Guide

Readonly Mode

Display PDFs in view-only mode without editing

Use readonly mode to display PDFs without annotation or form editing capabilities.

Enable Readonly Mode

<KViewer :source="pdfUrl" readonly />

Or on KViewerTabs:

<KViewerTabs :items="tabs" readonly />

What Readonly Disables

FeatureReadonly
Annotation toolbarHidden
Drawing toolsDisabled
Form field editingDisabled
Text selectionStill works
SearchStill works
Zoom & navigationStill works
Page rotationStill works

Use Cases

  • Document preview -- Show a PDF without allowing modifications
  • Approval workflows -- Display a document for review before signing
  • Public document sharing -- Embed a PDF viewer on a public page
  • Print preview -- Show the final document before export

Example: Document Preview with Download

pages/preview.vue
<template>
  <div class="h-screen">
    <KViewer
      ref="viewer"
      :source="pdfUrl"
      readonly
      text-layer
    >
      <template #footer>
        <div class="flex justify-end p-2 border-t">
          <button @click="download">Download Original</button>
        </div>
      </template>
    </KViewer>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup lang="ts">
const viewer = ref()
const pdfUrl = '/documents/report.pdf'

async function download() {
  const bytes = await viewer.value?.exportPdf()
  const blob = new Blob([bytes], { type: 'application/pdf' })
  const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob)
  const a = document.createElement('a')
  a.href = url
  a.download = 'report.pdf'
  a.click()
  URL.revokeObjectURL(url)
}
</script>
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