In a discussion reply, you can embed a PDF or Word Doc and have it automatically display a preview.

To post your discussion reply, click Reply.

Reply button used to create a discussion reply post.

In the text editor, click the document icon in the text editor. If your browser is narrow, you may need to click the three vertical dots at the right to show the icons.

Image of the text editor for creating a discussion reply post.

Click the document icon and select Upload Document.

Content upload icons. Beneath the document icon are three options: Upload Document (highlighted), Course Documents, and User Documents.

Follow the directions to upload your PDF or Word Document. When uploading your document, you may see a gray rectangle. This means the file is still uploading. Wait until you see the filename.

Image showing the text editor with a gray rectangle. The gray rectangle indicates the document is loading.

When you see the filename, this means the file is uploaded. Click anywhere in the filename. You should now see a tab labeled Link Options.

Click the Link Options tab to open the Link Options menu on the right. In the Link Options menu, click the button next to "Preview inline" and then check "Expand preview by Default." Then click Done and save your reply.

Image showing the Link Options menu, including options for alt text, link editing, and display options. The Preview inline and Expand preview by Default options are selected.

After saving, your PDF or Word Doc will load as an embedded preview, similar to this:

Assignment.pdf