Links from MS Word not working

Report · Oct 11, 2021

When creating PDFs from MS Word, it creates the bookmarks panel with links that work but it no longer creates the links on the document itself. You cannot click on any of the headings on the table of contents page as you have no 'hand' to click with and also the URL links to bookmarks throughout the document that I have on each page do not work. Both of these things work fine in the MS Word document, but are not created in the PDF. My preferences are set to add links (attached screenshot) but it won't create them. I have searched all the forums and tried everything suggested but nothing seems to work.

Report · Oct 11, 2021

Hi Daphne

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described the links from MS Word not working.

What is the workflow/steps you are doing to create the PDF from MS Word document? Please try to create the PDF from the Acrobat ribbon in the MS Word tool bar and see if that helps.

Also go to Edit (Win), Adobe Acrobat (Mac) > Preferences > General > select, 'Create Links from URLs'

Regards

Amal

Report · Oct 11, 2021

@Daphne5C23 and @Amal.

This is a bug from the latest version of Word 365 and Adobe PDF Maker.

It affects:

Word 365 version 2109 14430.20270
Adobe Acrobat 2021.007.0095 and
Adobe PDF Maker 21 (Library 21.7.123)

See the bug log at https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/44270718-errors-...

And @Daphne5C23 , please up-vote this bug at that webpage in order to get it fixed by Adobe. Let others in your office know about it.

Report · Oct 11, 2021

Temporary work around:

Bypass Adobe's PDF exporter and use Microsoft's internal PDF utility at...

File / Save As / file type = PDF (Make sure that's not Save As Adobe PDF, which has the bug).

Follow the instructions, don't forget to choose the options for tagged accessible PDF.

Report · Oct 11, 2021

Hi Bevi,

Thank you for your suggestion but it alas still does not resolve the issue at hand as I have always followed the same steps as those that you have mentioned (ie, in Word: File > Save As; select "PDF (*.pdf)" and ensured that I selected the create bookmarks using headings).

There is something else going between the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and Word 365 but I also suspect that the latest Windows 10 patch (ie, KB4023057) had something to do with it all.

Cheers,

Michael

Report · Oct 12, 2021

Thanks for reporting the issue of links not working. We can reproduce this issue with latest Office 365 version 2109 but not with Office 365 version 2108.

We are investigating it on priority and will try to resolve this at the earliest.

Meanwhile, as a workaround, please downgrade your Office version to 2108 for reverting to correct behavior.

Thanks

Tanvi

Report · Oct 12, 2021

Hi Tanvi,

Not sure about everyone else, but downgrading the Office version is NOT an option here. The MS versions are controlled at a corporate level. So, the quicker a solution / working work-around is found the happier I will be.

I'm sure I am not alone here.

br Keith

Report · Oct 12, 2021

@Keith_dk : We are in the same situation in that downgrading is not an option for us too.

Report · Oct 12, 2021

Hi Tanvi,

Thank you for taking the time to investigate this issue and for the update.

Alas, it is not possible to downgrade to Office 365 v2018 due to strict internal company policy and other factors (eg, new features, security patches, etc) that have been released with Office 365 v2019.

It would be much appreciated if you could propose another workaround that does not jeopardise users' computers due to the need to downgrade to an older version of Office 365 that has known security issues.

Thank you.

Michael

Report · Oct 12, 2021

Thanks for your patience. We have investigated this issue and found that this has broken with a recent Office update and would require a fix from Microsoft.

This has also been raised on Microsoft fourms in several threads and acknowledged and it seems they are investigating this issue. Please follow these threads for updates.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/cross-references-and-toc-in-word-do-not-work-...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/when-i-export-a-word-to-pdf-the-table-of-cont...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/exporting-hyperlinks-to-pdf-from-word/4b792dc...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/cross-reference-links-eg-table-of-content-tab...

As a workaround, please revert to older version of Office to make links work.

Thanks

Tanvi