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thereshp26112598
New Participant
September 17, 2015
Answered

How to prevent PDF documents from being converted to word

  • September 17, 2015
  • 7 replies
  • 108132 views

Hi there,

I have created a PDF document and would like to prevent it from being converted to Word to ensure that my document cannot be copied.

How can I do this?

Thanks.

    Correct answer Tanvi Bhalla

    Hi Theresh,


    You can apply password security to restrcit editing on your document. Please follow the steps below:-

    1) Open the document in Acrobat.

    2) Right click on the document and click on "Document properties".

    3) Go to "Security" tab.

    4) Select "Password security" from security method.

    5) Click on "Change settings".

    6) Check the box which says "Restrict editing

    7) Un check all the other boxes.

    8) Clcik on "OK" and enter the password.

    9) Save the document.

    Now, this document can not be converted to word.

    Hope this helps!

    Thanks,

    Tanvi

    7 replies

    Roshan_Bhosale4909
    Roshan_Bhosale4909
    New Participant
    January 27, 2026

    Hi,

    Short answer: You cannot completely prevent a PDF from being converted to Word or copied.
    PDF is a display format, not a secure vault. Any file that can be opened can potentially be converted or captured in some way.

    However, you can reduce the risk significantly using these methods:

    1️⃣ Apply PDF Security Settings (Best First Step)

    • Set a password to restrict editing and copying

    • Disable text extraction and conversion
      This can be done in Adobe Acrobat under Protect → Encrypt → Restrict Editing.

    2️⃣ Convert Text to Images (Strong Protection)
    If the content is rasterized (text becomes images), Word conversion tools cannot extract editable text.
    Downside: Search and accessibility will be lost.

    3️⃣ Add Watermarks or Digital Signatures
    This discourages misuse and helps track unauthorized copies.

    4️⃣ Use Flattened PDFs or Print-to-PDF
    Flattening layers removes editable structure, making conversion harder.

    Important Note:
    No method is 100% secure. Someone can always take screenshots, OCR the text, or use advanced tools.

    If you want to explore free tools and techniques to secure and manage PDFs, you can check this guide and tools here:
    👉 https://propdftool.com/

    It includes PDF protection, conversion, and utility tools that help you control document usage better.

    Hope this helps!

    O
    owais_0601
    New Participant
    March 7, 2025

    Hi everyone! 
    Great tips on securing PDFs – super helpful! I’d also like to share that if you’re looking for a free, user-friendly PDF tool (especially for Arabic documents), check out ARPDF www.arpdf.com

    It’s an all-in-one solution for editing, converting, and securing your PDFs easily. Give it a try and let me know what you think! Cheers!

    B
    bigbangger
    New Participant
    August 9, 2023

    Hi,

    Do you consider the option of zipping the file and adding password protection? If your intention is to make it viewable to the public without requiring a download, you could explore techniques such as Canvas preview and server-side PDF rendering mechanisms.

     

    T
    Test Screen Name
    Brainiac
    September 17, 2015

    Please pay close attention to the warning you get about third party products. It is true, and makes your activity almost (not quite) pointless.

    L
    leonardo220581239ctm
    New Participant
    December 2, 2021

    Yes, if you upload the file to websites like www.ilovepdf.com you can extract a word document in 1 second. So the protection is useless.

    U
    UYEN259598985tab
    New Participant
    September 5, 2022

    Dear Leonardo,

    I have the same situation. After protect my pdf, but just 1 second later my pdf is being converted.

    So there is any other way that I can protect my document and prevent people to convert it? 

    T
    Community Manager
    Tanvi BhallaCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
    Community Manager
    September 17, 2015

    Hi Theresh,


    You can apply password security to restrcit editing on your document. Please follow the steps below:-

    1) Open the document in Acrobat.

    2) Right click on the document and click on "Document properties".

    3) Go to "Security" tab.

    4) Select "Password security" from security method.

    5) Click on "Change settings".

    6) Check the box which says "Restrict editing

    7) Un check all the other boxes.

    8) Clcik on "OK" and enter the password.

    9) Save the document.

    Now, this document can not be converted to word.

    Hope this helps!

    Thanks,

    Tanvi

      T
      thereshp26112598Author
      New Participant
      September 17, 2015

      Dear Tanvi and Rahul,

      Presumably, this can only be done in Acrobat DC Professional & not DC Reader?

      Thanks,

      Theresh

      T
      Community Manager
      Tanvi BhallaCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      September 17, 2015

      Yes, that's true.

      As Acrobat Reader is just used to view PDF, you will not be able to modify the properties of any PDF. We offer Acrobat PRO DC on a free 30 days trial. You can try it and see if you wish to buy it for future use.

      Download free trial for Acrobat PRO DC from the link below:-

      Download Adobe Acrobat free trial | Acrobat Pro DC

      Hope this helps!

      Thanks,

      Tanvi

      Bernd Alheit
      Bernd Alheit
      Community Expert
      September 17, 2015

      How did you create the PDF document? Do you use Adobe Acrobat?

      RahulTyagi_
      Community Manager
      RahulTyagi_Community Manager
      Community Manager
      September 17, 2015

      Hi thereshp26112598,

      You can set Password on your document to restrict editing and copying of the document, and unless the other users don't know the password, they won't be able to copy content or convert to word format.

      Please refer the following Link for detailed information on how to set passwords on pdf files : Use security permissions to protect PDF files | Adobe Acrobat DC tutorials

      Regards,

      Rahul

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