PDF or link: how to send a presentation
If you build in Keynote, you have two ways out: a PDF that arrives as a file, or the deck itself as a link. Neither wins every time. A PDF is portable and permanent. A link keeps the deck moving and stays under your control after you press send.
What the PDF does well
It opens everywhere, prints, takes annotations, uploads to a procurement portal and works offline on a plane. For legal circulation and for anyone who will mark up the pages, the PDF is the right format.
What the PDF costs you
- Builds collapse to their final state and transitions disappear.
- Video becomes its poster frame; audio is dropped.
- Once sent, it is theirs. You cannot fix the typo, take it back, or see whether it was opened.
- Forwarded copies multiply, and every one keeps the old version.
What a link adds
The viewer gets the real Keynote player in the browser: builds in order, video inside the slide, sound on the first tap. On Pro you add a password, an email gate that records who opened it, per-slide viewing time, and replace in place, so the link you sent last week plays today's version. Delete the deck and the link stops working.
Side by side
| Linkdeck link | ||
|---|---|---|
| Animations and video | No | Yes |
| Opens offline | Yes | No, needs a connection |
| Print and annotate | Yes | No |
| Fix after sending | No, send a new file | Replace in place (Pro) |
| Take back access | No | Delete the deck, or add a password (Pro) |
| See who read what | No | Per-slide time and email gate (Pro) |
| Size | Email limits apply | 200 MB free, 500 MB on Pro |
Send both
For a deck that matters, lead with the link and attach the PDF. The link is what they watch on the way to the meeting; the PDF is what they print, annotate or file. Export each from the same Keynote: File → Export To → PDF, and File → Export To → HTML for the link.
Questions
Can viewers download a PDF from a Linkdeck link?
No. Linkdeck hosts the playable deck only. If they need a PDF, export one from Keynote and send it with the link.
Does the link work without internet?
No. The deck streams from a CDN, so the viewer needs a connection. For a flight or a dead-zone venue, bring the PDF or the Keynote file.
Do viewers need an account to open the link?
No. It opens in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Keynote and an Apple ID are not needed.
Send the link, attach the PDF
Export your Keynote to HTML, compress the folder, upload it. One deck is free for 3 days; Pro (€12 a month) keeps every link live.