How to make a PDF load faster on a website

The main fix is Save as for fast web view in PDF by Zaweba. It writes a linearised file, arranged so that page 1 can show before the rest of the document has downloaded. Pair that with File, Reduce file size to cut the download itself, and a PDF on your website feels far quicker. The app is free and works offline on Windows.

Linearising changes the order of the file's contents, not the pages themselves, so readers see exactly the same document.

What linearisation does

An ordinary PDF can be laid out so that a viewer needs to read the end of the file before it can show anything. Over a slow connection that means waiting for the whole download. A linearised file puts what's needed for the first page at the front, so the browser or reader can show it straight away and fetch the rest as the reader scrolls.

For a short leaflet it makes little difference. For a long catalogue, a report or a manual, it's the difference between a blank screen and a page to read.

Saving for fast web view

Finish all your edits first. Then use Save as for fast web view and save the file under the name you'll upload. Upload it to your site in place of the old one.

Do this as the last step each time you change the file. Ordinary saves are incremental, adding only changed objects to the end, so editing and saving normally after linearising can undo the benefit. Save as for fast web view again whenever you update it.

Make the download smaller too

Linearisation gets the first page on screen sooner, but the full file still has to come down. File, Reduce file size cuts that. The Balanced preset suits most web documents; Smallest file suits very large documents where screen quality is enough. Audit space usage shows bytes by kind if you want to know where the weight is.

Ordinary Save as also helps, because it leaves out unused objects and packs small objects into compressed streams. And Protect, Remove hidden information can drop attached files, earlier versions and other extras a public file doesn't need.

Tidy it for the public

A file on a website will be read by strangers and indexed by search engines. Set a clear title in Document properties (Ctrl+D), since many browsers show it in the tab. Remove author names or internal details you'd rather not publish. Bookmarks help readers jump around a long document without scrolling.

Tools, Actions has a built-in Prepare for web publishing action, which bundles steps like these so you can run them on a file, a folder or the open document in one go.

Testing it on a phone

Open the uploaded file from the website on a phone using mobile data, which is a fair test of a slow connection. Page 1 should appear quickly, with the rest following as you scroll.

PDF by Zaweba prepares everything on your own PC, so you only upload the finished file.