Step by step process to embed interactive brochures into your website using Relayto

If you’ve got great brochures but they just sit as boring PDFs on your website, you’re not alone. Most people click once, yawn, and bounce. Embedding an interactive brochure can actually keep folks engaged—if you do it right. This guide is for anyone who wants to turn sleepy PDFs into something users can click, swipe, and actually remember. We’re using Relayto for this, because it’s one of the few tools that actually does what it says (with some caveats we’ll get into).

Let’s get your brochures working harder, step by step.

Why bother with interactive brochures?

Before we jump in, a reality check. Interactive brochures are more than just flashy PDFs. They let you add videos, links, pop-ups, analytics, and more. That’s genuinely useful—if your audience actually interacts with it. But don’t expect magic. If your content is weak, no tech will save it. Still, if you’ve got something worth showing off, making it interactive can give you an edge.

Step 1: Prep your brochure (and your expectations)

What you need:

  • Your brochure in PDF format (ideally high quality)
  • A Relayto account (the free plan works for testing, but you’ll hit limits fast)
  • Access to your website’s code or CMS (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.)

Pro tips: - Clean up your PDF before uploading. Typos and bad layouts look worse when they’re interactive. - Relayto supports more than PDFs (PPTX, images, etc.), but PDF is the path of least resistance. - If your PDF is huge or full of tiny text, it won’t magically become readable. You may need to redesign for screens.

Step 2: Upload your brochure to Relayto

  1. Log in to Relayto
    Head to your dashboard. If you haven’t signed up, you’ll have to jump through some email confirmation hoops.

  2. Create a new project
    Click “Create” or “New Experience” (the buttons change sometimes). Upload your PDF.

  3. Wait for processing
    Relayto takes your PDF and converts it. This can take a few minutes—longer if your file is big. Don’t panic if you see weird formatting at first. Most of the time, it sorts itself out.

What works:
Relayto does a decent job of preserving layout and links. If your PDF had hyperlinks, they usually carry over.

What doesn’t:
Complicated layouts, custom fonts, or interactive forms often break. Expect to do some tweaking in the next step.

Step 3: Make it interactive

This is where Relayto earns its keep. Now you can add stuff like:

  • Internal navigation (jump to sections, add menus)
  • Embedded videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
  • Pop-ups or tooltips
  • Clickable buttons
  • Forms or calls-to-action

How to do it:

  1. Use the editor:
    Relayto’s editor is drag-and-drop. Select a page, then add elements from the sidebar.

  2. Add links and buttons:
    You can link to pages within your brochure or external sites. This is great for “Learn more” buttons, booking links, or resource downloads.

  3. Drop in multimedia:
    Videos and images can break up text walls. Just don’t overdo it—if everything blinks and bounces, people get annoyed.

  4. Preview often:
    Use the “Preview” button a lot. What looks good in the editor can look janky live.

Ignore this:
Relayto offers a lot of templates and “AI” features. Don’t get sucked in unless you need something specific. Templates can save time, but sometimes make things more complicated.

Step 4: Get your embed code

Once your interactive brochure looks good, it’s time to put it on your site.

  1. Publish your project:
    Click “Publish” or “Share.” Make sure the visibility is set to public or at least “unlisted” (so visitors don’t get blocked).

  2. Find the embed option:
    Relayto usually hides this under “Share” > “Embed on Website.” You’ll get an HTML <iframe> code.

  3. Copy the code:
    It’ll look something like this:

html

  • Adjust width and height as needed.
  • If you want it to be mobile-friendly, stick with width="100%" and adjust height for your layout.

Heads up:
Some website builders (like Wix or Squarespace) limit what you can embed. If you hit a wall, check their help docs for “embed” or “custom HTML.” WordPress and most hand-coded sites are pretty flexible.

Step 5: Embed on your site

For WordPress

  • Use the Custom HTML block in the block editor (Gutenberg).
  • Paste the <iframe> code.
  • Preview, check responsiveness.

For Squarespace

  • Use a Code Block.
  • Paste the <iframe> code.
  • Some plans restrict iframes—test and see.

For plain HTML sites

  • Drop the <iframe> wherever you want the brochure to appear.
  • Save and refresh.

Troubleshooting:

  • If nothing shows up: Double-check the “public” setting in Relayto.
  • If it’s cut off or scrollbars appear: Tweak the height value.
  • If mobile users complain: Test on your phone. You may need to adjust container styles or use CSS.

Step 6: Test and tweak

Don’t trust the preview alone—visit your site on different devices and browsers.

  • Check links and buttons: Make sure they all work and go where you want.
  • Test load time: Relayto is cloud-based; sometimes embeds load slowly, especially on mobile.
  • Accessibility: Relayto isn’t perfect here. Alt text and keyboard navigation may not be great. If that’s critical, you’ll need a workaround.

Pro tip:
If people report issues (like not being able to scroll or weird formatting), it’s usually a CSS conflict with your site. Try embedding on a blank page to isolate the problem.

What Relayto gets right—and where it stumbles

The good:

  • Fast way to make PDFs interactive, with no coding.
  • Embedding is usually smooth—just copy, paste, done.
  • Analytics built-in (on paid plans), so you can see if people actually read your stuff.

The not-so-good:

  • Free plan is limited. You’ll hit branding and usage caps quickly.
  • Some interactive features (like forms or advanced navigation) are only for paid users.
  • Occasional formatting glitches—especially on complex PDFs.
  • Loading times can be slow, especially with lots of media.

Ignore the hype:
Relayto’s “AI” tools are mostly formatting helpers, not real content creators. If you see a feature that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Tips for making brochures people actually use

  • Keep it short and sweet. Nobody wants to flip through 30 pages online.
  • Use clear calls-to-action. Buttons like “Book a Demo” or “Download PDF” work better than “Learn More.”
  • Test with real users. Ask a coworker or friend to try it out—what confuses them will confuse your customers.
  • Don’t chase every feature. Stick to what supports your message.

Bottom line

Turning static PDFs into interactive brochures with Relayto is straightforward—when you stick to the basics. Don’t let the tech distract you from what matters: clear, useful content. Start simple, test it on your site, and tweak as you go. If it’s not perfect, that’s fine—most people appreciate clarity over clever features anyway.