09-23T20:19:27Z")
I’d love to see this feature as well. I’m unequipped to sponsor it, unfortunately. Watching this topic in case something materializes…
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### Author:  [@Cocco17](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Cocco17)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2020, 8:25am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/8 "2020-12-11T08:25:31Z")
Since the initial request is quite old and discourse developed fantastically during this time this feature could be focused again - any chance?
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### Author:  [@Johani](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Johani)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2020, 8:31am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/9 "2020-12-11T08:31:04Z")
Welcome to Meta @Cocco17 👋
We now have a theme component that will allow you to render PDF files inline in your post. Have a look here
> [@Inline PDF Previews](https://meta.discourse.org/t/inline-pdf-previews/157649):
>
> discourse2Summary Inline PDF Previews is a desktop-only theme component that will allow you to create previews for pdf attachments.eyeglassesPreview [Preview on Discourse Theme Creator](https://discourse.theme-creator.io/theme/Discourse/inline-pdf-previews) (desktop only)hammer_and_wrenchRepository Link [https://github.com/discourse/discourse-pdf-previews](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-pdf-previews)open_bookNew to Discourse Themes? [Beginner’s guide to using Discourse Themes](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-using-discourse-themes/91966) Install this theme component Features before after …
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### Author:  [@Cocco17](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Cocco17)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 9:34am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/browser-based-pdf-viewer-with-search-and-highlighting-capabilities/63385/10 "2020-12-15T09:34:10Z")
@Johani wow, haven’t found this during my search. Thanks a lot, that is great!