Hosting & Sharing Your Flipbook
Your book. Your choice of where it lives.
Once you have created your flipbook, the next step is deciding how readers will access it. You can publish it on your own website, use a separate hosting service, embed it in another page, or distribute a downloadable copy.
Creating your flipbook and hosting it are two separate steps. Flipbook Studio creates the files for your book. Hosting makes those files available online so readers can open your book through a web address.
You do not need a complete website for every book. A flipbook can have its own link, which you can share wherever you connect with your readers.
On this page — hosting and sharing options
Host It on Your Own Website
If you already have a website with access to its hosting files, you may be able to publish your flipbook there.
Upload the complete exported book folder to a suitable location on your hosting account, keeping its files and folder structure together. Readers can then open the book through its web address.
For example:
yourwebsite.com/books/my-first-book/
This approach lets you keep your books under your existing website address and organize them into a library, catalogue, portfolio, or collection.
What you need: Hosting that can serve the exported HTML, scripts, images, audio, and other book assets, plus a way to upload them.
Some website builders restrict file uploads or custom code. If yours cannot host the complete book, you can host it elsewhere and add a link or supported embed to your website.
Use a Separate Hosting Service
A static hosting service can publish your flipbook without requiring you to build a full website around it.
“Static hosting” means the service delivers the exported book files to your readers’ browsers. Your flipbook can still include interactive features, page turning, and audio supported by the exported player.
The basic process is:
- Export your finished flipbook.
- Upload or deploy the complete book package using the hosting service’s instructions.
- Open the published address and check the book.
- Share the link with your readers.
What you need: An account with a compatible hosting provider and a book package that meets its upload requirements.
Check storage, bandwidth, individual file limits, and pricing before choosing a service. Books containing large images or audio can require more space and data transfer.
Use Your Own Domain or Subdomain
A custom address gives your flipbooks a recognizable home.
You could publish a collection at:
books.yourwebsite.com
Or give a project its own domain:
yourbookname.com
A domain is the address people use to reach your book. The hosting service is where the book files live. You connect the two through your domain and hosting settings.
What you need: A domain you control and a hosting service that supports connecting it.
You can also use an address supplied by your hosting provider if you do not want to purchase a domain.
Embed a Flipbook in Another Page
Embedding displays your hosted flipbook inside an existing webpage.
This can be useful for:
- A product catalogue inside an online shop.
- A story inside an educational resource page.
- A portfolio inside an artist’s website.
- A book inside a course or membership area.
The flipbook must be hosted somewhere before it can be embedded. Your website must also support the required embed code, and the book’s hosting settings must allow it to appear inside another site.
What you need: A published flipbook address and a website that supports compatible embeds.
Include an “Open Full Book” link beside the embedded version so readers can open it in its own tab.
Share a Direct Link or QR Code
Once your flipbook is online, its link can take readers straight to the book.
Share it through:
- Email and newsletters.
- Social media posts and profiles.
- Website buttons and product pages.
- Classroom resources and learning materials.
- Printed cards, packaging, posters, and handouts using a QR code.
A QR code points to a web address. Readers scan it with their device and open the hosted book.
What you need: A working public address, or an address readers are authorized to access.
Keep that address consistent when updating the book, especially if you have already printed a QR code.
Offer a Downloadable Copy
You can distribute a copy of the exported flipbook package for readers to keep.
A downloadable package can be useful for handing over a finished project, keeping a backup, or distributing files for local use.
Readers should receive the complete package, along with instructions explaining how to extract and open it. Local playback depends on the exported book’s features and browser requirements. Some features may require a local web server or an internet connection.
What you need: A complete, tested download package and clear opening instructions.
Test the downloaded version before describing it as suitable for offline reading.
Provide Private or Paid Access
If you want to sell access or limit a book to a particular audience, your hosting arrangement needs to support that access model.
Possible approaches include:
- A protected website or membership area.
- A course platform with suitable access controls.
- A service that delivers downloadable files after purchase.
- Hosting configured to require reader authentication.
A hidden link is not private access. Anyone who receives an unprotected link may be able to open and share it.
Likewise, placing an embedded book behind a login does not automatically protect its underlying files. If privacy matters, access controls must cover the book and its assets.
What you need: A sales or access system suited to how you want to distribute the book.
Selling a downloadable copy gives the buyer files they can retain. Selling access to a hosted book gives them permission to read it through your chosen system. Decide which experience you want to offer.
Which Option Should You Choose?
| Your goal | A suitable starting point |
|---|---|
| Publish books under an existing website | Use compatible website hosting, or link to separately hosted books. |
| Publish a book without building a website | Use a compatible static hosting service. |
| Give your books a branded address | Connect your own domain or subdomain to the hosting. |
| Display a book within a shop, portfolio, or learning page | Embed the hosted book where supported. |
| Reach readers from print or social media | Share the hosted book’s direct link or a QR code. |
| Give readers files to keep | Offer a tested downloadable package. |
| Sell access or restrict readership | Use hosting and a distribution system with appropriate access controls. |
Updating Your Published Book
To update a hosted flipbook, export the revised version and replace or redeploy the book files using your hosting provider’s process.
Keep the same published address if you want existing links and QR codes to continue reaching the book.
Readers who downloaded an earlier copy will still have that version. They will need a new download to receive your changes.
Before You Share
Open the published book and check that:
- Pages and images display correctly.
- Narration and other audio play.
- Buttons and links work.
- The book is usable on a phone and a computer.
- Download or access instructions match the reader’s experience.
For a public book, test the link in a browser where you are signed out of your hosting account. For a restricted book, test both authorized access and what a signed-out visitor can see.
Choose where your book lives, check the reading experience, and share it with your audience.