How to display interactive elements in flipbook thumbnails created from PDFs

Learn how to update your flipbook’s thumbnail to show interactive elements when your flipbook is created by uploading a PDF in Flipsnack.

In Flipsnack, interactive elements, such as videos added to a flipbook, do not appear on the thumbnails if the flipbook was created by uploading a PDF. This is a system limitation that only applies to flipbooks created through uploads. Currently, our system does not generate a cover with interactive elements for these flipbooks; this feature is only available for flipbooks created from scratch in our Design Studio.

However, you can follow a workaround to update the thumbnail of your uploaded flipbook so that it reflects the interactive elements.

Step-by-Step Workaround:

1. Add a New Page:

   • In the editor (Design Studio), create a new page and set it as the first page of your flipbook.

2. Upload PDF Cover as PNG:

   • Export the cover of your PDF as a PNG image and upload it to the "Uploads" section in Flipsnack.

3. Add the PNG Cover to the New Page:

   • Add the uploaded PNG image of the cover to the new page you created in step 1.

4. Add Interactive Elements:

   • Insert the interactive elements (such as a video widget) onto this new first page containing the PNG cover.

5. Remove the Original Cover:

   • Delete the old cover page from the flipbook.

6. Republish the Flipbook:

   • Republish the flipbook. The new thumbnail will now display the interactive elements correctly.
     

By following these steps, your flipbook’s thumbnail will accurately display the interactions, even if the flipbook was created by uploading a PDF.