SharePoint Embed Web Part: Add a Flipbook to Your Intranet

Your intranet probably holds a handful of documents that everyone should read and almost nobody opens: the employee handbook, the quarterly report, the product catalog, the onboarding pack. A PDF link on a SharePoint page is easy to publish and easy to ignore. A flipbook that turns pages right inside the page is a different experience, and the SharePoint Embed web part is the simplest way to put one there. With Flipbooks AI you convert a PDF into a page-turning publication, copy one embed code, and paste it into SharePoint. No developer, no custom SPFx solution, no add-in approval.

This tutorial walks through the whole process, from the flipbook itself to the exact clicks in SharePoint, plus the errors people hit most often and how to fix them.

Why Embed a Flipbook in SharePoint

SharePoint is where internal communication lives, but its default document experience is a file list. Readers click, wait for a download or a viewer, scroll a long PDF, and leave. A flipbook keeps them on the page and gives the document a familiar book-like feel.

Here is what changes when you embed instead of link:

• Readers stay in context. The flipbook sits beside your news posts, quick links and announcements.
• Mobile reading improves. A mobile-responsive flipbook scales to the screen instead of forcing pinch and zoom.
• Updates are simple. Replace the flipbook content and the embedded page shows the new version without you editing the SharePoint page again.
• Branding stays consistent. Colors, logo and layout match your company, not a generic file viewer.

💡 Pro tip: Start with the document people ask about most often. Handbooks and policy packs are usually the best first candidates because the payoff is visible within a week.

Documents That Work Well

How the Embed Web Part Works

The Embed web part is a built-in component of modern SharePoint pages. It accepts either a plain web address or a block of HTML, usually an iframe, and renders it inside the page. You do not need to install anything.

Two details matter before you start:

1. It renders an iframe. The flipbook is hosted on Flipbooks AI and displayed inside your page, so SharePoint must be allowed to show content from that domain.
2. Tenant settings can block it. Administrators control which external domains an iframe can load from. If the domain is not on the allow list, you see a message instead of your flipbook.

Address vs Embed Code

For a polished intranet page, use the embed code. It lets you control width, height and behavior.

Build the Flipbook First

Before opening SharePoint, prepare the flipbook. This takes a few minutes with Flipbooks AI.

Step-by-Step Creation

1. Sign in or create an account.
2. Upload your PDF. The PDF to Flipbook Converter turns it into a page-turning publication automatically.
3. Open the customization panel and add your logo, pick brand colors, and choose the page-turn effect.
4. Add multimedia where it helps: a welcome video on the first page, an audio note, or clickable links to internal resources.
5. Review the preview on desktop and a phone-sized window.
6. Open the sharing options and copy the embed code.

Customization Choices That Matter

✅ Best practice: Keep the first page simple. A clear title page tells readers they are in the right place and gives them confidence to start turning pages.

If your content is private, enable password protection on the flipbook. Many companies pair a password with an internal-only SharePoint site so the document has two layers of control. See the pricing plans for the options available to you.

Add the Embed Web Part to Your Page

With the embed code copied, open SharePoint.

1. Go to the page where the flipbook should appear and select Edit.
2. Hover over the spot where you want it and select the + icon.
3. Search for Embed and select the web part.
4. Select Add embed code in the web part panel.
5. Paste the iframe code into the field.
6. Wait for the preview to load, then adjust the frame size if needed.
7. Select Publish (or Republish) to make it live.

Picking the Right Section Layout

The section you place the web part in changes how it looks:

💡 For books with large spreads, use a one-column or full-width section. Narrow columns shrink the pages until text is hard to read.

Fix the "Blocked Content" Message

This is the most common problem. If the web part shows a notice that the content cannot be displayed, SharePoint is blocking the iframe domain.

SharePoint has a setting called HTML Field Security at the site collection level. It lists the external domains that are allowed to appear in embedded frames.

Allow the Domain

1. Open Site settings for the site collection.
2. Under Site Collection Administration, select HTML Field Security.
3. Choose to allow embedding from specific domains.
4. Add the Flipbooks AI domain used in your embed code.
5. Save, then refresh the page.

You need site collection administrator permissions for this. If you do not have them, send your IT team the exact domain from the embed code. It is a short request and usually approved quickly.

⚠️ Warning: Only add domains you trust. An allow list exists to protect your tenant, so avoid opening it to every external site.

Other Common Problems

Size the Frame for Every Device

Iframes carry a fixed width and height unless you tell them otherwise. For an intranet that people open on laptops, tablets and phones, a flexible size avoids awkward scrolling.

Practical sizing rules:

• Use a width of 100% so the frame fills its section.
• Pick a height around 600 to 800 pixels for standard document pages.
• Increase the height for tall, portrait-style publications.
• Test on a phone before you announce the page.

A small edit in the iframe code is all it takes. Replace a fixed pixel width with 100%, keep the height value, and save. Because the flipbook itself is responsive, it adapts inside whatever box you give it.

Real-World Intranet Use Cases

Here are scenarios where the setup pays off quickly.

• HR onboarding: A new hire opens the onboarding page and reads the welcome pack, benefits overview and policy summary without downloading a single file. Pair it with the Training Manual Flipbook approach for step-by-step material.
• Sales enablement: A sales team opens the latest product catalog from the partner hub and shares a link with a prospect in seconds.
• Leadership updates: Communications publishes the corporate report on the leadership site, readable on any device.
• Internal newsletters: Each issue becomes a newsletter flipbook embedded on the home page, with older issues archived below.
• Events: An event program lives on the company events page and is updated as sessions change.

Tool Comparison by Scenario

Keep Private Content Protected

An intranet often holds material that must not leave the company. A flipbook can respect that.

• Password protection limits who can open the flipbook, even if someone copies the link.
• Download controls decide whether readers can save a copy.
• SharePoint permissions still decide who can reach the page in the first place.
• Analytics on the Professional plan show how many people opened the document and how far they read, which helps HR and communications prove that important documents are being used.

✅ Best practice: Treat the flipbook password and the SharePoint site permissions as two separate locks. If one is shared by accident, the other still protects the content.

Remote and Hybrid Teams

People working from home open the intranet from different devices and connections. A flipbook loads page by page, so a long report does not need to download in full before the first page appears. Offline downloads are also available when you want field teams to keep a copy for use without a connection.

Maintenance and Update Checklist

A published page is not finished until you have a plan for updates. Use this short routine:

1. Replace outdated content in Flipbooks AI instead of building a new flipbook each time, so the embed code stays the same.
2. Review the page quarterly to confirm the frame still loads and the layout still fits.
3. Check after SharePoint changes. If your IT team updates tenant settings, confirm the allow list still contains the domain.
4. Collect feedback through a quick poll or a link at the end of the flipbook.
5. Archive old issues of newsletters and reports in a separate section.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Embedding a huge PDF without optimizing it. Compress images before upload so pages load quickly.
• Using a narrow column. Pages shrink and text becomes hard to read.
• Forgetting the mobile test. Many employees read the intranet on a phone.
• Skipping the title page. Readers need a clear starting point.
• Leaving a password off sensitive files. Rely on more than one layer of protection.

Put Your First Flipbook Live Today

The whole workflow fits into an afternoon: build the flipbook, copy the embed code, add the Embed web part, allow the domain if SharePoint asks, and publish. After that, your handbook, catalog or report stops being a forgotten file and becomes a page people actually read.

Ready to try it? Get started for free on Flipbooks AI, browse all flipbook tools to find the right template, or see how to embed a flipbook on any website. When you want analytics, password protection and unlimited flipbooks, compare the pricing plans and pick what fits your team.