Tired of copy-pasting PDF content into Whale? Now you don’t have to. You can import any PDF directly into Whale, and it will be instantly converted into a fully editable Whale card — while keeping the original structure and layout. This saves you time and helps maintain consistency with your existing documentation or playbooks.
Once imported, you can easily split the content into multiple cards to fit the structure you need — perfect for turning a large SOP or manual into a clean, navigable playbook.
How to Import a PDF into Whale
Option 1: From the Main “+” Button
Step 1: Click the ➕ icon in the top-right corner of your screen
Step 2: Select “Import Doc or PDF”
Step 3: Upload your file and give the card a title
Step 4: Select to split the document up in multiple card, untick the box for 1 card
Step 5: Choose the destination playbook or folder
Step 6: Click Next to start processing
You can close the pop-up while your document is being converted — Whale will create the card in the background.
Option 2: From Within a Playbook
You can also import directly from an existing playbook in either Grid View or List View:
Click Create New Card
Choose Import Doc or PDF
Select your file
Add a title and target location
Select to split up in multiple or 1 card
Click Next to start the import
Option 3: From Within a Playbook
You can also import directly from an existing playbook in either Grid View or List View and have our AI module split up your document into different cards.
Click 3-dotted menu
Choose Import document
Select your file
Add a title and target location
Select to split up in multiple or 1 card
Click Next to start the import
Example
Let’s say you have a 5-page Customer Support SOP in PDF format. By importing it into Whale, it becomes a single editable card. From there, you can split each section into separate cards, maintaining the original order and formatting — all without manual copy/paste.
Once imported, your PDF-turned-card behaves just like any other Whale card. You can edit, tag, comment, or assign it — giving your team instant access to structured, searchable content.
Need help editing? Check out: