wojtekmaj/react-pdf

React-PDF

Display PDFs in your React app as easily as if they were images.

Lost?

This package is used to display existing PDFs. If you wish to create PDFs using React, you may be looking for @react-pdf/renderer.

tl;dr

• Install by executing npm install react-pdf or yarn add react-pdf.
• Import by adding import { Document } from 'react-pdf'.
• Use by adding <Document file="..." />. file can be a URL, base64 content, Uint8Array, and more.
• Put <Page /> components inside <Document /> to render pages.
• Import stylesheets for annotations and text layer if applicable.

Demo

A minimal demo page can be found in sample directory.

Online demo is also available!

Before you continue

React-PDF is under constant development. This documentation is written for React-PDF 10.x branch. If you want to see documentation for other versions of React-PDF, use dropdown on top of GitHub page to switch to an appropriate tag. Here are quick links to the newest docs from each branch:

• v9.x
• v8.x
• v7.x
• v6.x
• v5.x

Getting started

Compatibility

Browser support

React-PDF supports the latest versions of all major modern browsers.

Browser compatibility for React-PDF primarily depends on PDF.js support. For details, refer to the PDF.js documentation.

You may extend the list of supported browsers by providing additional polyfills (e.g. Array.prototype.at, Promise.allSettled or Promise.withResolvers), configuring your bundler to transpile pdfjs-dist, and using legacy PDF.js worker.

Legacy PDF.js worker has been reported to support iOS 16.4 and newer. Older iOS versions may still fail to load PDF.js modules.

React

To use the latest version of React-PDF, your project needs to use React 16.8 or later.

Preact

React-PDF may be used with Preact.

Installation

Add React-PDF to your project by executing npm install react-pdf or yarn add react-pdf.

Next.js

If you use Next.js prior to v15 (v15.0.0-canary.53, specifically), you may need to add the following to your next.config.js:

module.exports = {
+ swcMinify: false,
}

Configure PDF.js worker

For React-PDF to work, PDF.js worker needs to be provided. You have several options.

Import worker (recommended)

For most cases, the following example will work:

import { pdfjs } from 'react-pdf';

pdfjs.GlobalWorkerOptions.workerSrc = new URL(
  'pdfjs-dist/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs',
  import.meta.url,
).toString();

[!WARNING] The workerSrc must be set in the same module where you use React-PDF components (e.g., <Document>, <Page>). Setting it in a separate file like main.tsx and then importing React-PDF in another component may cause the default value to overwrite your custom setting due to module execution order. Always configure the worker in the file where you render the PDF components.

[!NOTE] In Next.js, make sure to skip SSR when importing the module you're using this code in. Here's how to do this in Pages Router and App Router.

[!NOTE] pnpm users may need to hoist pdfjs-dist for this setup to work:

pnpm < 11 — add this to .npmrc:

public-hoist-pattern[]=pdfjs-dist

pnpm 11+ — add this to pnpm-workspace.yaml:

publicHoistPattern:
  - pdfjs-dist

 pdfjs.GlobalWorkerOptions.workerSrc = new URL(
-  'pdfjs-dist/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs',
+  'npm:pdfjs-dist/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs',
   import.meta.url,
 ).toString();

Copy worker to public directory

You will have to make sure on your own that pdf.worker.mjs file from pdfjs-dist/build is copied to your project's output folder.

For example, you could use a custom script like:

import path from 'node:path';
import fs from 'node:fs';

const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
const pdfWorkerPath = path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'build', 'pdf.worker.mjs');

fs.cpSync(pdfWorkerPath, './dist/pdf.worker.mjs', { recursive: true });

Use external CDN

import { pdfjs } from 'react-pdf';

pdfjs.GlobalWorkerOptions.workerSrc = `//unpkg.com/pdfjs-dist@${pdfjs.version}/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs`;

[!WARNING] The workerSrc must be set in the same module where you use React-PDF components (e.g., <Document>, <Page>). Setting it in a separate file like main.tsx and then importing React-PDF in another component may cause the default value to overwrite your custom setting due to module execution order. Always configure the worker in the file where you render the PDF components.

