The simplest way: insert the PDF as a link
The fastest method is to insert a link to the PDF file rather than embedding it inside the Word document itself. This keeps your Word file smaller and ensures anyone who opens it sees the most current version of the PDF.
Open your Word document and place your cursor where you want the link to appear. Go to the Insert tab at the top, then click Link (or press Ctrl+K on Windows, Command+K on Mac). A dialog box opens. Click Browse or Current Folder, navigate to your PDF file, select it, and click Insert. Word creates a clickable link — readers can click it to open the PDF in their default PDF viewer.
This method works best when you control where the PDF lives — on a shared drive, a cloud folder like OneDrive or Google Drive, or your company server. If you move or delete the PDF later, the link breaks.
Key Takeaways
- Inserting a link (Insert > Link) is the fastest method and keeps your Word file small, but the PDF must stay in the same location or the link breaks.
- Embedding the PDF (Insert > Object > Create from File) puts the entire PDF inside the Word document, so it travels with the file but makes the document much larger.
- On Windows, you can embed a PDF and edit it directly in Word; on Mac, embedded PDFs open in a separate viewer and cannot be edited within Word.
- If you only need to show the PDF's content, converting it to images and pasting them into Word is simpler than embedding, though it takes more steps.
Embedding the PDF so it travels with your document
If you need the PDF to stay attached no matter where the Word file goes, embed it instead. This puts the entire PDF inside the document — useful when you are sending the file to someone else or archiving it.
Go to the Insert tab, then click Object (on Mac, this is under Insert > Object; on Windows, look for Object in the Text group). A dialog box opens. Click the Create from File tab, then Browse to find your PDF. Select it and click Insert. Word embeds the PDF as an icon or preview inside your document.
The tradeoff is file size — embedding a PDF makes your Word document significantly larger. A 5 MB PDF will add roughly 5 MB to your Word file. If you are emailing the document or uploading it to a system with file limits, this matters.
Editing an embedded PDF on Windows versus Mac
On Windows, if you double-click an embedded PDF, it opens in Word itself and you can edit it directly — change text, add annotations, adjust images. The changes stay in the embedded version. This is a real advantage if you need to make quick edits without opening a separate PDF editor.
On Mac, double-clicking an embedded PDF opens it in your default PDF viewer (usually Preview or Adobe Reader), not in Word. You cannot edit it from there and have the changes stick to the embedded version. If you need to edit the PDF, you have to do it in a separate process, then re-embed the updated file.
This difference matters if you work on a team with mixed devices. A Windows user can embed a PDF and edit it in Word; a Mac user on the same team cannot do the same thing with that embedded file.
Converting the PDF to images if embedding causes problems
Sometimes embedding does not work cleanly — the PDF looks garbled, the file becomes too large, or you need to edit specific pages. Converting the PDF to images and pasting them into Word is a workaround that gives you more control.
Open the PDF in a free tool like ILovePDF.com or Smallpdf.com and convert it to JPG or PNG images. read the images, then go back to your Word document, place your cursor where you want the image, and go to Insert > Pictures > This Device. Select the image file and click Insert. Repeat for each page of the PDF if needed.
The advantage is that images display consistently across Windows and Mac, and you can resize or crop them directly in Word. The disadvantage is that the text in the images is no longer searchable, and if the PDF has many pages, you end up with a very long document.
Sharing a document with an embedded PDF
When you send a Word document with an embedded PDF to someone else, they receive the entire package — the Word file and the PDF inside it. They do not need the original PDF file on their computer.
However, if you are sharing through a cloud service like OneDrive, SharePoint, or Google Drive, consider whether a link is better. A link lets multiple people view the same PDF without creating duplicate copies. If the PDF changes, everyone sees the update. With embedding, each person who downloads the document gets their own copy, and updates do not sync.
When to use each method
Use a link when the PDF is stored on a shared drive or cloud service that everyone on your team can access, or when the PDF is likely to change and you want readers to always see the latest version.
Use embedding when you are sending the document to someone outside your organization, archiving it for records, or the PDF is final and will not change. Use images when the PDF is short, you need to edit specific pages, or embedding creates technical problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit text inside an embedded PDF in Word?
On Windows, yes — double-click the embedded PDF and Word opens it for editing. On Mac, no — the PDF opens in a separate viewer. To edit on Mac, you need a PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat or Preview, or you can edit the original PDF file and re-embed it.
What happens to the link if I move the PDF to a different folder?
The link breaks. Word cannot find the file and shows an error when someone clicks it. If you use links, keep the PDF in a stable location — a shared drive or cloud folder that does not move around.
Does embedding a PDF increase the file size a lot?
Yes, roughly by the size of the PDF itself. A 10 MB PDF will add about 10 MB to your Word document. If file size is a concern, use a link instead or convert the PDF to images and compress them.
Can I embed multiple PDFs in one Word document?
Yes, repeat the Insert > Object > Create from File process for each PDF. Each one becomes a separate embedded object in the document. Be aware that multiple large PDFs will make the Word file very large.
What if the PDF does not show a preview when I embed it?
Some PDFs embed as an icon rather than a preview. Double-click the icon to open the PDF. This is normal and does not mean the embedding failed — it just depends on the PDF format and your Word settings.