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T
TBSchrack
Participant
April 19, 2021
Answered

Import PDF with hyperlinks into InDesign

  • April 19, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 4831 views

Hello everyone, 

I work on a catalogue and want to link some PDFs which include hyperlinks into InDesign. 

For linking the PDFs, I use Adobes own action / script to import PDF pages: PlaceMultipagePDF.jsx

With these, each page from the source file get placed on an own page, so far so good.

Appreantly, once I try to export an interactive PDF, the output does not include the hyperlinks in the source file. 

 

How can I make sure that the hyperlinks stay after exporting an interactive PDF?

It is out of question to remake every hyperlink in InDesign again, it should work with the combination of linking extern PDFs and exporting the end product to an interactive PDF.

 

Best Regards,

TB

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Jeffrey_Smith

Hyperlinks will not be retained when importing a PDF into Indesign. For live links (and all interactivity), you will need to use Acrobat and insert PDFs into the master.

2 replies

Dov Isaacs
Dov Isaacs
Legend
April 19, 2021

To be very clear, there is no “import” function for PDF into InDesign. You “place” such content. Any annotations, links, embedded files, etc. as well as most metadata from within the PDF file is discarded as part of the “place” operation.

 

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
J
Community Expert
Jeffrey_SmithCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 23, 2021

While there is a technical difference between the functions "place" and "import", the terms are used interchangeably. When I "place" a PDF into InDesign, I still can choose "import" options. When I "place" a word or excel document into InDesign, IMO I am technically importing. And although I can't "import" a PDF, I can "import" PDF comments into Indesign.

J
Community Expert
Jeffrey_SmithCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
April 19, 2021

Hyperlinks will not be retained when importing a PDF into Indesign. For live links (and all interactivity), you will need to use Acrobat and insert PDFs into the master.

    M
    MDGA_Tim
    Participant
    June 2, 2021

    Struggling to understand - insert PDFs into the master pages? I'm on CS5, and have PDFs that each contain roughly 20 links. And 30 PDFs in this InDesign file. Is there a simple way to make hundreds on links active? Confused by your instructions...

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