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Participant
December 12, 2022
Question

Export Bookmarks From PDF

  • December 12, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 9167 views

Hi All:

I have a PDF of my Information Security Manual that I created from InDesign which has a fully indexed set of bookmarks. However, I need to use those individual bookmark links in other documents. For example, I'm creating a training on specific policies, and in that training I need to have links in it that will jump the learner to the policy in my  handbook i.e., in the Acceptable Use Policy section, at the end of it I need to ask the learner to read the Acceptable Use Policy, and I want them to be able to jump specifically to that policy in the manual, not jump to the ToC and them jump again. Essentially, what I need are the hyperlinks from each policy that I can embed into my training. Can anyone help?

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3 replies

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 12, 2022

Are the bookmarks pointing to pages, or to web-pages, or something else?

If they point to pages, there's no easy solution for this. If they point to web-pages you can create a blank template file with those bookmarks and merge it with your other files by dragging and dropping them into the Pages panel. That will preserver the bookmarks from the original. Then you'll have to delete the blank page of the template file, and make sure to save the file under a new name, so you don't overwrite the template (you can set it as a read-only file, to prevent yourself from doing that accidentally).

JD@SNHUAuthor
Participant
December 13, 2022

The document will be published to a web site. 

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 13, 2022

How is that related?

Thom Parker
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 12, 2022

There is no good (easy) way to implement the navigation feature you're asking for.  Especially if these documents are viewed on anything other than the desktop Acrobat/Reader.    

To do this manually you'd add a link or button to the PDF page and add the "Go to a page view" Action to the button. The destination would then be set to the target location.  This method does not use the bookmarks or links in the TOC, but creates a whole new destination.  And this method creates links that are compatible with the widest range of PDF viewers.   Automating the creation of these links would require a plug-in, since destinations cannot be created through JavaScript.

 

There are several other methods for creating navigation links/buttons in a PDF.  For example, with a JavaScript action.  But using JS limits the usability of the links to a small set of PDF viewers. 

 

  

    

Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
S_S
Community Manager
Community Manager
December 12, 2022

@JD@SNHU The other option could be exporting the file as XML. 

 

You will be able to generate bookmarks that will result in to links getting created for you to jump to the content.

 

You can view the given article for more information: File format options for PDF export, Adobe Acrobat and use the feature if it suits your requirement.

 

-Souvik.

S_S
Community Manager
Community Manager
December 12, 2022

Hi @JD@SNHU,

 

Hope you are doing well. Per your description, I understand that you want to export bookmarks from the PDF.

 

This option is available with the use of JavaScript. 

 

You may take reference from the given thread which has answers to a question similar to yours: Solved: Export bookmarks as csv file

 

Let us know if this helps.

 

-Souvik.

JD@SNHUAuthor
Participant
December 12, 2022

Hi, I stumbled up on this when I looking for help. The use of java script is prevented by the SecOps team. I'm hoping to use the tools Adobe has available. Is there an Adobe tool?