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GES-Design
Known Participant
August 29, 2011
Answered

Interactive buttons not working when exporting to PDF

  • August 29, 2011
  • 7 replies
  • 140076 views

I have been trying all morning to get buttons to work in my PDF. I make an object a button and then give it some actions but when I export to PDF I get a message saying that the Go To actions have been disabled. This is so simple. Why is it not working?

    Correct answer Schiemer

    SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE !!!

    1.  Make a Bookmark for each page in the document using the Bookmarks window.

    2. Use the "Go To Destination" action under Buttons and Forms. This then shows a dropdown for Destinations and shows all the Bookmarks you make.  Select the page book mark you want per button.

    3.  In this window you can also set you button states.

    4.  Export as interactive and the PDF will work perfectly.

    Here is an example that has a button at the bottom of each page for easy navigation through the document and a full Table of Contents on page 2. 

    Download this file and you can see how it works after it is exported using this method:

    http://dejoriacenter.com/clone/DJC-Production_&_Technical_Information_2017.pdf

    7 replies

    gökçekozak07
    gökçekozak07
    Participant
    July 19, 2019

    Hello there

    buttons do not work when I export interactive pdf. I choose go to destination as a button. Can you help me.

    versiyon: Indesign 14.0.2

    Derek Cross
    Community Expert
    Derek CrossCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 20, 2019

    Use hyperlinks.

      J
      julians24124784
      Inspiring
      February 4, 2019

      I had the same issue, for me the problem turned out to be that the document name may not contain spaces in order for "Go to destination" to work in a interactive pdf.

      S
      SchiemerCorrect answer
      Inspiring
      December 14, 2016

      SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE !!!

      1.  Make a Bookmark for each page in the document using the Bookmarks window.

      2. Use the "Go To Destination" action under Buttons and Forms. This then shows a dropdown for Destinations and shows all the Bookmarks you make.  Select the page book mark you want per button.

      3.  In this window you can also set you button states.

      4.  Export as interactive and the PDF will work perfectly.

      Here is an example that has a button at the bottom of each page for easy navigation through the document and a full Table of Contents on page 2. 

      Download this file and you can see how it works after it is exported using this method:

      http://dejoriacenter.com/clone/DJC-Production_&_Technical_Information_2017.pdf

        creativedharma
        creativedharma
        Participating Frequently
        April 16, 2017

        THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

        Was losing my mind when I found your solution.

          B
          Ben_s_Mom_Tracie
          Participant
          December 14, 2016

          Same problem. I'm using InDesign on the Creative Cloud.

          Buttons not working when I export as an interactive PDF.

          Oddly enough, when I use the "Publish online" option, they do work.

            BobLevine
            Community Expert
            BobLevineCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            December 14, 2016

            What are these button supposed to be doing? How are you testing the PDF?

            B
            Ben_s_Mom_Tracie
            Participant
            December 14, 2016

            They're supposed to be nav buttons for slideshows I'm creating. I'm testing the PDF by viewing it in Adobe Reader.

            R
            rachela1774510
            Participant
            May 8, 2016

            If you make each of the pages into a hyperlink destination using the Hyperlink palette, you can then use "go to destination" instead of "go to page" and select one of the destinations you've just created. This worked fine when exported to PDF.

            S
            Schiemer
            Inspiring
            November 14, 2016

            I figured I would respond to this since I found a solution.  Rachela is right and you can use "Go To Destination", but instead of using a Hyperlink, go to each page and make a bookmark for each page (a bit annoying) but this works to make the PDF advance to the correct page that you named in your bookmarks, just like the "Go To Page" should work.  Then, export as Interactive and it's all good.

              tobya18487493
              tobya18487493
              Participant
              December 15, 2015

              Had the same issue. Didn't have any luck with the hyperlink solution (and the hyperlink destination appeared to refer to my own desktop etc so may not have worked elsewhere).
              I solved it by working within Acrobat (on the finished PDF) and using the 'Go to View' button action. This prompts you to choose a page as well as a zoom level then set the 'link'.

              Pity this can't be set in InDesign though

              Steve Werner
              Community Expert
              Steve WernerCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              August 29, 2011

              First tell us what operating system you're using and what version of InDesign.

              G
              GES-DesignAuthor
              Known Participant
              August 29, 2011

              I'm on 10.6.8 and CS5.

              J
              jputnamcreative
              Participant
              January 7, 2016

              Sorry I guess I'm not explaining myself well. I know how to make a button but when I export the PDF I get the error I've mentioned. All I need to to do are make next and previous page buttons but InDesign keeps disabling them. Give it a try. I'm not using the SWF actions. I am using the first set of action in the Pull Down menu in the Buttons window. See if it works for you. Make a button give it the Go To Next Page action, export it to Interactive PDF and see if it works. It's not working for me.


              I believe Go to Page buttons only work in Epub, not PDF. To me, it seems ridiculous to me that Adobe hasn't integrated every single function of INDD PDF creation into their own platform.

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