Legacy PDF.js worker

If you need to support older browsers, you may use legacy PDF.js worker. This is not a complete backwards-compatibility solution: you may still need additional polyfills and bundler transpilation.

To do so, follow the instructions above, but replace /build/ with /legacy/build/ in PDF.js worker import path, for example:

 pdfjs.GlobalWorkerOptions.workerSrc = new URL(
-  'pdfjs-dist/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs',
+  'pdfjs-dist/legacy/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs',
   import.meta.url,
 ).toString();

or:

-pdfjs.GlobalWorkerOptions.workerSrc = `//unpkg.com/pdfjs-dist@${pdfjs.version}/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs`;
+pdfjs.GlobalWorkerOptions.workerSrc = `//unpkg.com/pdfjs-dist@${pdfjs.version}/legacy/build/pdf.worker.min.mjs`;

Usage

Here's an example of basic usage:

import { useState } from 'react';
import { Document, Page } from 'react-pdf';

function MyApp() {
  const [numPages, setNumPages] = useState<number>();
  const [pageNumber, setPageNumber] = useState<number>(1);

  function onDocumentLoadSuccess({ numPages }: { numPages: number }): void {
    setNumPages(numPages);
  }

  return (
    <div>
      <Document file="somefile.pdf" onLoadSuccess={onDocumentLoadSuccess}>
        <Page pageNumber={pageNumber} />
      </Document>
      <p>
        Page {pageNumber} of {numPages}
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

Check the sample directory in this repository for a full working example. For more examples and more advanced use cases, check Recipes in React-PDF Wiki.

Support for annotations

If you want to use annotations (e.g. links) in PDFs rendered by React-PDF, then you would need to include stylesheet necessary for annotations to be correctly displayed like so:

import 'react-pdf/dist/Page/AnnotationLayer.css';

Support for text layer

If you want to use text layer in PDFs rendered by React-PDF, then you would need to include stylesheet necessary for text layer to be correctly displayed like so:

import 'react-pdf/dist/Page/TextLayer.css';

Support for non-latin characters

If you want to ensure that PDFs with non-latin characters will render perfectly, or you have encountered the following warning:

Warning: The CMap "baseUrl" parameter must be specified, ensure that the "cMapUrl" and "cMapPacked" API parameters are provided.

then you would also need to include cMaps in your build and tell React-PDF where they are.

Copying cMaps

First, you need to copy cMaps from pdfjs-dist (React-PDF's dependency - it should be in your node_modules if you have React-PDF installed). cMaps are located in pdfjs-dist/cmaps.

Vite

Add vite-plugin-static-copy by executing npm install vite-plugin-static-copy --save-dev or yarn add vite-plugin-static-copy --dev and add the following to your Vite config:

+import path from 'node:path';
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module';

-import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
+import { defineConfig, normalizePath } from 'vite';
+import { viteStaticCopy } from 'vite-plugin-static-copy';

+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+
+const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
+const cMapsDir = normalizePath(path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'cmaps'));

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
+   viteStaticCopy({
+     targets: [
+       {
+         src: cMapsDir,
+         dest: '',
+       },
+     ],
+   }),
  ]
});

Webpack

Add copy-webpack-plugin by executing npm install copy-webpack-plugin --save-dev or yarn add copy-webpack-plugin --dev and add the following to your Webpack config:

+import path from 'node:path';
+import CopyWebpackPlugin from 'copy-webpack-plugin';

+const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
+const cMapsDir = path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'cmaps');

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
+   new CopyWebpackPlugin({
+     patterns: [
+       {
+         from: cMapsDir,
+         to: 'cmaps/'
+       },
+     ],
+   }),
  ],
};

Other tools

If you use other bundlers, you will have to make sure on your own that cMaps are copied to your project's output folder.

