To convert a Word document to a PDF and keep its hyperlinks clickable, use Word’s own PDF save command instead of printing to PDF. On Windows, choose File > Save As (or Save a Copy) and pick PDF as the file type. On a Mac, choose File > Save As, set File Format to PDF, and select Best for electronic distribution and accessibility. In Word for the web, choose File > Export > Download as PDF.
These steps cover Word in Microsoft 365, Word 2024, and Word 2021 on Windows and Mac, plus Word for the web. They follow Microsoft’s save or convert to PDF instructions. The most common reason links stop working is using File > Print with a PDF printer, which creates a flat copy of the pages without any links.
Before You Convert: Make Sure the Links Are Real
A PDF can only keep links that exist in the Word file. Blue, underlined text isn’t always a hyperlink.
- Check each link. Hover over it in Word. A real link shows its address in a tooltip, and Ctrl+Click (Windows) or Command+Click (Mac) opens it.
- Fix plain-text addresses. If a web address isn’t clickable in Word, select it and choose Insert > Link to add the address. Our guide on how to make a hyperlink in Word walks through it.
- Links inside the document to headings or bookmarks carry over as internal PDF links. Set them up with Insert > Link > Place in This Document on Windows or This Document on a Mac.
- Links to files on your computer point to that file. They don’t put the file inside the PDF, and they won’t open for anyone who can’t reach that location.
Microsoft explains how to create or edit a hyperlink if you need to correct any targets.
Convert Word to PDF With Links on Windows
- Open the document in the Word desktop app and save any changes.
- Select File > Save As. If the file was already saved, you can choose File > Save a Copy instead to keep the Word file as it is.
- Select Browse and choose a folder.
- In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf) and type a file name.
- Optional: select Options to choose a page range, include tracked changes, or create PDF bookmarks from your headings. Select OK when you’re done.
- Select Save. Word creates the PDF, and its hyperlinks stay clickable.
Two settings in Options are worth knowing. Create bookmarks using: Headings adds a navigation panel to the PDF built from your Word headings. That’s separate from links in the text, but useful for long documents. Document structure tags for accessibility helps screen readers, so leave it checked. If you export only a page range, internal links that point to pages outside that range won’t have anywhere to go.
File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document does the same thing and also keeps links. Avoid File > Print > Microsoft Print to PDF, which removes them.
Convert Word to PDF With Links on a Mac
Note before you start: the best option for links on a Mac uses Microsoft’s online conversion service, so your document is sent over the internet to be converted. If your document is confidential or your organization restricts online services, check your policy first.
- Open the document in Word for Mac.
- Choose File > Save As.
- Click the File Format menu at the bottom of the window and choose PDF.
- Select Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service).
- Enter a name, choose a location, and click Export.
The other choice, Best for printing, creates the PDF on your Mac, but hyperlinks may not convert correctly with it. Use it only if you’re making a file for printing. Also skip File > Print > Save as PDF in the macOS print dialog. Like printing on Windows, it produces a PDF without working links.
If the electronic distribution option is unavailable, for example because you’re offline, try again when you’re connected, or open the file in Word for the web and use the steps below.
Convert Word to PDF With Links in Word for the Web
- Open the document at office.com or in OneDrive.
- Select File > Export.
- Choose Download as PDF. If you want comments included, choose Download as PDF with comments.
- Select Download in the confirmation box.
- Open the PDF from your browser’s downloads folder.
Microsoft lists these steps on its export Word document as PDF page. Links in the document stay clickable in the downloaded PDF. For more detail on the web version, see our guide to saving as a PDF from Word Online.
Test the Links in the PDF
Before you send the PDF, open it in a PDF reader, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Edge, or Preview on a Mac, and click a few links.
- Web links should open the right page in your browser. Some readers show a security prompt first. That’s normal.
- Internal links should jump to the correct heading or page.
- Email links should start a new message to the right address.
- Links on pictures should work when you click the picture.
If a link opens a shared file, ask someone else to try it. A link that works for you may need sharing permissions for others.
Fix Links That Don’t Work in the PDF
The text looks like a link but can’t be clicked
The PDF was probably made by printing, or the text was never a hyperlink in Word. Check the link in Word, fix it if needed, and create a new PDF with Save As, Save a Copy, or Export.
Links break only on a Mac
You likely used Best for printing or the macOS print dialog. Save again with Best for electronic distribution and accessibility.
The link opens the wrong page or an error
The PDF kept the link, but the address is wrong or the page is gone. Fix the address in Word and save the PDF again.
Links work in one PDF reader but not another
Some readers block external links or ask permission first. Check that reader’s security settings or open the file in a different reader. Don’t turn off security features just to make a link open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Print to PDF remove hyperlinks?
Printing sends an image of each page to a virtual printer. It captures how the page looks, not the link data behind the text. Word’s Save As and Export commands write the links into the PDF.
Does Word’s free online version keep links?
Yes. File > Export > Download as PDF in Word for the web keeps hyperlinks, and you only need a free Microsoft account.
If I edit the Word document, does the PDF update?
No. The PDF is a separate file. Make your changes in Word, then save a new PDF. Give it a clear name so you don’t send the old version by mistake.
Can I keep the fonts exactly the same in the PDF?
Word’s PDF export embeds the fonts it can. For more control, see how to embed fonts in a PDF from Word.
Does a table of contents stay clickable?
Yes, when you use Word’s Save As or Export and the table of contents was inserted with References > Table of Contents. Those entries are internal links, so they jump to the matching heading in the PDF.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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