If you are here, you are probably doing something live that matters.

You are running a sales call and want to drop the proposal. You are pitching investors and want them to leave with the deck. You are walking a client through a contract and want to know who actually read it after the call.

Zoom makes it easy to talk. It does not make it easy to send a PDF with tracking and control.

Most problems are boring, not dramatic:

Someone joins late and never sees the file in chat.
File transfer is disabled by IT for security (which many security guides now recommend).
Zoom's in-meeting file transfer has size limits (up to 1 GB, often restricted lower by admins) and can be turned off per account.
Once a participant downloads the PDF, you have zero visibility or revocation.

According to Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report, 61% of data breaches involve email-based document leaks. Meanwhile, secure document sharing platforms reduce breach risk by 85%.

You want something calmer than "drop a file and hope": fast for the call, but with tracking and control afterwards.

1. Why you need a better way (how errors actually happen)

Let's translate the pain into concrete failure modes:

People miss the file. Late joiners, people who reconnect, or those on mobile often say "Can you send that again?" That is friction in your most important moments.
No idea who opened it. Zoom does not give you a report of "who opened the PDF from chat." At best you know who attended the meeting from usage reports.
Security posture vs reality. Many orgs disable file transfer in meetings to reduce malware / data exfiltration risk. That is explicitly recommended in multiple Zoom security best-practice documents.
Link chaos. If you paste a raw Google Drive / Dropbox link into Zoom, you rely entirely on that service's settings, and you usually have no per-recipient viewing analytics unless you are paying for enterprise features.

So the real question is not just "How do I send a PDF on Zoom?" It is: "How do I share a PDF during a Zoom call in a way that is reliable, trackable, and under my control?"

2. What a good 2025 solution has to do

For founder-grade use, "good enough" looks like this:

Works live. People can get to the PDF during the call with one click.
Works after. The same link works post-call for follow-up, without new attachments.
Identity-bound access. You can tie viewing activity to email / domain, not just a random anonymous click. See access control best practices.
Tracking and analytics. You can see who opened it, roughly when, and how engaged they were. Check out page-level analytics for complete visibility.
Revocation and updates. You can replace the PDF or revoke access without begging people to delete old emails. This is essential for document lifecycle management.
Plays nicely with Zoom's security settings. No dependence on in-meeting file transfer being enabled.

Zoom alone will not give you all of that. You need a separate "vault" for the PDF and Zoom becomes simply the distribution channel.

That is exactly where Peony fits.

3. How to do it with Peony (step by step)

Peony provides enterprise-grade secure document sharing with AES-256 encryption, dynamic watermarks, granular access controls, and complete audit trails.

Use this as your default flow whenever the PDF actually matters (decks, proposals, contracts, investor material).

Step 1 — Stage the PDF in Peony before the call

Create a Peony room for the context (e.g., "Acme – Proposal March 2025", "Seed Round – Pitch Deck"). Upload the PDF (and any supporting docs). This room will have one shareable link you can use everywhere: Zoom chat, email, calendar, Slack.

Step 2 — Configure access and protection

Inside Peony:

Grant access to specific email addresses (invited attendees) or to trusted domains (e.g., @fund.com). See password protection options for additional layers.
Set view-only for external parties and disable downloads unless there is a very good reason to allow them.
Turn on dynamic watermarking so each viewer sees their email / org stamped on the pages. That alone dramatically reduces casual resharing. See watermarking and screenshot protection.

Now anyone who hits the link is either:

Authenticated and tracked, or
Stopped at the gate.

Step 3 — Share the link in Zoom during the call

When you get to "I'll send you the PDF":

Paste the Peony link into Zoom in-meeting chat. Zoom will deliver it just like any other URL, regardless of whether file transfer is enabled.
Say out loud: "Dropping the link to the PDF in chat now."

Participants click, open in their browser, and keep listening. No one is dealing with downloads or missing attachments.

Step 4 — Use the same link after the call

After the meeting:

Reuse the same Peony link in your follow-up email ("Here's the same link I shared on Zoom").
If you tweak the deck based on feedback, update the PDF in Peony—the link stays the same, everyone sees the new version. See secure file sharing best practices for more.

