How to present a PDF online, live
Every slide tool exports to PDF. Canva, Keynote, Google Slides, Figma, LaTeX Beamer, Word in a pinch. So the PDF is often the easiest deck to present, if people could follow along.
Present a PDF in three steps
- Drop the PDF on slidebyside.com. Up to 40 MB, no account needed.
- Share the link with whoever's watching.
- Flip pages with the arrow keys. Everyone follows. Press P for full screen.
Each page of the PDF becomes a slide. People who open the link see the page you're on, rendered sharp in their browser, not streamed as video.
Why a PDF is a good format to present
- It looks exactly like you exported it. Fonts, colours and layout don't change. PowerPoint files get converted on upload, so if a deck uses unusual fonts, exporting a PDF yourself is the safer bet.
- It works with any tool. You don't have to rebuild the deck somewhere new.
- It's small. People on a slow connection still get every page.
The trade-off: a PDF has no animations or embedded video. If a slide depends on a build-up, export each step as its own page.
More than a PDF viewer
Sending the PDF by email gets people the file. Presenting it here gets everyone on the same page, literally:
- Named cursors, so people can point at what they mean.
- Pen, highlighter, text boxes and a laser that fades.
- Shared control: let a colleague flip pages for their part.
- Browse alone, if you allow it, with one click back to the live page.
Academic talks and Beamer slides
LaTeX Beamer outputs PDF, so it works as is. For a seminar over a call, share the link in the chat and let people scroll back to the equation on slide 7 while you carry on. Turn on Download the PDF if you want them to keep a copy.
Try it with your next deck
Free, no sign-up. Drop a PDF on the homepage, then open the link in a second window to see both cursors.
More guides
- Present slides without sharing your screenWhy screen sharing blurs your deck, and how to send people the real slides instead.
- Co-present slides remotelyHand the clicker to a second presenter without "next slide, please".
- Let your audience follow along on their phoneFor hybrid rooms and talks: people follow the live slide on their own phone or laptop.
- Live slides for classes and workshopsStudents follow the lecture on their own screens, scroll back, and mark what confused them.
- Review a deck together, on the slideTeam reviews and design feedback: circle the exact number or pixel you mean.
- Ways to present slides remotely, comparedScreen sharing, Google Slides, PowerPoint Live, Pitch, Slido and SlideBySide side by side.