With file embeds, you can share a document such as a PDF, comic file, Excel spreadsheet, or ebook with your readers in posts.
File embeds can also be added to automated emails such as welcome emails and referral reward emails. Head to your publication's Settings page to edit these emails then drag and drop file types listed in the article into the email drafts.
How do I get started?
1. In the post editor, drag and drop these types of files directly into your draft post:
- EPUB, PRC, XLSX, PDF, CBR, CBZ, KFX, KPF, ODS
2. The embed will display the title, format, and size of the file.
3. Click on the hamburger icon where you'll be able to edit, replace, download, or delete the file.
4. Select "Edit" and you'll have the options to change the title of the file, add a description, or upload a thumbnail image to the file.
Note: Thumbnail images will be cropped to a 3:2 aspect ratio.
5. When you're ready to send your post as an email or have it appear on your website publication, click "Publish".
What does the file look like for my readers?
For comic files
For CBZ/CBR files, we've partnered with Panels, an IOS comic reader app, to provide a higher-quality reading experience for comics.
When readers click on "Read now" in the post, they'll have the options to open the file in Panels or download the file.
Tip: Panels is free for readers– if readers don't have the app already installed, they'll be prompted to download the app for their iPhone or iPad devices.
For PDFs and spreadsheets
The embed appears like a file attachment that readers can download. A scrollable full-screen preview within the Substack post is not available at this time.
Note: The file size limit for a PDF is 700 MB.