Word Mail Merge to Adobe PDF attach as email

[hopeful_person0D45]

I can do a mail merge and send emails with a PDF attachment. I need the PDF to be password protected.

I tried going to the Acrobat tab>Crate Adobe PDF group>Preferences, then clicked on the security tab. I password protected. However, when I send the email with attachment, the file is not password protected. I can still edit it.

Please help

[ls_rbls]

Hey Heather,

When you say that you password protected the PDF, are you taking into account that there are two password protections involved? 

With the document opened , when you tick the checkbox to require a password to open the document, ensure that you also set a password for the Permissions.

You can leave printing allowed, but the next dropdown menu below, verify which options do you need.

If you require the document to be completely read-only, select NONE from the Changes Allowed dropdown menu.

When you're done, type in a Change Permission password. This password must be different than the password you selected to open the document..

In addition, below this sections, you also have Options to select compatibility encryption levels for all document content or just the attachments.

Just remember, these settings won't be applied until you save the document. So, click Ok, and click OK again, then save the document.

[ls_rbls]

Also, I forgot to ask how are you doing the mail merge?

[hopeful_person0D45]

I appreciate your response.

I am using Word. I have a document that is a certificate. I am using the mail merge feature to create about 26 certificates for me. 

I am wanting to use the Merge to PDF option that will send each individual student an email with their attached certificate in a PDF format.

The only problem is that the PDF sent to the student is not password protected.

I tried setting a password in the preferences within Word, but the files sent out are still not password protected.

I attched two images

[ls_rbls]

I think this Microsoft and Adobe integration is not working. I am almost positive this could be a bug or very hidden setting.

I recreated many scenarios and toggled on and off many preferences in both Acrobat and Word with no success.

The mail merge action in both, MS word and  the Acrobat application, doesn't allow much room for flexibility.

The only thing that work for me was to do the mail merge in word first. Then in Acrobat create an action to assign password protection using the action wizard.

Then go back to Ms Word, and use Create PDF and run an action, then select the action I created.

The only problem is that this only converts the entire mailmerge document  into one single PDF. It enforce the security but not the mail merge. 

I will keep looking.

See if in thr Mocrosft support forums someone can also share feedback.

[hopeful_person0D45]

Thank you for trying 🙂

[ls_rbls]

Hi Heather,

Just wo dering if you were sble to seek guidance in thr Micrososft support forums.

Have you been able to work around this problem yet?

[hopeful_person0D45]

I recieved two suggestions for possible work arounds that included add ins. 

One required changing visual basic code, so that was a little daunting. At this time we are still doing the mail merges and making PDFs. We are then password protecting and sending them via email. Not as quick as it should be.

Thanks,

Heather

[ls_rbls]

I found this troubleshooting guide : https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/troubleshoot-acrobat-pdfmaker-problems-office.html

Not sure if it is useful to whatever is going on but is a good idea to check if you're missing any important troubleshooting steps.

[Brooke36557393mcyl]

Has a solution been found for this bug? The settings in the adobe acrobat PDF maker are not being applied to mail merges to PDF.  I need to be able to send out mail merges with hundreds of secured PDF files attached.

[ulfm40037188]

Hi, I'm trying to add an html signature into the "message text box" of the acrobat DC word serial email plugin. Seems it does not interpret html. Is there a way to get other things as plain text into the message text/body (with the attached individualized pdf)? Thanks! Ulf

[try67]

If you're interested, I've developed my own (paid-for) Mail Merge script for Acrobat, with some advanced features, including the option to automatically apply a security policy to the merged files, as well as automatically email them to the recipients, specify a file-name pattern, etc. You can find it here: http://try67.blogspot.com/2011/09/acrobat-mail-merge-and-email.html

[hopeful_person0D45]

Thank you. I'll check it out!