Can Google index PDFs with flash?

[andreas.wpv]

Does anyone know if Google can index PDF with Flash embedded?

I would assume that the regular flash recommendations are still valid, even when embedded in another document. I would assume there is a list of the filetype and version which Google can index with the search appliance, but was not able to find any. Does anyone have a link or a list?

[MatthewBarby]

Google won't be able to read or index the flash part of the document but ether will be able to index the PDF itself. Just be sure to add document properties to the PDF first (using NitroPDF, or a similar tool).

[KaneJamison]

Hi Andreas - this is an interesting question and one that I've never run into, and I can't find any public references to whether or not it's been tested in the past.

The easiest solution is avoid the issue in the first place by embedding the flash video into the PDF and then including a transcript and photos beneath the flash content, inside of the same PDF file. This solves the issue regardless of whether the flash is read by the crawler.

If that's not an option, the next best solution would be to test your hunch and hopefully report back here as to whether it was successful or not. I'd be interested to hear the results.