For example, you could use a custom script like:

import path from 'node:path';
import fs from 'node:fs';

const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
const cMapsDir = path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'cmaps');

fs.cpSync(cMapsDir, 'dist/cmaps/', { recursive: true });

Setting up React-PDF

Now that you have cMaps in your build, pass required options to Document component by using options prop, like so:

// Outside of React component
const options = {
  cMapUrl: '/cmaps/',
};

// Inside of React component
<Document options={options} />;

[!NOTE] Make sure to define options object outside of your React component or use useMemo if you can't.

Alternatively, you could use cMaps from external CDN:

// Outside of React component
import { pdfjs } from 'react-pdf';

const options = {
  cMapUrl: `https://unpkg.com/pdfjs-dist@${pdfjs.version}/cmaps/`,
};

// Inside of React component
<Document options={options} />;

Support for JPEG 2000

If you want to ensure that JPEG 2000 images in PDFs will render, or you have encountered the following warning:

Warning: Unable to decode image "img_p0_1": "JpxError: OpenJPEG failed to initialize".

then you would also need to include wasm directory in your build and tell React-PDF where it is.

Copying wasm directory

First, you need to copy wasm from pdfjs-dist (React-PDF's dependency - it should be in your node_modules if you have React-PDF installed). cMaps are located in pdfjs-dist/wasm.

Vite

Add vite-plugin-static-copy by executing npm install vite-plugin-static-copy --save-dev or yarn add vite-plugin-static-copy --dev and add the following to your Vite config:

+import path from 'node:path';
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module';

-import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
+import { defineConfig, normalizePath } from 'vite';
+import { viteStaticCopy } from 'vite-plugin-static-copy';

+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+
+const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
+const wasmDir = normalizePath(path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'wasm'));

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
+   viteStaticCopy({
+     targets: [
+       {
+         src: wasmDir,
+         dest: '',
+       },
+     ],
+   }),
  ]
});

Webpack

Add copy-webpack-plugin by executing npm install copy-webpack-plugin --save-dev or yarn add copy-webpack-plugin --dev and add the following to your Webpack config:

+import path from 'node:path';
+import CopyWebpackPlugin from 'copy-webpack-plugin';

+const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
+const wasmDir = path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'wasm');

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
+   new CopyWebpackPlugin({
+     patterns: [
+       {
+         from: wasmDir,
+         to: 'wasm/'
+       },
+     ],
+   }),
  ],
};

Other tools

If you use other bundlers, you will have to make sure on your own that wasm directory is copied to your project's output folder.

For example, you could use a custom script like:

import path from 'node:path';
import fs from 'node:fs';

const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
const wasmDir = path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'wasm');

fs.cpSync(wasmDir, 'dist/wasm/', { recursive: true });

Setting up React-PDF

Now that you have wasm directory in your build, pass required options to Document component by using options prop, like so:

// Outside of React component
const options = {
  wasmUrl: '/wasm/',
};

// Inside of React component
<Document options={options} />;

[!NOTE] Make sure to define options object outside of your React component or use useMemo if you can't.

Alternatively, you could use wasm directory from external CDN:

// Outside of React component
import { pdfjs } from 'react-pdf';

const options = {
  wasmUrl: `https://unpkg.com/pdfjs-dist@${pdfjs.version}/wasm/`,
};

// Inside of React component
<Document options={options} />;

Support for standard fonts

If you want to support PDFs using standard fonts (deprecated in PDF 1.5, but still around), or you have encountered the following warning:

The standard font "baseUrl" parameter must be specified, ensure that the "standardFontDataUrl" API parameter is provided.

then you would also need to include standard fonts in your build and tell React-PDF where they are.

Copying fonts

First, you need to copy standard fonts from pdfjs-dist (React-PDF's dependency - it should be in your node_modules if you have React-PDF installed). Standard fonts are located in pdfjs-dist/standard_fonts.

