Bookmarks problem

[rick35165374onv4]

I have created a document in Microsoft 365 (Word). It uses bookmarks and links extensively. The bookmarks and links work properly in Word.

I save it as a PDF. But then the problems start.

I view the PDF document in Adobe Reader (no updates are available or so it reports). The bookmarks appear (and work) in the body of the document. When I click the Bookmarks icon a pane appears, headed Bookmarks, but there are no bookmarks listed!

Much of the online help refers to the old interface for Reader but when I switch to that, the Bookmarks icon is missing.

Sorry, but I can't attach the file; it's proprietary.

What am I doing wrong? Or, what is Reader doing wrong? Or is it the save in Word that is causing problems?

[try67]

> Or is it the save in Word that is causing problems?

Most likely, yes. Reader is not involved in the process of creating the file. It just displays it.

If you could generate a sample file without the proprietary information (but with bookmarks and links) and share it here we could give you a definite answer, though.

[rick35165374onv4]

Here's a file that shows the problem. Bookmarks exist in the document, Reader recognizes and uses them, but they do not appear in the Bookmarks pane.

[try67]

This file contains links that seem to work, but no bookmarks (the two are not the same). You need to look at the preferences of the Word PDF-saving command to see if this can be enabled there. It has nothing to do with Reader.

[stanc66866704]

I also had this problem and after some searching found the solution below that worked for me.

In Word 365 go to File/Options/Advanced, scroll down to Show document content and make sure Show Bookmarks is checked.
After doing this the saved PDF file sould display the bookmarks.

[wworld]

I have a similar problem. I genereate the PDF with the Adobe addin, the bookmarks appear, but they do not link to the document. 

I've made sure the show bookmarks setting is on in Word.

I took a test portion of the 250 page document, geenerated the PDF the same way, and the bookmarks and its links work  for that piece correctly. Clearly there is something in the full document that is making it hiccup. 

I really don't want to have to create close to 300 bookmarks manually, any suggestions what hidden thing might be messing the pdf generation up?

[wworld]

So I just went in and deleted a duplicate heading, reran it and they work. So for anyone else having an issue, the document could have any number of glitches but this is what I had. Good luck all.