Fix Word 2016 for Mac Acrobat Plug-In Not Preserving Hyperlinks
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where hyperlinks are lost when converting a Word document to PDF using the Acrobat plug-in on Mac.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 2016 / Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Converting a document with active hyperlinks into a PDF file using the Acrobat PDFMaker plug-in.
- Observed behavior
- The resulting PDF does not contain clickable hyperlinks, an issue often linked to the linkcreation.dotm template or AcrobatUtils.scpt component.
Ensure that both your Microsoft Word for Mac and Adobe Acrobat applications are updated to their latest versions, as developers frequently release patches to fix plug-in compatibility issues.
Update Applications and Verify the Acrobat Add-in
Updating both programs ensures software compatibility and verifying the add-in guarantees the PDFMaker template is actively loaded.
Compatibility mismatches between Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word 2016 for Mac frequently cause the PDFMaker template (linkcreation.dotm) to malfunction. Keeping both apps on the same release cycle can resolve this.
Open Adobe Acrobat on your Mac, go to the 'Help' menu at the top, and select 'Check for Updates'. Follow the prompts to install the latest version.
Open Microsoft Word, navigate to 'Help' > 'Check for Updates' to launch the Microsoft AutoUpdate tool, and install any pending Office updates.
In Word, go to 'Tools' > 'Templates and Add-ins' and check if the Acrobat PDFMaker (linkcreation.dotm) is checked and enabled.
Create the PDF from Within Adobe Acrobat
Bypass the faulty Word plug-in by importing the Word document directly into the Acrobat application.
Utilize Adobe Acrobat Online Services
Use Adobe's web-based PDF converter as a temporary workaround to retain hyperlinks without relying on local software components.
Use WPS Office for Seamless PDF Conversion on Mac
Tired of troubleshooting broken plug-ins in Microsoft Word? WPS Office for Mac offers a highly reliable, built-in 'Export to PDF' feature that perfectly preserves all your hyperlinks, formatting, and images without requiring expensive third-party add-ins like Adobe Acrobat.
- 1. Open your document in WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office for Mac, then open your existing Word document.
- 2. Click Export to PDF: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab and select the 'Export to PDF' button.
- 3. Save the PDF with intact hyperlinks: Confirm your export settings and save the file. All your hyperlinks will be perfectly preserved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Acrobat plug-in remove hyperlinks from my Mac Word documents?
This typically occurs due to version compatibility issues between the Acrobat PDFMaker plug-in (specifically the linkcreation.dotm template) and Microsoft Word 2016 for Mac, preventing the translation of link metadata during conversion.
Can I preserve hyperlinks using the default 'Save As PDF' option in Mac Word?
Yes, you can try using the native 'Save As' feature. Make sure to select 'Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service)' when saving, as the standard printing engine might strip the hyperlinks.
Do I need Adobe Acrobat to convert Word to PDF with hyperlinks on Mac?
No. You can use free office suites like WPS Office that feature built-in, native PDF export tools designed to automatically preserve hyperlinks, bookmarks, and formatting without requiring Adobe Acrobat.
What is the AcrobatUtils.scpt component?
AcrobatUtils.scpt is an AppleScript component used by Adobe Acrobat on macOS to communicate with Microsoft Office applications. If this script is outdated or corrupted, the PDFMaker add-in may fail to execute link-preservation commands.
