How to Create Active Links in PDF Documents

Create active links in PDF files using Adobe Acrobat.

Portable Document Format (PDF) files are sent electronically to others, whether published to a webpage or distributed via email. That's why it's important to create working links that will allow users to view relevant webpages simply by clicking a hyperlink directly from the PDF file. You can do this in Adobe Acrobat, the software used to create and edit PDF files.

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Acrobat

Instructions

Create New Link

1. Open a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat.

2. Click the "Tools" menu.

3. Select "Advanced Editing," then "Link Tool." The "Link Tool" also is accessible in the Advanced Editing toolbar.

4. Scroll to an area on the document where you want to create an active link.

5. Click and drag your cursor to draw a rectangle. This is where the link will become active. The "Create Link Dialog Box" will appear.

6. Select "Open a Web Page" to enter a URL for the link. Here you can also choose to link to a page or another file. Select any other options for the link display. Click "OK."

Create Link from a Selection

1. Open a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat.

2. Click the "Tools" menu.

3. Select "Select & Zoom." Select either the "Select" tool or the "Snapshot" tool. Either will work.

4. Click and drag to select text or an image in the document that you want to use for a link.

5. Right-click and select "Create Link." Set the link options in the dialog box.

References

• Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Help: Create a Link