Editing live links in a PDF so they open in a new tab

Question

Hi there

I'm trying to edit a press release PDF so the live links within in open in new tabs and don't take the journalist away from the original document. I cannot see a way to do this currently does anyone know?

Carrie

try67 · Accepted Answer

Links can be set to open a URL in a new window (or tab), but only if created using a script, which many PDF viewers won't handle correctly. Also, it might not work with all browsers, so I'm not sure it's worth the effort... If you want to try it out, the basic code to use is this:

app.launchURL("http://www.adobe.com", true);

Replace the first parameter with your actual URL.

Tariq Dar · Answer

@carrie_3267Hi Carrie Adobe Acrobat does not support controlling browser behavior (like forcing links to open in a new tab or window) directly from within the PDF. Here’s why:PDFs are opened in different environments — desktop apps (like Acrobat Reader), in-browser viewers (Chrome, Safari, etc.), or third-party tools. The behavior of links (new tab vs. same tab) is controlled by the PDF viewer or browser, not by Acrobat or the PDF itself.There’s no setting or JavaScript in Acrobat that can force a hyperlink in a PDF to open in a new browser tabWorkaround Suggestions:Add a note beside the link (e.g., “(opens in a new tab)”) to suggest what the user might expect.For PDFs hosted online, instruct users to right-click > Open in New Tab, but obviously, that’s not foolproof.   ~Tariq

@carrie_3267

Here’s why:

Workaround Suggestions:

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