Links in PDF Not Working? Common Reasons and How To Fix Them

You’re not the only one who’s clicked a link in a PDF only to have nothing happen.

It’s a small issue—but a frustrating one—that can make a simple task harder than it should be. Luckily, there are a few common causes, and once you know what to look for, the fix is usually quick and easy.

• Check for typos or missing “https://” in URLs.

• Don’t “Print to PDF”—use “Save As PDF” instead.

• Re-export from the original file to preserve links.

• Try opening in another PDF viewer.

• If restricted, use Unlock PDF (with permission) to re-enable links.

It sounds obvious, but a tiny mistake in the URL can be all it takes to break a link. If even one letter is wrong, or if the link is missing the “http://” or “https://” at the beginning, your browser could return an error, or your PDF viewer might not recognize it as a clickable link. Even extra spaces or punctuation at the end of a URL can cause problems.

Common URL mistakes to check for:

• Missing HTTP or HTTPS protocol at the beginning

• Extra spaces before or after the URL

• Wrong punctuation marks (periods, commas) at the end

• Broken redirects or outdated links

• Typos in the domain name or path

If PDF links not working is an issue you’re facing, the first thing to check is whether the original links were correct before you even converted the document.

Next step: Use the converter below to upload your Word file and export it to PDF with clickable links preserved

Not all PDF creators handle links the same way. If you’ve ever used Word or other software to create a PDF with links, only for the links to not work, this could be why. 

Some programs don’t always transfer hyperlinks correctly when exporting to PDF. And if the links were only styled to look like hyperlinks—like underlined blue text—but weren’t actually linked, they won’t work after conversion.

The biggest mistake people make is using “Print to PDF” instead of “Save As PDF” or “Export as PDF.”

When you print to PDF, you’re essentially creating a flattened image of your document, which removes all interactive elements including hyperlinks. This is why Word to PDF links not working is such a common problem.

The right way to convert:

• In Word: Go to “File,” “Save As,” and choose “PDF” as the format

• In Excel: “File,” then “Export,” and choose “Create PDF/XPS”

• In PowerPoint: “File,” then “Export,” and “Create PDF/XPS”

When saving from Office apps, make sure to check the “Document structure tags for accessibility” option. This preserves the interactive elements of your document, including hyperlinks. You’ll find this option in the Options dialog when saving as PDF.

Our PDF Converter preserves all hyperlinks automatically when converting Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. It’s designed specifically to maintain document interactivity, so you don’t have to worry about losing your links during conversion.

Correctly formatted and error-free clickable links should work in every PDF viewer. But if you find this not to be the case, especially when opening a PDF in a browser such as Chrome, it might be because of security settings or browser extensions interfering with the file.

Quick test: Try opening your PDF in Preview on macOS or using our PDF Reader instead of Chrome or Edge. Built-in browser PDF viewers often have limitations that dedicated PDF readers don’t. If links work in other apps but not in your browser, you’ve found your problem.

Browser extensions and corrupted cache files can interfere with PDF links. Here’s how to troubleshoot:

For Chrome:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open Clear browsing data (⌘+Shift+Delete on macOS)

2. Select “Cached images and files” and click Clear data

3. Try opening your PDF in an incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N)

For Edge:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete.

2. Check “Cached images and files” and click Clear now.

3. Test in InPrivate browsing mode.

This can be even more of a problem on mobile—whether you’re on Android or iPhone—because some PDF viewers still don’t support automatic link detection. Many mobile PDF apps struggle with hyperlink recognition, especially for URLs that weren’t properly formatted during conversion.

Mobile solutions: Try a dedicated PDF reader app, these sometimes have better link detection than built-in viewers. On iPhone, the default Preview app works better than third-party readers for PDFs with links.

If a PDF has strict security settings, it can block links from working. Some documents are locked to prevent changes, and those same settings can also disable links. If your links in a PDF won’t open no matter what, check the document’s security settings for permissions that might be too restrictive.

How to check if security settings are the problem:

1. Right-click on the PDF and select “Properties” or “Document Properties.”

2. Click the “Security” tab.

3. Look for “Content Copying” and “Page Extraction” permissions

If these show “Not Allowed,” the document may be blocking links too.

If you have permission to modify the PDF or if the restrictions aren’t legally required, you can try to remove them. Our Unlock PDF tool might be able to remove restrictions if the encryption isn’t too strong. Only use this for documents you own or have explicit permission to modify.

Beyond the main causes, there are a few other edge cases that can prevent PDF links from working properly.

Sometimes, links work just fine when you test them, but as soon as you send the PDF as an email attachment, they stop working. An email link in PDF not working can happen because email clients like Gmail or Outlook sometimes modify attachments for security reasons, which can interfere with hyperlinks. If the PDF was compressed or altered during sending, that could be the issue.

If your PDF file got corrupted during transfer or storage, links might stop working even if they were fine originally. Signs of corruption include: 

• Links that worked before suddenly don’t

• Random display issues

• Error messages when opening the file

Quick fixes: Try re-downloading the PDF if you got it online, or re-export it from the original document if you created it. Sometimes a simple “Save As” to create a new copy can fix minor corruption issues.

Ready to fix your PDF links? Start your free trial to access all Smallpdf tools—including our PDF Converter that preserves hyperlinks every time.