Vite

Add vite-plugin-static-copy by executing npm install vite-plugin-static-copy --save-dev or yarn add vite-plugin-static-copy --dev and add the following to your Vite config:

+import path from 'node:path';
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module';

-import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
+import { defineConfig, normalizePath } from 'vite';
+import { viteStaticCopy } from 'vite-plugin-static-copy';

+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+const standardFontsDir = normalizePath(
+  path.join(path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json')), 'standard_fonts')
+);

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
+   viteStaticCopy({
+     targets: [
+       {
+         src: standardFontsDir,
+         dest: '',
+       },
+     ],
+   }),
  ]
});

Webpack

Add copy-webpack-plugin by executing npm install copy-webpack-plugin --save-dev or yarn add copy-webpack-plugin --dev and add the following to your Webpack config:

+import path from 'node:path';
+import CopyWebpackPlugin from 'copy-webpack-plugin';

+const standardFontsDir = path.join(path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json')), 'standard_fonts');

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
+   new CopyWebpackPlugin({
+     patterns: [
+       {
+         from: standardFontsDir,
+         to: 'standard_fonts/'
+       },
+     ],
+   }),
  ],
};

Other tools

If you use other bundlers, you will have to make sure on your own that standard fonts are copied to your project's output folder.

For example, you could use a custom script like:

import path from 'node:path';
import fs from 'node:fs';

const pdfjsDistPath = path.dirname(require.resolve('pdfjs-dist/package.json'));
const standardFontsDir = path.join(pdfjsDistPath, 'standard_fonts');

fs.cpSync(standardFontsDir, 'dist/standard_fonts/', { recursive: true });

Setting up React-PDF

Now that you have standard fonts in your build, pass required options to Document component by using options prop, like so:

// Outside of React component
const options = {
  standardFontDataUrl: '/standard_fonts/',
};

// Inside of React component
<Document options={options} />;

[!NOTE] Make sure to define options object outside of your React component or use useMemo if you can't.

Alternatively, you could use standard fonts from external CDN:

// Outside of React component
import { pdfjs } from 'react-pdf';

const options = {
  standardFontDataUrl: `https://unpkg.com/pdfjs-dist@${pdfjs.version}/standard_fonts/`,
};

// Inside of React component
<Document options={options} />;

User guide

Document

Loads a document passed using file prop.

Props

Page

Displays a page. Should be placed inside <Document />. Alternatively, it can have pdf prop passed, which can be obtained from <Document />'s onLoadSuccess callback function, however some advanced functions like rendering annotations and linking between pages inside a document may not be working correctly.

Props

Outline

Displays an outline (table of contents). Should be placed inside <Document />. Alternatively, it can have pdf prop passed, which can be obtained from <Document />'s onLoadSuccess callback function.

Props

Thumbnail

Displays a thumbnail of a page. Does not render the annotation layer or the text layer. Does not register itself as a link target, so the user will not be scrolled to a Thumbnail component when clicked on an internal link (e.g. in Table of Contents). When clicked, attempts to navigate to the page clicked (similarly to a link in Outline). Should be placed inside <Document />. Alternatively, it can have pdf prop passed, which can be obtained from <Document />'s onLoadSuccess callback function.

Props

Props are the same as in <Page /> component, but certain annotation layer and text layer-related props are not available:

• customTextRenderer
• onGetAnnotationsError
• onGetAnnotationsSuccess
• onGetTextError
• onGetTextSuccess
• onRenderAnnotationLayerError
• onRenderAnnotationLayerSuccess
• onRenderTextLayerError
• onRenderTextLayerSuccess
• renderAnnotationLayer
• renderForms
• renderTextLayer

On top of that, additional props are available:

Useful links

• React-PDF Wiki

License

The MIT License.

Author

Wojciech Maj

Thank you

This project wouldn't be possible without the awesome work of Niklas Närhinen who created its original version and without Mozilla, author of pdf.js. Thank you!

Sponsors

Thank you to all our sponsors! Become a sponsor and get your image on our README on GitHub.

Backers

Thank you to all our backers! Become a backer and get your image on our README on GitHub.

Top Contributors

Thank you to all our contributors that helped on this project!