Cannot view a PDF embedded in an ArcGIS Dashboard

Description

When embedding a PDF in an ArcGIS Dashboard, some browsers may block the embedded PDF due to security reasons. When using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers, and embedding a PDF in a dashboard, or when trying to view a dashboard with an embedded PDF, the embedded PDF does not load on the dashboard and one of the following error messages is returned, depending on the browser, as seen in the images below.

"This page has been blocked by Chrome"

or

"This page has been blocked by Microsoft Edge"

Cause

It is a known limitation that some browsers block embedded PDFs in a dashboard. As of March 10, 2022, while Chrome and Edge block the embedded PDF in the dashboard, Firefox allows embedding PDFs.

Solution or Workaround

There are different ways to work around this issue:

• Use Mozilla Firefox, which allows embedding PDFs. 
• In Chrome, install the PDF Viewer extension. 
• Use an embedded PDF viewer, like Google Drive's viewer instead of using the direct URL for the PDF file, as shown in the example URL:

https://drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?embedded=true&url=<your_pdf_URL>

The first two workarounds must be used by both the creator of the dashboard and viewers. If the owner uses Firefox or installs the PDF Viewer extension on Chrome, they can see the embedded PDF when designing the dashboard, however, other users also need to use either of these workarounds to be able to view the embedded PDF.

The third workaround is intended to be used only by the creator when designing the dashboard, so other users can view the dashboard in any browser without the need for any extensions.