Word can bring in a PDF in two different ways: convert it into editable Word content, or embed it as a fixed object for viewing and printing. Choosing the right method avoids most PDF-in-Word frustration.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, and Word 2019 on Windows. Word for Mac has important limits: it cannot use the same PDF text conversion or Windows-style PDF object embedding workflow.
Convert the PDF into editable Word text
Use this when you need to edit, copy, or reformat the PDF content.
- Click where the PDF content should appear, or open the PDF directly as a new document.
- To insert into an existing file, open Insert > Object and choose Text from File.
- Select the PDF and click Insert.
- Let Word convert the PDF into editable content.
- Review the result and fix layout, columns, fonts, and spacing as needed.
This works best with PDFs that already contain real text. Scanned PDFs made from images need OCR first because Word cannot read text that does not exist as a text layer.
Embed the PDF as a fixed object
Use this when the PDF should stay intact and uneditable inside the document.
- Click where the PDF should appear.
- Open Insert > Object.
- Choose Create from File.
- Browse to the PDF.
- Click Insert, then OK.
Word shows the first page as a static preview. Double-clicking opens the embedded PDF in the default PDF viewer. The other pages are inside the object, but they do not appear inline on the Word page.
More control
Mac workaround
On Mac, open the PDF in Preview, export or screenshot pages as images, then insert them with Insert > Pictures. If readers only need access to the file, add a hyperlink to the PDF instead.
Display as icon
In the Object dialog, choose Display as icon if you want a small PDF icon instead of a page preview. Double-clicking the icon opens the embedded file.
Show every page inline
If every PDF page must be visible in the Word document, convert the PDF to text or insert each page as a separate image. Embedded objects preview only the first page.
Choose based on the goal
Use conversion for editable wording. Use embedding or images when the PDF must keep its exact appearance.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Insert a PDF file as an object in a Word document (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Insert content from a document into another (2024)
- Microsoft Support – Edit PDF content in Word (2025)