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Zoe4701
Zoe4701
Inspiring
March 23, 2026
Answered

Alt text in Word, missing in PDF

  • March 23, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 69 views

This just started happening last week.
In Word I have added alt text to images. Create a pdf - no alt text. 
used “Save As Adobe PDF”, Acrobat plugin: “Create PDF”  and “Create PDF and Run Action: Make Accessible”. All same result - no alt text. Tried different images.
btw asked other people to create PDF - the alt text is in the PDF. 
Any ideas of what is going wrong? 

Correct answer Zoe4701

There is a patch to fix this bug issue “4384797: Alt-Text of SmartArt is not passed from MS Word to PDFMaker generated PDF documents”: 
https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/continuous/dccontinuousmarch2026.html#dccontinuousmarchtwentytwentysix

3 replies

Zoe4701
Zoe4701AuthorCorrect answer
Inspiring
March 31, 2026

There is a patch to fix this bug issue “4384797: Alt-Text of SmartArt is not passed from MS Word to PDFMaker generated PDF documents”: 
https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/continuous/dccontinuousmarch2026.html#dccontinuousmarchtwentytwentysix

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 31, 2026

    Just a note for the Creative Cloud users…

    Acrobat does not auto-update with the rest of the programs even if the auto-update preference is on. I had to use the Help>Check for Updates menu to get the update. 

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
      T
      Tariq Dar
      Legend
      March 24, 2026

      Hi ​@Zoe4701, 

       

      Sorry for the troubled experience, and thanks for reaching out. 
      While @Dave Creamer of IDEAS has recommended a workaround. Would you please help us with the following details:

      • What happens if you convert the MS Word file directly from Acrobat?
      • Operating system name and version
      • Microsoft Office Suite and MS Word version
      • Acrobat version
      • More importantly, if possible, please share the original Word file and the resulting PDF file. 

      If you can't share the file publicly, upload files to any cloud drive and share the link via private message. To send a Private Message - Click on Profile Avatar and on the profile page, you will see a button “Send message.”


      Looking forward to the details, and thanks for your patience.

      ~Tariq

      Zoe4701
      Zoe4701Author
      Inspiring
      March 24, 2026

      Hi Tariq,

      1. When I convert MS Word to Acrobat the alt text does not appear. 
      2. Window OS 11, version: 10.0.22631 build 22631
      3. Microsoft Office 365; Word for Microsoft 365 ver 2602, build 16.0.19725.20126
      4. Acrobat ver 2023
      5. files attached.
      Zoe4701
      Zoe4701Author
      Inspiring
      March 24, 2026

      showing alt text in word and no alt text in Acrobat

      Dave Creamer of IDEAS
      Community Expert
      Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 23, 2026

      I tried different methods using the Acrobat PDFMaker ribbon tab, but no alt text. 

      When I save as PDF using the Microsoft built in conversion, the alt text remains. (Not Save as Adobe PDF).

       

      David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
        Zoe4701
        Zoe4701Author
        Inspiring
        March 24, 2026

        Hi Dave,
        Still no alt text. 

        Dave Creamer of IDEAS
        Community Expert
        Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        March 24, 2026

        Do you mean with a simple Save As and changing the format to .PDF, bypassing any Adobe-related PDF conversion?

        I downloaded your Word file, added the alt text, and did a Save As to PDF. Works fine.

        David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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