Articles in this section

Document Building - Insert PDF Pages into Your Document

What You’ll Learn: This article is for Editors and Contributors using Digital Budget Book. It explains what you need to know to add an existing PDF to your budget book exactly as it appears, page by page.

When to Read This: Read this article after you create your Digital Budget Book and add the page where the PDF belongs.

Note: You can select any image below to zoom in.

Some documents belong in your budget book just as they are, such as signed resolutions, completed forms, appendices, or supporting schedules. With PDF Insert, you can upload a PDF and add every page to your book as a static image, so the original layout stays intact.

Note: If you do not see the Insert PDF option, reach out to your ClearGov point of contact to have it enabled for your organization.

There are 3 steps to insert PDF pages into your document. Select the step below to navigate directly to that section of the article.

  1. Prepare Your PDF
  2. Insert the PDF
  3. Review Your Inserted Pages

Step 1: Prepare Your PDF

Before you upload, check that your file meets these requirements:

  • File type: PDF
  • File size: Up to 15 MB
  • Page count: Multi-page files are supported, including PDFs with no more than 50 pages.

Pro Tip: Save a copy of the PDF that includes only the pages you want in your book. This keeps your document slim and your file size low.

Step 2: Insert the PDF

Navigate to the page in your document where you want the PDF pages to display, then follow the steps below.

  1. Add content blocks by scrolling to the bottom of the page and selecting the +Add Block icon.
  2. Choose from the block templates.
    • Note: You must select a content block with the grey background and multimedia content options.
  3. Select the Add Block button.

  1. In the new content block, select the Insert PDF button.
    • Note: If you do not see the Insert PDF option, reach out to your ClearGov point of contact to have it enabled for your organization.
  2. Choose your PDF file saved on your computer and select the Open button in your file explorer.
  3. Wait while ClearGov processes your file. Each page of the PDF is added as its own image block, with a page break after each one.

Step 3: Review Your Inserted Pages

  1. Scroll through the page to confirm all PDF pages were added in the correct order.
    • Pro Tip: If you need to reorder any of the content blocks, select the Collapse All Blocks button at the top of the page first. Then, select the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of a content block and use your cursor to drag and drop the page into the right position.
  2. Select the Preview button in the upper left corner of the canvas to see how the pages display in the PDF view. Each inserted page is sized to fit on a single page when you export your book.
  3. Use the block Options menu in the upper right corner of a block to move, hide, or delete any inserted page, just like any other image block.

Note: Inserted pages are static images, so the text inside them stays as it appears in the original PDF. To update the content, edit the original file and insert it again. If you want to edit the text directly in ClearGov, use the Document Import feature instead. Learn more about Document Import with this article: Document Building - Import PDFs with Document Import (BETA).

PDF Insert or Document Import?

Use the table below as a quick reference guide for when to insert a PDF or use the Document Import.

  PDF Insert Document Import (BETA)
Best for Signed pages, forms, appendices, and schedules you want to keep as they are Narrative content you want to update in ClearGov
What it creates One static image block per PDF page New editable pages with text, images, and charts
How to update content Edit the original PDF, then insert it again Edit directly in ClearGov
Where you start Insert a multimedia Content Block, then select the Insert PDF button. From the top of your document’s Table of Contents, select the Add Page button, and then the Document Import tab

Ready to Learn More?



Have more questions or need assistance? Submit a Request