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PDF status

Control which PDFs are visible to customers without unlinking them.

Active vs inactive​

Every PDF has a status that controls visibility:

Active - Customers can see this PDF on your store

Inactive - PDF is hidden from customers (but still linked)

Why use status​

Status lets you hide PDFs temporarily without removing links:

  • Seasonal content - Hide summer catalogs in winter
  • Testing - Prep links before making PDFs public
  • Temporary removal - Hide outdated content quickly
  • Compliance - Immediately remove PDFs that need updating

When you reactivate a PDF, it appears everywhere it's linked automatically.

Change a single PDF status​

  1. From your PDF library, find the PDF
  2. Click the status toggle switch
  3. Status changes immediately (no save button needed)

The change applies everywhere the PDF is linked.

Bulk status changes​

Change status for multiple PDFs at once:

  1. Select PDFs using the checkboxes
  2. Click Bulk Actions at the top
  3. Choose Activate or Deactivate
  4. Click Apply

All selected PDFs update simultaneously.

How status affects display​

Active PDFs

  • Appear on your storefront where linked
  • Show in embedded viewers
  • Appear in PDF button lists
  • Are visible to all customers

Inactive PDFs

  • Don't appear on your storefront
  • Links remain intact (you don't lose your setup)
  • Still count toward your plan limit
  • Can be reactivated anytime

Status and linking​

Status and linking are separate:

Linked + Active = Customers see the PDF ✅

Linked + Inactive = PDF is hidden, links preserved 👻

Not linked = Status doesn't matter (no one sees it anyway) ⚠️

Default status for new PDFs​

New uploads are Inactive by default. This lets you:

  • Set up links before going live
  • Review the PDF one more time
  • Add it to your Theme App Extensions
  • Activate when ready

Status in theme templates​

If you use template filtering, PDFs must meet both conditions to appear:

  1. Status must be Active
  2. Template must match the current page

Learn about template filtering →

Quick status check​

See PDF status at a glance in your library:

  • Green badge = Active
  • Gray badge = Inactive
  • Number next to status = How many places it's linked

Next steps​