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How do I prevent Acrobat from changing the page numbers in the table of contents when creating a PDF from a Word docx file?

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When I create a PDF in Acrobat from a Word file with a table of contents, the table of contents in the Acrobat-generated file links to the wrong pages. The link for the 1st section goes to the second, and so on, except until the last one, which does not work at all.

I need to manually go to Action in Link Properties, and edit the pages, and then create a “Go to a page View” Action for the last entry. The problem is illustrated in the attached files.

I am using the continual release desktop Acrobat and Word Version 16.112.2 (26082125) on a Mac. I have had this problem with prior version of both apps.

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I cannot use Adobe’s online PDF generator because it does not keep the typeface we use.

test.pdf

test.docx

ls_rbls

Community Expert

Hi @CB_5 ,

Adding my 10 cents to this topic:

I am a Windows user and noticed that some MS Word features of the Acrobat PDFMaker may be limited for the macOS version of Word. For example, the Bookmarks preferences in the Adobe PDFMaker dialog window.

In fact, when I tried to replicate your steps to manually edit using Actions, it didn’t allow me to do anything and crashed my Acrobat.

I’ve attached a screenshot (below) of the Windows settings I tweaked just so you can see the hidden boxes I had to check to fix the shared document's blueprint:

I used your original MS Word file to perform a manual “Save As” (as you would on macOS) and it worked fine after I opened the newly exported PDF in Acrobat.

Turns out the document’s internal map was only looking for basic "Headings" and totally ignoring the Table of Contents styles. It basically got confused trying to guess where some of the pages ended, which is why some links shift around.

I went into the backend settings on my MS Word Windows version and forced it to track all styles and bookmarks instead. It bakes the fix directly into the exported PDF. I am sharing my fixed copy for your review.

If I am not mistaken, in order to achieve a similar reproduction in a MS Word version for macOS version, the following steps may be necessary on your end:

1. Open up the file and hit File > Save As > Change the format to PDF.

2. Make sure to check "Optimal for electronic distribution and accessibility" (this is the essential step that forces your Mac to read the new style maps I was able to set up with my Windows version)

3. Hit Save and you should be good to go.

See PDF attached.

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Technical Generalist

testAdcrobat-PDF.pdf

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

I tried it on my Mac with the option not to use the online service and it worked.

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

ls_rbls

Community Expert

Yes for me it crashed my Acrobat completeley. The orginal shared filed didn’t let me use the Edit PDF tool > Links. It didn’t show any options. Weird behavior on my end.

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Technical Generalist

C

CB_5Author

Participating Frequently

That’s the version that I have.

I’ll try the preferences reset.

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C

CB_5Author

Participating Frequently

I reset them.

Unfortunately the problem persists.

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C

CB_5Author

Participating Frequently

The video.

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Adobe TOC error.mov

C

CB_5Author

Participating Frequently

And to add to the oddity, there are some times when a single, middle entry in the TOC is correctly paginated. Then the errors resume.

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Anand Sri Bhattacharya

Community Manager

Thanks for the recording @CB_5

I tried replicating the issue at my end, and it is working fine. Can you please ensure you have the latest build of Acrobat installed on the machine 26.002.21869, Planned update, Aug 31, 2026. Check for any pending updates by navigating to Menu > Help> Check for Updates. Install the updates, restart the app and the machine, and try again.

Also, ensure that the Word and the Office suite are updated to their latest version.

Reset the Acrobat’s preferences once, and restart the machine. To reset the preferences, please refer to this article:

Let us know how it goes.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

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C

CB_5Author

Participating Frequently

The problem has been persistent; it’s not new.

Mac OS is 26.6.2

I did the update. No change. Problem persists.

I use Acrobat's own File > Create > PDF from File.

Page numbers and hyperlinks arc correct within Word.

It does not ask or use cloud conversion. I am doing it on my machine.

I’ll make and attach a video.

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Anand Sri Bhattacharya

Community Manager

@CB_5 Hello!

I hope you are doing well, and thanks for sharing the details. Sorry for the trouble.

Yes, please share a screen recording with the steps/workflow.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

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Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

Worked properly for me when I make a new PDF from your Word doc.

Word: Version 2608 (Build 20326.20112) Came out yesterday

Acrobat Pro: 26.001.21789

Try repairing Acrobat (Help menu).

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

Amal Jaiswal

Community Manager

Hi @CB_5 ,

Hope you are doing well and thanks for reaching out, and for including the test files, that's a big help.

A couple of things that would help isolate where this is coming from:

Have you started experiencing this issue recently, or was it occurring earlier as well? What is the version of the Acrobat App and the Mac OS you are using?
Try updating the Acrobat application to the latest version 26.001.21789 Out of cycle update, Aug 11, 2026 go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once and check.
When you generate the PDF, do you use the Create PDF button on the Acrobat ribbon in Word, or a different method like File > Print to Adobe PDF, or Acrobat's own File > Create > PDF from File?
If you print the Table of Contents page directly from Word (not through Acrobat at all) and check the page numbers shown there against the actual page each section starts on, do those match, or is Word itself already showing the wrong numbers before Acrobat gets involved?
Does a prompt ever appear asking whether to use an online or cloud conversion service when you click Create PDF, separate from the Adobe online PDF generator you mentioned avoiding?

That third question is worth checking because there's a documented case that matches your symptoms closely: ToC Hyperlinks go to wrong page, also reported on Word for Mac with Acrobat Pro continuous release. In that thread, links went to the next section instead of the correct page, exactly like what you're describing,the workaround was to click Create PDF and select No when asked about service conversion. That resolved the link issue for that user, but introduced a different trade-off: the typeface changed from what was specified. Since preserving your typeface is exactly why you're avoiding the online generator, this may not fully solve it for you, but it's worth testing since it isolates whether the service-conversion path specifically is what's shifting the links.

Since you've confirmed this behavior across multiple versions of both Word and Acrobat, a short video recording of the steps you are taking and the issue as it occurs would be very helpful for our development team to look into it further.

Let us know how it goes.

~Amal

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