Word to PDF Hyperlinks Not Working? 4 Fixes for Mac & Windows

Is your Word to PDF hyperlinks not working? You have changed your Word document to PDF but the links are not working in it.

There can be various reasons your hyperlinks in PDF are not working. But, changing the PDF tool for converting and reading can resolve the issue. Otherwise, you can edit the links and update the tool to resolve the issue.

Let's delve into the details.

Part 1: Why Are Word-to-PDF Hyperlinks Not Working?

Start with the symptom. It tells you whether the problem is in the Word file, the conversion, or the PDF reader.

Before changing anything, click the same link in the original .docx file. Then open the exported PDF in a second capable PDF reader. This two-minute test prevents you from rebuilding links that are already present.

Part 2: 4 Ways to Fix Word to PDF Hyperlinks Not Working on Mac and Windows

I am going to tell you four methods of fixing Word to PDF hyperlinks on Mac and Windows. The four methods are:

• Using another tool to Convert Word to PDF.
• Use another PDF reader.
• Edit Word Links.
• Update the PDF reader.

So now, let's delve into the details of these methods with pictures so that you can apply them without any difficulty.

Way 1.  Use Another Tool to Convert Word to PDF Again.

You have used a PDF converter to convert Word to PDF but your hyperlinks are not working in your PDF file. It can mean that your PDF converter has an issue and you should change it. Here, we suggest you use the UPDF tool for Windows and Mac. This tool has different features such as PDF editing, reading, converting, and much more. It is an all-in-one PDF solution that can handle your PDF files perfectly.  

So, how can you convert your Word to PDF file again with this tool to fix Word to PDF links not working issues? Well, you should follow the step-by-step method to do it.

1. Download the UPDF on your Mac or Windows via the below button.

2. Now, open the app and choose "Tools".
3. Click on "Other" and go to "PDF from Word". Choose any Word document you want to change into PDF.

4. When you open the file, it will be in PDF format. Click "Save" from the right panel.

That's it! After doing all these steps, you will have a new PDF file whose hyperlinks are working.

Way 2. Use Another Tool to Read the PDF

If the first method doesn't work, it may be the reason that you are not using the correct PDF readers. There are a lot of PDF readers who don't support hyperlinks. So, if you are reading PDF files from them, you may be unable to get clickable links. Here, we are again going to suggest you use UPDF. We recently used it for general reading of PDF files. It allows you to zoom in or out, jump to the page you want, and present your PDF as slideshow. Moreover, it is not only a PDF reader, but also a PDF editor, converter, compressor and more.

Moreover, it has integrate with AI feature. So, you will not only enjoy PDF reading with active hyperlinks, but can also ask AI to summarize, translate, and explain the PDF file. Due to these features, we are suggesting UPDF to you. Now, we are going to discuss the method of reading general PDF files with UPDF.

1. Download the UPDF app via the below button. Click on the "Open File" button on the interface. Or, you can also drag the file directly into the user interface.

2. When you open your file, now, you can click the hyperlinks in the PDF and it can work well.

That's it! These are the steps to fix the PDF hyperlinks not working issues.

Way 3. Edit Word Links

If you have done the first two methods, and are still unable to resolve your issue. Then, you should go for editing the Word links. It can happen that you have put corrupted or incomplete links in your Word document.

To check your links, you can copy-paste them in the search bar of your Chrome. If the original website opens, then there is no issue with your link. But, if they don't, it means that your link is corrupted or fake.

And, it can happen that sometimes you miss the "www" and "https" parts of the link while adding them to your Word document. This missing part can also make your link broken and non-clickable. So, you should also make sure that you have added a complete link to the document.

To fix hyperlinks in PDF not working because of this reason, you can open the original word file, and update the hyperlinks via right clicking on the link and choose edit the hyperlink to update the links. Once done, you can use UPDF to create PDF from the Word.

Way 4. Update the PDF Reader

The fourth method is to update your PDF reader. Sometimes, your PDF reader has an old version so you need to update it. It is easy to update PDF reader. Taking UPDF as example, you can go into the Help section and can find the check for update option there. Or, you can download the latest version UPDF from the below button. 

FAQs

Conclusion

When Word-to-PDF hyperlinks are not working, diagnose the failure before reconverting the document. If every link disappeared, use Word's Save As/Export workflow and avoid Best for printing on Mac. If the PDF works in another reader, troubleshoot the first viewer. If only certain destinations are broken, repair them in Word or add the missing annotations directly in UPDF.

For a final PDF whose layout is already approved, download UPDF for free to test, add, or correct its links—installation is free, and Pro removes the trial watermark from exported files.

Before sharing the PDF, click at least one external URL, one email link, and one internal page link if the document contains them. A 30-second check is easier than recalling a proposal, résumé, report, or client handout after distribution.