File Sharing Problems

How to Make Linked PDFs Accessible to External Word Users

John Wilson Oct 10, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to share a Word document containing linked PDF files with external recipients without triggering file-not-found errors.

How to Make Linked PDFs Accessible to External Word Users

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing a Word document that includes links to PDFs stored on a secure internal company drive.
Observed behavior: Internal employees can open the PDF links without issue, but external recipients encounter file-not-found errors because they lack permissions and access to the internal storage location.

Before you start

Decide whether you want to maintain a small document file size by generating external cloud links, or if you prefer a standalone file by embedding the PDFs directly into the Word document.

Solution 1Recommended

Embed the PDF Directly into the Word Document

Embedding the PDF ensures the file is physically packaged within the Word document itself, completely bypassing the need for internal drive access.

This method is highly recommended if you are sending the document as an email attachment and want to ensure the recipient can open the referenced PDFs without needing internet access or special server permissions.

Position your cursor

Open your Word document and place the text cursor exactly where you want the PDF to be inserted.

Open the Object menu

Navigate to the 'Insert' tab on the top ribbon, locate the 'Text' group, and click on 'Object'.

Select Create from File

In the Object dialog box, click on the 'Create from File' tab.

Browse and embed

Click 'Browse' to locate the PDF file on your internal drive, select it, and click 'OK' to embed the file directly into your document.

Embed the PDF Directly into the Word Document

Increased File Size: Embedding PDFs will increase the overall file size of your Word document. If you embed multiple large PDFs, the document may become too large to send via standard email.

Solution 2

Use Cloud Storage and Sharing Links

Upload the PDFs to a secure cloud platform (like OneDrive or SharePoint) and create accessible sharing links to keep the Word document size lightweight.

Smart Document Sharing

Seamlessly Embed PDFs and Share Documents with WPS Office

WPS Office offers robust object embedding features and a deeply integrated WPS Cloud environment, making it incredibly simple to attach PDFs or generate secure external links for hassle-free document sharing.

1. Open document in WPS: Launch WPS Writer and open your document.
2. Insert Object: Go to the 'Insert' tab, click 'Object', and switch to the 'Create from file' tab.
3. Embed your file: Browse for your PDF and insert it. Check 'Display as icon' if you want a clean button-like appearance.
4. Alternatively, share via Cloud: Click the 'Share' button in the top right corner to instantly upload your document to WPS Cloud and generate a secure link for external recipients.

Easily embed PDFs and other file types directly into your documentBuilt-in WPS Cloud allows for secure, one-click external link sharingFully compatible with Microsoft Word formats (.docx, .doc)Lightweight, fast, and free to use for daily office tasks

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my embedded PDF show as a generic icon instead of displaying the document's content?

When inserting an object, you likely have the 'Display as icon' box checked in the Object dialog window. If you want the first page of the PDF to visibly render within the Word document text, uncheck this option before clicking OK.

Can external users edit the PDF I embed in the Word document?

External users can double-click the embedded PDF to open it in their default PDF viewer. If they have a PDF editor installed, they can edit the extracted file locally, but their changes will not reflect back into your original Word document or your internal drive.

Is there a limit to how many PDFs I can embed using the Object tool?

There is no strict numerical limit, but embedding multiple PDFs will drastically increase your Word document's file size. If the document exceeds 20-25 MB, you may be unable to send it via standard email attachments, in which case using cloud sharing links is highly recommended.

Document & File Issues