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gmail will not open PDF file

  1. I created my first form last night and tested it. The pdf file will not open when send to gmail accounts. Everything works when sent to yahoo, aol, and comcast. I downloaded Gravity forms last night and this was my first form. Help!!

    Posted 11 years ago on Friday December 14, 2012 | Permalink
  2. I want to be more clear on my first post. I used my gmail account to test the ebook delivery. I did receive email. I opened the email and clicked on the embedded link. The link opened and there was a page from my website. There was a link for the ebook. I click on the link and the ebook will not open. This only happens with my Gmail account. I used a yahoo, aol, and comcast email acount and everything worked perfectly. Help!!

    Posted 11 years ago on Saturday December 15, 2012 | Permalink
  3. How is the PDF being included in the email?

    Can you share the link to your form so we can submit and get the PDF ourself and test on various email clients?

    Posted 11 years ago on Saturday December 15, 2012 | Permalink
  4. Thanks for your response, below is the url
    http://albuquerquenmrealestateandhomes.com/?attachment_id=4168

    Posted 11 years ago on Saturday December 15, 2012 | Permalink
  5. @nmrealestate, I did not receive a PDF from that URL. Also, can you please tell us how the PDF is being generated, and how the PDF is being attached to the email? Or how the visitor receives their link to the PDF?

    Posted 11 years ago on Monday December 17, 2012 | Permalink
  6. Your first statement is the problem I am reporting. I do not have this issue when I use my yahoo email account. The PDF was created by creating a word document, then using the save as function to save as a PDF. The PDF was uploaded to media in my Wordpress website. Visitiors recieve an email, the email has a link to http://albuquerquenmrealestateandhomes.com/?attachment_id=4168. This looks like a post on my website, there is another linke on this page First Time Home Buyers E-Book. When I click on this link from a yahoo emalil account, the PDF opens fine. When I click on this link from a gmail acount, the PDF does not opent.

    I created a forms request after downloading the Gravity forms for the first time. I followed the directions and I pused the widget to place the forms request on my home page, http://albuquerquenmrealestateandhomes.com/. I tested the request to one of my gmail accounts, and received an email with a link. I clicked on that link and was directed to this link http://albuquerquenmrealestateandhomes.com/?attachment_id=4168. This link took me to a post or page on my website and another link First Time Home Buyers E-Book. I click on that link and the file does not open.

    Everything works fine when I test the Forms request from my home page when sent to a yahoo email account.

    The pdf file was uploaded as media into my Wordpress site. I then use the link from the uploaded media as the link in the Gravity forms setup. Here is the link of the uploaded media (ebook) http://albuquerquenmrealestateandhomes.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=4168&action=edit.
    I am new to Gravity Forms and have no idea if I did something wrong or if there is a problem some where. I am using Wordpress version 3.5

    Posted 11 years ago on Sunday December 23, 2012 | Permalink
  7. David Peralty

    If you just click on that link now, does it open up fine? The issue we are having in understanding is that you haven't attached the PDF to the e-mail notification. Gravity Forms by default doesn't create PDF's either. We are having a hard time dissecting where you think Gravity Forms is creating an issue.

    Here's what I mean. I click on the link you've posted: http://albuquerquenmrealestateandhomes.com/?attachment_id=4168

    It brings me to a page, and I click on that link, and it loads the PDF. The way the web works, there is no reason that the URL on that page wouldn't work based on which e-mail service you use. Because you go to that page first.

    So it works like this:
    E-mail Provider -> Your Website -> Your PDF
    The part that goes from Your Website -> Your PDF shouldn't care what page you were on before.

    Posted 11 years ago on Sunday December 23, 2012 | Permalink
  8. I completely agree with what you are saying. However, when the email comes to my gmail account, I click on the link, it takes me to my website. I click on the ebook link and it does not open the PDF. I have tried this on several gmail acounts (others, not just mine) and several diffeent computers and the same result. The pdf opens fine when attempeting to open it form the link. Please request the e-book and send it to a gmail account and see what happens. I know it doesn't make sense but that is what is happening.

    Posted 11 years ago on Wednesday December 26, 2012 | Permalink
  9. Is it possible you are using gmail with one browser, and the browser is configured to do something (or nothing) with PDF, and always another browser with the other email providers?

    This is not related to Gravity Forms. The PDF link is present on your website. That is well after Gravity Forms is done with it. The link in the notification email lands the visitor at the correct page on the site. After that, clicking the link in the web page has nothing to do with Gravity Forms. It's all browser functionality at that point. Gmail doesn't even have anything to do with it.

    I suppose it's possible that gmail is rewriting the email body somehow, but I sent this link to myself at gmail and was able to open the PDF after clicking through. I don't have a link to your form to get a notification email myself, but I don't think this has anything to do with Gravity Forms.

    EDIT: actually, I realized this was the sidebar form. I submitted with my gmail account chrishajer@gmail.com and received the notification email. I clicked the link, landed on the attachment page, then clicked that pdf link and the pdf opened in my browser (happens to be Chrome on OSX today.) This is not a problem with Gravity Forms (or even Gmail.) I think the problem is with the configuration of the computers you have tested.

    Can you open any other PDF links on those computers? Here is a web page with a PDF linked to it: http://www.district96.org/news/boe-appoints-new-superintendent/

    Posted 11 years ago on Wednesday December 26, 2012 | Permalink