Chrome includes a built-in PDF viewer, so PDF links usually open in a browser tab. If you would rather every PDF download automatically, or if PDFs download when you want to preview them, one Chrome setting controls the default behavior.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Google Chrome on Windows or Mac when PDF links open in Chrome instead of downloading, download instead of opening, or behave inconsistently.
Choose whether PDFs open or download
One setting controls the default for PDF links.
- Click the three-dot menu and open Settings.
- Choose Privacy and security.
- Open Site settings.
- Scroll to Additional content settings.
- Open PDF documents.
- Turn Download PDFs on if you want PDFs saved automatically instead of opened in Chrome.
- Turn Download PDFs off if you want PDFs to open in Chrome built-in viewer.
You can jump directly to this page by typing chrome://settings/content/pdfDocuments in the address bar.
Use the built-in PDF viewer toolbar
When a PDF opens in Chrome, the viewer toolbar gives you the main controls.
- Open any PDF link in Chrome.
- Use zoom controls to enlarge or shrink the document.
- Use the page number box to jump to a page.
- Use rotate or two-page view when available.
- Click the download icon to save a copy without changing your default setting.
- Click the print icon to print, or open the viewer menu for extra options such as dark theme if shown.
More control
Set behavior for one site
On the PDF documents settings page, Chrome may show site lists for allowed or blocked PDF behavior. Add a specific site if you want PDFs from that site to always download while other PDFs still open in the viewer, or the reverse.
Try another PDF app if a file looks broken
If one PDF is blank or garbled, download it from the toolbar and open it in a dedicated PDF app. If it works there, reload the Chrome tab or try the link again.
Check PDF-related extensions
A third-party PDF tool or extension can override Chrome viewer behavior. Open chrome://extensions, disable PDF-related extensions temporarily, and test again.
Sources
- Google Chrome Help – Change what happens with PDF files in Chrome (2025)
- Google Chrome Help – Change Chrome settings on your computer (2025)