Broken links in export to PDF

[ErinEdwardsTallahassee]

Hello all! I am hoping for some help. I have a project that is a group of chapters that are exported to PDFs and combined into one PDF. Each chapter is its own file and I've created links in the table of contents and cross references with text anchors. The links are fine in each individual PDF but when I combine the PDFs, the links either don't work or open the individual PDF files instead of linking to that area of the combined PDF. I definitely have checked to include the hyperlinks in the export. 

I am using InDesign 16.3 x64 and Windows 10 pro. I've tried using Acrobat DC and XI and have the same issues. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Ashutosh_Mishra]

Hi Erin,

Sorry to hear about your experience. If I get is correctly, you only see this issue when you combine all PDF documents. Is that correct? Do you see this behavior with this specific file only? Would you be able to share a sample file with us? 

This will help us understand the issue better and assist you accordingly.

Regards,

Ashutosh

[Migintosh]

If each chapter is a different InDesign file, are you using the book feature?

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

If I understand, you have several PDF files with external links (to each other) and you are combining them. You are hoping that the links will be remade so they link to the pages in the newly combined PDF. I can tell you for sure that this will not happen. You need to make a single PDF up front (indeed, perhaps with InDesign Books).

[Laubender]

Hi Erin,

yes, as already suggested: the workflow should be the following:

Add all four documents to a book file and export the book to PDF.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[ErinEdwardsTallahassee]

Thank you so much everyone! Using the book feature was the answer. 

You guys are rockstars!