Are You Worried About Hyperlinks Not Working in PDF? Get 5 Workable Solutions Here!
PDF format is widely known for composing and reading documents from around the world. It has standardized computer reading, formats, and technology. One of the most important elements of PDF documents is hyperlinks. They help to establish trust and credibility online by linking one document to another or with some other authorized article available online.
But sometimes, you may face some issues while trying to visit these hyperlinks in your PDF which can ruin the page’s performance, reliability, and eventually the ranking.
What can be the reason behind such an error, and how can it be eliminated? Let’s find all the answers in this comprehensive guide.
What is a Hyperlink?
A hyperlink is a source of linking one document to another and can appear in many forms like texts, images, URLs, and controls (for example, a button or arrow).
These links play a prominent role in PDF format documents to add authority to the text, boost page views, improve SEO performance, and a high conversion rate with action words.
Reasons for Hyperlinks Not Working in PDF
Various possible reasons that might be protecting hyperlinks from establishing a chain of files and causing delays to productivity are as follows:
Invalid URL
One of the most common reasons why hyperlinks are inactive is the placement of incorrect URLs. That’s why users are always advised to check the URL, to avoid the misplacement of addresses and problems in accessing the source. A typo or technical error could exist, such as the address not including “http://” or “http://.”
Check the Connection
Is your computer connected to the internet? Sometimes, the most basic cause is overlooked. When a hyperlink in a PDF doc is not opening, a disconnected server can also be the reason. The link will open in the browser with a blank page.
PDF Reader’s Settings
Most PDF Readers like iTop PDF and others have the settings to restrict the external links to work due to the safety and security purpose of your data and device. This can be updated by changing the preferences.
Using Different Devices
Hyperlinks may not work in a document because the software does not identify links automatically. While some links can work on some devices, they can’t work on others. A common example of incompatibility is Mac Preview on Mac and Adobe Reader on Android.
5 Troubleshooting Methods to Fix Non-Working Hyperlinks in PDF
Hyperlinks make the research and information collection process easier and generate more traffic to your page. However, their invalidity can lead to a negative slope in traffic and question the text’s authenticity. To deal with this, several effective solutions are given below:
Check the URL Path
The first thing that you can do is ensure the URL is correct or not. For this purpose, open the PDF and continue with these simple steps:
- Copy the disabled hyperlink URL.
- Open the web browser and paste the URL in the search bar.
- If the link is incorrect, the result will show, ‘This site can’t be reached’, so you can insert a new or updated link.
In case the link gets opened without any trouble, you can check for other possible fixes discussed further.
Reconnect to the Wi-Fi Server
The network error might be a very common issue behind the invalidity of a URL. So, you can either try to reconnect the server or switch to another stable internet connection. For this:
- Go to the Network and Internet settings of the device.
- Turn off Wi-Fi and then turn it on again.
- If there are still some issues, try to troubleshoot them.
- Most probably, the issue will be solved now, and you can try to visit the link from the PDF.
Note: If the current Wi-Fi option is facing interruption, switch to another available strong network.
Try with Another Device
For more confirmation, it is also advised to check the links on another device. So if the URL wasn’t working on Mac, then you can try to open the PDF on Windows. The link may be only intended to open with Windows.
Update the Program
If the hyperlink is misbehaving, it might be because your PDF reader is running on an older version. In such a case, you can update the software through the following process:
- Open the PDF Reader and look for the updates option that is given in the settings or menu bar.
- If any update is available, install it.
- Once the installation is finished, restart the program.
You can also turn on the ‘Automatic update download and install’ option from the settings so that you don’t have to face the hurdle of visiting the hyperlink and repeating the same process next time.
Use Third-party Tools
If none of the above-mentioned ways work, you can get help from some third-party PDF Editor software to edit or recreate hyperlinks. I prefer a tool that includes advanced editing features like PDF conversion, annotation, security, creation, page management, watermarking, and compression.
Occasionally, it is also found that a hyperlink doesn’t work in a PDF because the file is corrupted. In this case, access it with a different PDF Reader or, otherwise, recreate the PDF.
The Bottom Line
In this write-up, we not only talk about the problem of hyperlinks not working in PDF, but also deliver the applicable solutions. You can either try in-built troubleshooting techniques or rely on some third-party editor such as iTop PDF and others for easy and fast service.
However, while adding a hyperlink to your PDF, supervise it carefully as everybody with the PDF will be able to visit the link and check the information.
Read Next: How to Turn on Flash on iPhone? Latest Working Methods
FAQs
Ans: To enable a hyperlink in your PDF:
- Select the word or text that you want to hyperlink.
- Click Insert > Hyperlink > This Document > Headings.
- Choose the heading and Save the edited file document.
Ans: Simply create a new one or open the previously framed Excel file. Go to Files > Save As > Select the location > Switch the file format to PDF > Click on Save.
Ans: To make the PDF links workable, you can update Adobe Reader and disable pop-up blockers and security settings that might be restricting.
Ans: If the hyperlinks aren’t working on Android, update the PDF Reader app from the Play Store, check the internet connection, and also ensure the inserted URL is correct.
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