On-demand PDF generation allows Gravity PDF users to create complex and personalized PDF documents based off Gravity Forms data – think reports, certificates, letters etc. This is a huge advantage, but the trade-off is these dynamic documents can take a bit of time to create. That’s time your users have to wait, with no indication or feedback until their browser fully downloads the PDF document. It’s not a great user experience (UX), and we set out to solve it for our customers.
Introducing the newest addition to Gravity PDF’s suite of add-ons: Enhanced Download! If you have PDFs that take time to load, improve the UX with a smart loading indicator that provides instant feedback to users while they wait for their PDF to generate. Let’s take a look under the hood…
Features
A Superb Download Experience
The goal of this extension is to provide a superb UX while users wait for their dynamic PDFs to generate, and the smart loading indicator is at the heart of this functionality. We went to great lengths to ensure it is fast, accessible, and usable where ever PDF download links are displayed on your website. That includes all three Gravity Forms Confirmation types, GravityView, Entry Blocks, Posts, Pages, and even in your admin area!
PDF Redirects for the Win!
Without Enhanced Download, using Gravity Forms Redirection Confirmation with Gravity PDF works, kind of… Users do get their PDF downloaded on form submission, but the form is left in a broken state. Input fields are still editable, but the submit button is disabled and a spinner is still displayed. It’s a confusing experience for users, and requires a hard refresh of the page to restore normal functionality (users have to fill out your form from the beginning, too).
The UX for PDF Redirects is 100% better when using Enhanced Download. Users are instantly presented with a loading indicator on submission, are updated when the PDF is created/the download begins, and the form is unlocked. This allows users to easily fix any mistakes they might have made while filling out the form and downloading a new PDF. No page refresh required!
Control and Translate the Messaging
All strings shown in the loading indicator can be quickly tweaked or translated from the extensions global settings page. Change the copy to suit your brand’s writing style/tone, or translate everything into your native tongue. We’ve made it easy to get the right message across.
Accessible and Inclusive
For Enhanced Download, Accessibility was built by design, and not as an afterthought. The modal window and loading indicator is keyboard accessible, all state changes (loading, completed, failed) are read out by voice-over technology, and the color contrast passes WGAC 2.0 AAA requirements.
Superb Documentation and Support
How much documentation could a simple plugin like Enhanced Download really need? Well, we wrote 3000 odd words detailing everything you need to (or might need to) know about installing, configuring, and using the software. This includes technical details about the functionality, limitations, common problems, and developer tweaks. If you can’t find it in the docs, our friendly team are just a support ticket away.
We’ve got your back, Jack! When you purchase from us, you can rest assured you are getting a high quality product that is backed by an experienced team.
Happy PDFing!
