Email capture on any PDF link.
Turn on email capture when a guide, brochure, or resource should ask for an email address before the document opens.
A short email form appears before the selected PDF opens.
Get the guide A short email form appears before the selected PDF opens.
Ask for an email before the document opens.
Each page is built around one practical job, so the steps stay clear.
Choose a useful PDF
Pick a guide, checklist, brochure, or resource people want to open.
Turn on email capture
Ask viewers for their email before the PDF is shown.
Review or export leads
See submitted emails in your dashboard and export them when needed.
What you get back from each captured email.
The details below keep the feature practical, with no heavy setup or technical wording.
Good for lead magnets
Use a useful PDF to collect emails from people who are already interested.
Keep the form short
Asking only for an email keeps the step simple for viewers.
See which PDF collected the lead
Leads stay connected to the PDF that collected them.
Use only when it helps
Some public documents should stay open. Gate the PDFs where follow-up is worth the extra step.
Documents people will trade an email for.
These examples make the page useful for real searches and real visitors.
Plan availability
Create PDF links without email capture.
Collect emails before selected PDFs open.
Collect leads across more PDFs and larger campaigns.
Capture leads at scale across an unlimited library.
Asking for an email without losing the reader.
An email gate trades some readers for contact details. That is a reasonable trade for some documents and a poor one for others.
The trade you are actually making
Every gate costs you readers. Some people will not hand over an address for a document they have not seen yet, and that is a rational response on their part. What you get back is a list of people who wanted the document enough to identify themselves.
So the question is not whether a gate reduces reach — it does — but whether the smaller, self-selected audience is worth more to you than the larger anonymous one.
Documents worth gating
Gates work when the document has standalone value the reader can anticipate: a detailed guide, a template, a research report, a pricing breakdown, a whitepaper. The reader can see what they are trading for.
They work badly on anything the reader was already expecting from you, or anything they need in order to make a decision you want them to make. Gating a proposal you sent to a client, or a document someone asked for by name, reads as an obstacle rather than an exchange.
Handling the addresses responsibly
An address submitted to open one document is not blanket consent to be added to a mailing list. Say plainly what the address is for at the point of collection, and treat anything beyond that as requiring separate permission.
Under GDPR and similar regimes this is not merely good manners: consent must be specific and informed. Keep the purpose narrow and honour it.
Reading the results
Captured addresses are most useful alongside the view activity for the same document. A reader who submitted an address and then opened the document three times is a stronger signal than a long list of one-time opens.
Expect some invalid and disposable addresses. That is normal for any gate, and a sign to weigh quality over raw count.
Email capture — common questions.
Short answers for visitors who want to know if this fits their PDF sharing workflow.
What is email capture on a PDF?
It means asking a viewer for an email address before the PDF opens, so a useful document can double as a lead magnet.
Can I export the emails?
Yes. SharePDF includes a leads area where paid users can review and export captured emails.
Should every PDF ask for an email?
No. Use email capture for useful resources where follow-up makes sense.
Is email capture on the Free plan?
No. Email capture requires a paid plan.
Will an email gate reduce how many people read the document?
Yes, and that is the trade. You exchange some readers for contact details from the ones who wanted the document enough to identify themselves.
Can I add captured addresses to a mailing list?
Only with separate permission. An address given to open one document is not consent to receive marketing, and regimes like GDPR require consent to be specific and informed.
What if people enter fake addresses?
Some will, on any gated form. Weigh the quality of the list over the raw count, and keep gates for documents where the exchange feels fair.
Keep exploring SharePDF features.
These links connect nearby search intent without repeating the same page.
Create your first PDF link today.
Start free, upload a PDF, and use the right SharePDF feature when your PDF needs more than an attachment.