Office Settings & Configuration

How to Add the Adobe PDF Maker Add-in to Excel 2013

Steve K Oct 23, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to restore the missing Adobe PDF Maker add-in on the Microsoft Excel 2013 ribbon to export spreadsheets to PDF.

How to Add the Adobe PDF Maker Add-in to Excel 2013

Product: Microsoft Excel 2013
Device & OS: Windows 7 Professional
Scenario: Exporting or converting spreadsheets to PDF using the dedicated Adobe integration directly from the ribbon.
Observed behavior: The Adobe PDF Maker tab or COM add-in is entirely missing from the Excel 2013 ribbon interface.

Before you start

Verify that you have a licensed desktop version of Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Pro) installed on your system. The free Adobe Reader software does not include the PDF Maker add-in for Microsoft Office.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable the Acrobat PDFMaker COM Add-in in Excel Settings

The add-in may be installed but automatically disabled by Excel. You can manually activate it through the Excel Options menu.

Open Excel Options

Launch Microsoft Excel 2013, click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.

Navigate to Add-ins

In the Excel Options dialog box, click on 'Add-ins' located in the left-hand sidebar.

Manage COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the window, locate the 'Manage' dropdown menu. Select 'COM Add-ins' and click the 'Go...' button.

Enable PDFMaker

In the COM Add-ins list, check the box next to 'Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin' and click 'OK'. The Acrobat tab should now appear on your Excel ribbon.

Enable the Acrobat PDFMaker COM Add-in in Excel Settings

Check Disabled Items: If the Acrobat add-in does not appear in the COM Add-ins list, change the Manage dropdown to 'Disabled Items', click 'Go', and re-enable the Acrobat add-in there first.

Solution 2

Repair the Adobe Acrobat Installation

If the add-in is missing entirely, the Acrobat installation might be corrupted or missing the necessary Office integration files.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Convert Excel to PDF Natively with WPS Office

Why struggle with expensive third-party plugins? WPS Office is a highly compatible, free alternative to Microsoft Office that includes a built-in PDF converter, allowing you to export your spreadsheets directly to PDF format without any extra software.

1. Open Your Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing Microsoft Excel file.
2. Access the Export Feature: Navigate to the 'Menu' button in the top left corner and select 'Export to PDF'.
3. Save as PDF: Adjust your preferred layout settings and click 'Export' to instantly create your PDF document.

Built-in native PDF conversion without relying on Adobe add-insFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx) file formatsLightweight application that runs smoothly even on older Windows PCsFree to download with a familiar, easy-to-use ribbon interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Acrobat PDFMaker add-in greyed out or inactive?

This typically occurs if Excel forced the add-in to close due to a software crash. You can restore it by going to File > Options > Add-ins, selecting 'Disabled Items' from the Manage dropdown, and enabling the Acrobat add-in.

Does the free Adobe Reader include the Excel PDF Maker?

No, the PDF Maker COM add-in is an exclusive feature of the paid desktop versions of Adobe Acrobat (such as Standard or Professional). Adobe Reader can only view PDFs, not generate them directly from Office ribbons.

How do I check if my version of Acrobat is compatible with Excel 2013?

Adobe Acrobat XI and Acrobat DC natively support Microsoft Office 2013. If you are using Acrobat X or older, the PDF Maker add-in is not officially compatible with Office 2013 and may not appear or function correctly.

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