How to Preserve Links When Converting Word for Mac to PDF
Question details
The user needs to keep internal and external hyperlinks clickable when converting a Word document to a PDF file on a Mac.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Converting or saving a Word document as a PDF file while retaining interactive links.
- Observed behavior
- Using the 'Print to PDF' function removes all internal and external hyperlinks, even when the Acrobat option to create links from URLs is enabled.
Verify that you have the Acrobat PDFMaker plug-in installed in your Microsoft Word for Mac, as the default macOS 'Print to PDF' feature does not support interactive elements.
Use the Acrobat PDFMaker Plug-in
Using the dedicated PDFMaker plug-in on the Word ribbon properly converts the document and retains all hyperlink data, unlike the native print function.
The macOS 'Print to PDF' function essentially flattens the document into a visual format, which strips away digital interactive elements like embedded hyperlinks and bookmarks. Additionally, the 'Create links from URLs' setting in Acrobat only converts exposed plain-text URLs (e.g., www.example.com) into links, but fails to retain hyperlink text hidden behind specific words.
Launch Microsoft Word for Mac and open the document containing the hyperlinks you wish to preserve.
Locate and click on the Acrobat or PDFMaker tab available on the main Microsoft Word ribbon.
Select the 'Create PDF' button from the toolbar to initiate the conversion process through the Adobe plug-in.
Choose a destination folder, name your file, and click 'Save'. The resulting PDF will now have all internal and external links fully functional.
Easily Convert Word to PDF with Hyperlinks using WPS Office
If you do not have an Adobe Acrobat subscription, WPS Office provides a free and native 'Export to PDF' feature for Mac that perfectly preserves all your document's internal links, external URLs, and intricate formatting.
- 1. Open document in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office on your Mac and open your target Word document (.doc or .docx).
- 2. Access the Export tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'Export to PDF' button.
- 3. Configure export settings: In the dialog box, ensure that the standard export options are selected so that interactive elements like hyperlinks and bookmarks are included.
- 4. Export and save: Click the 'Export' button, choose your save location, and your new PDF will retain all clickable links perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'Print to PDF' on Mac remove my hyperlinks?
The native 'Print to PDF' function in macOS acts as a virtual printer. It flattens the document layout for physical printing, which naturally strips away any interactive digital elements such as embedded hyperlinks, bookmarks, and form fields.
Does Acrobat's 'Create Links from URLs' setting fix embedded text links?
No. That specific Acrobat setting only scans the finalized PDF for plain-text URLs (like typing out 'http://www.example.com') and makes them clickable. It does not restore hyperlink functionality to regular words that have a link embedded in them.
Can I preserve hyperlinks when saving as PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. You can use alternative office suites like WPS Office, which natively feature an 'Export to PDF' tool designed to retain all formatting, clickable links, and internal bookmarks without requiring an Adobe subscription.
Do internal document links, like a Table of Contents, work the same as web links in a PDF?
Yes. As long as you use a dedicated PDF export tool or a plug-in like PDFMaker instead of 'Print to PDF', both internal jump-links (like Table of Contents or cross-references) and external web URLs will be preserved and function properly.