Step 5 — Check tracking and adjust

Inside Peony you can:

See who opened the PDF, when, and how intensely they interacted (views/time) via light analytics.
Decide whether to tighten access (e.g., remove a domain) or revoke the link entirely if the deal goes cold or access should end.

Zoom becomes the front door. Peony is the controlled back-end.

4. Other methods if you cannot use Peony

If you are constrained, you still have options—just know their limits.

A) Zoom in-meeting file transfer

Zoom can send files directly through in-meeting chat if file transfer is enabled at the account/meeting level. Files can be sent to everyone or specific participants, and Zoom stores them encrypted and deletes them after a retention period (e.g., 31 days for in-meeting files).

Pros:

Very simple, works for many internal scenarios.

Cons:

Often disabled by IT for security.
No true tracking of who opened the PDF.
Once downloaded, you have zero control.

See Zoom's file transfer documentation for details.

B) Post a cloud storage link in Zoom chat

Use Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Box.

Zoom has built-in file-sharing integrations that post a link into chat; participants click to open the file on the third-party service.

Pros:

Solves size limits.
Familiar to most users.

Cons:

Tracking is limited unless you are on enterprise tiers and enforce login per user.
"Anyone with the link" links are effectively public if they escape the chat. See secure file sharing guide for proper access controls.

C) Zoom Docs for collaborative content (not classic PDFs)

Zoom Docs lets you co-edit documents inside Zoom and share them via Team Chat or links. It is great for live collaboration and internal handbooks, but less ideal when you must deliver a fixed PDF artifact with fine-grained tracking. See Zoom Docs documentation for details.

5. Practical tips for a setup that actually works

Prepare before you share. Drop the PDF into Peony (or your chosen system) before the call and have the link on your clipboard when you start.
Say it out loud. When you share in chat, tell people: "Link is in chat now; same link will be in the follow-up email." That reduces "I never got it" support.
Respect your IT/security posture. If your org disables Zoom file transfer (which many do), do not fight it—use links, not attachments, as the default. See secure file sharing guide.
Reuse one link per context. One link per deal/meeting series is much easier to manage than dozens of attachments floating around.
Always close the loop. When the deal / engagement / class ends, revoke access in Peony or tighten permissions in your storage. Quiet cleanup now is easier than panicked cleanup after a leak.

Bottom line

If the PDF is trivial, any Zoom method will do.

If it holds your pricing, your narrative, or your leverage, then "sending a PDF on Zoom" should mean one controlled link, identity-bound access, tracking, and the ability to change your mind after the call.

Zoom is where you talk. Peony is where your PDFs live like they matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you send PDFs directly in Zoom chat?

Zoom file transfer is often disabled, has size limits (up to 1 GB), and provides no tracking. Peony shares a secure link in Zoom chat with identity-bound access, page-level analytics, and instant revocation.

What is the file size limit for sending PDFs on Zoom?

Zoom supports up to 1 GB, but admins often disable it. Peony has no file size limits—share your secure Peony link in Zoom chat.

How do you track who viewed a PDF shared on Zoom?

Zoom provides no viewing analytics. Peony gives you complete tracking: see who opened it, when, and how long. Share your Peony link in Zoom chat.

Can you password protect a PDF shared on Zoom?

Zoom doesn't support password protection. Peony provides identity-bound access with password protection options and page-level analytics.

What happens if file transfer is disabled in Zoom?

If file transfer is disabled, you can't send files. Peony solves this: share your secure Peony link in Zoom chat with tracking, watermarking, and access control.

How do you share PDFs securely on Zoom?

Peony provides secure PDF sharing with identity-bound access, dynamic watermarking, download restrictions, and link expiration. Share your Peony link in Zoom chat for enterprise-grade security.

Can you update a PDF after sharing it on Zoom?

Zoom doesn't allow updates after download. Peony lets you update the PDF behind the same secure link—all participants see the latest version automatically.

What's the best way to share sensitive documents on Zoom?

Peony is the best solution. Share your secure Peony link with identity-bound access, dynamic watermarking, and access revocation. See confidential documents guide for more.

Share Files Securely

How to Send PDF on Zoom in 2025: Complete Guide to Secure Document Sharing & Tracking