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Troubleshoot display issues

Fix common problems when PDFs don't appear on your storefront.

PDFs not showing at all​

Check these three requirements:

✅ PDF is linked to the resource (product, page, etc.)
✅ PDF status is Active (not inactive)
✅ Theme App Extension added to your theme

All three must be true. Check each one:

  1. Open your PDF library
  2. Click the PDF that should appear
  3. Verify it's linked to the correct resource
  4. Check status is set to Active
  5. Go to theme editor and confirm extension is added

PDFs show on wrong pages​

Possible causes:

Wrong resource linked

  • Check which resources the PDF is linked to
  • Unlink from incorrect resources
  • Link to correct resources

Template filter mismatch

  • Check template filter settings
  • Verify page is using expected template
  • Remove or adjust template filter

Learn about template filtering →

Some PDFs show, others don't​

Check individual PDF status:

  • Hidden PDFs are likely set to Inactive
  • Change status to Active for missing PDFs

Check template filters:

  • Some PDFs might have template filters applied
  • Review filter settings for non-displaying PDFs

Theme App Extension not in theme editor​

Theme compatibility issue:

Your theme might not support app extensions:

  1. Check theme documentation for app extension support
  2. Update theme to latest version
  3. Contact theme developer for support
  4. Consider switching to an extension-compatible theme

Most modern Shopify themes (2.0+) support app extensions.

PDFs load slowly​

Optimize file size:

  • Compress PDFs before uploading
  • Keep files under 5MB when possible
  • Remove unnecessary pages or images

Check internet connection:

  • Slow connections affect loading
  • Test on different network
  • Try on mobile data vs WiFi

Use button display:

  • Button style loads faster than embedded
  • Customers only load PDFs they click
  • Better for mobile users

Embedded viewer shows blank​

PDF might be corrupted:

  • Try re-uploading the PDF
  • Open PDF on your computer first to verify it works
  • Re-save PDF using different software

Browser compatibility:

  • Try different browser
  • Update browser to latest version
  • Clear browser cache

Wrong PDF appears​

Check link connections:

  • View linked resources for that PDF
  • Unlink from pages where it shouldn't appear
  • Verify correct PDF is linked to each resource

Multiple PDFs linked:

  • If several PDFs are linked, they all appear
  • Unlink unwanted PDFs
  • Reorder if needed

PDF button doesn't open​

JavaScript issue:

  • Check browser console for errors
  • Try different browser
  • Disable conflicting apps temporarily

Theme conflict:

  • Some themes block popups
  • Check theme settings
  • Contact theme developer

Template filtering not working​

Common mistakes:

Wrong template name:

  • Template names are case-sensitive
  • Check spelling carefully
  • Verify template exists in your theme

Template not active:

  • Page might be using different template
  • Check actual template in theme editor
  • Assign correct template to page

Fix template issues →

Changes not appearing​

Cache delay:

  • Wait 30-60 seconds after making changes
  • Refresh page (hard refresh: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R)
  • Clear browser cache if needed

Theme not saved:

  • Make sure you clicked Save in theme editor
  • Check for unsaved changes indicator

Still having issues?​

Try these steps:

  1. Refresh everything:

    • Hard refresh your browser
    • Re-save theme in editor
    • Wait a few minutes

  2. Test in incognito mode:

    • Opens fresh browser session
    • Bypasses cache issues
    • Rules out browser extensions

  3. Check different pages:

    • View different resource (product/page)
    • Test homepage vs product page
    • Isolate where issue occurs

  4. Contact support:

    • Describe what you see vs what you expect
    • Share screenshots if possible
    • Mention your theme name
    • Include plan type

Next steps​