Document tracking
Document tracking: see who opens what you send
Send a link instead of an attachment. EveryPage shows you when it was opened, how many people opened it, how long they spent and, for PDFs, the page where they stopped.
Drop your document here
or click anywhere in the tray to browse
PDF, Word (≤25MB) or PowerPoint (≤50MB) · max 20MB
Free · no account needed for PDF, Word or PowerPoint · your link and readership come on the next step
What is document tracking?
Document tracking means sharing a file as a link you control, so you can see who opened it, when, and how much of it they read. An email attachment goes dark the moment you send it. A tracked link reports back every time someone opens it.
The same phrase also covers document management systems that log where paperwork sits inside a company: who approved an invoice, which version of a contract is current. That is a different job. This page is about documents you send to people outside your company: proposals, pitch decks, reports, brochures.
What you can track, by format
Upload any of these and you get a share link, a QR code and an embed code. What the readership page shows depends on the format.
| Format | How it opens | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| In the EveryPage viewer: standard, scroll, flipbook, magazine or swipe | Views, readers, time spent, downloads; on Basic, time on each page and how far people read | |
| Word (.docx, up to 25 MB) | Converted to PDF when you upload it, then opens in the viewer | Everything a PDF gets |
| PowerPoint (.pptx or .ppt, up to 50 MB) | Converted to PDF, one slide per page | Everything a PDF gets, slide by slide |
| HTML page or zipped site (free account) | Runs live, scripts included, on a separate sandbox domain | Views, readers and time spent. No page-by-page or scroll tracking |
Excel files, images and Google Docs are not supported. For a Google Doc, see how to see who viewed a Google Doc.
How document tracking works
- Upload the file. Drop it in the box above. PDF, Word and PowerPoint work without an account; HTML needs a free one.
- Share the link. Paste it into an email, a chat or a proposal tool, print the QR code, or embed the document on a web page.
- Read the report. Every open is recorded on your readership page as it happens. On Basic you can also get an email when someone opens it, at most once an hour per document.
What each plan shows
Every plan records every reading session in full. The plan decides how much of it you see, so upgrading shows you the history you already have.
- Free: views, readers, countries, time spent and downloads, for up to 3 documents.
- Basic, $9/month: trends, time on each page, the read-through funnel, sources and devices, open notifications, read receipts and password protection, for up to 100 documents.
- Pro, $29/month: each reader’s sessions, names through an email gate or a lead form, who is reading right now, CSV export, and access limited to chosen email domains. Unlimited documents.
Tracking without a tracking pixel
Email trackers put an invisible image in the message, which tells you the email was opened, not that the document was read. A tracked link measures the document itself, inside the viewer, and needs nothing installed on the reader’s side.
Reader IP addresses are never stored. Each reader gets a pseudonymous ID so you can tell a returning reader from a new one. If you allow downloads, a saved copy is an ordinary file and measurement stops there.
Tracking PDFs in depth
PDFs get the most detail: page-by-page reading time, a read-through funnel and returning readers. The PDF tracking page covers it, and the email attachment guide explains why an attachment can’t tell you any of this.
Document tracking questions.
What is document tracking?
Document tracking is sharing a file as a link instead of an attachment, so the sender can see who opened it, when, how long they spent and how far they read. Document management systems use the same term for logging where paperwork sits inside a company, which is a different job.
How can I track documents online for free?
Upload a PDF, Word or PowerPoint file to EveryPage and share the link it gives you. No account is needed to start, and a free account keeps up to 3 documents with views, readers, countries and time spent. Links on a free account don’t expire unless you set an expiry; uploads made without an account last 7 days.
Can I see who opened my document?
Every plan shows how many people opened it and how long they spent. To see names, use an email gate or a lead form on Pro: readers enter their email before the document opens, and your readership page lists each person with their sessions.
Can I track a Word document or a PowerPoint?
Yes. EveryPage converts .docx (up to 25 MB) and .pptx or .ppt (up to 50 MB) to PDF when you upload them, so they get the same tracking as a PDF, including time on each page or slide from Basic up. Readers see the converted document, not an editable file.
Can I track who viewed a Google Doc?
Only partly, inside Google. On a Google Workspace account, the Activity dashboard lists people in your organisation who opened the file; it shows nothing on personal accounts or for readers outside your organisation. To track anyone, download the Doc as PDF or Word and share it as an EveryPage link.
Does the reader need an account or an app?
No. The link opens in any browser on any device. Readers don’t sign up or install anything, unless you add a password or an email gate.
Can I track a document after it has been downloaded?
No. Tracking happens inside the EveryPage viewer. If you allow downloads, a saved copy is an ordinary file. You can turn downloads off for any document.
Related: PDF tracking · HTML to link · PDF read receipts · share a PDF with analytics · track Google Slides and Docs · document engagement score · DocSend alternative
Send your next document as a link.
Upload it free, share the link, and see who reads it.