Sometimes, you might have a situation where the hyperlinks in PDFs don't work. And we understand that it can be quite frustrating. It can happen for a variety of reasons. However, it's important to fix the problem so that users can access the intended content. Although it sounds difficult to solve the issue, it's actually not. In fact, most of the time, you can fix it by yourself and within just a few seconds.
In this article, we will show you five of the main reasons why a hyperlink may not work properly. Moreover, we will discuss the solution to these issues as well so that you can easily fix the problem all by yourself. So, without further ado, let's get started!
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5 Reasons Why Your PDF Hyperlinks Aren’t Working
It's important to consider a range of potential reasons for the malfunctioning hyperlinks. Five of the most important factors that may contribute to the issue of hyperlinks not working with PDFs are as follows:
1. Incorrect Link or URL
The most common reason is that the hyperlink has been changed or added incorrectly. Maybe someone has accidentally deleted or modified the URL or path, or the PDF link was created incorrectly in the first place. Moreover, sometimes the links are spelled incorrectly, and therefore, the hyperlink will not work.
2. Internet Connection
Hyperlinks won't work if your device isn't connected to the internet. This is because PDF hyperlinks need to connect to a server to work. If you don't have internet, the link in the file will not open.
3. Missing https:// or http://
64-bit PowerPoint cannot play MOV files, and there is no 64-bit QuickTime for Windows. That's why you get the "QuickTime not available" error in PowerPoint 2007 and 64-bit Office 2010. If the hyperlink in a PDF is not working, it might be because of the encryption issues. HTTPS uses SSL encryption, while the others don't.
4. Auto Link Detection Not Supported
Hyperlinks in a file may not work on all devices because not all PDF apps support automatic link detection. For example, the Mac "Preview app" and "Adobe Reader" for Android and iOS don't support automatic link detection. It means that you may need to manually add links to your PDFs if you want them to work on these devices.
5. Faulty Conversion Process
You should keep in mind that links may not be converted automatically when converting files to PDF. That's because the setting may not be turned on in the conversion tool. In Acrobat, you can find this setting in the Preferences section under General. If this setting is not selected, the hyperlinks in your converted files will not work.
5 Ways To Fix Hyperlinks In A PDF
Now that we know about various reasons why a hyperlink may not work properly, it's time to learn the tricks to solve these issues. This section discusses how to fix broken hyperlinks in PDFs. It covers a range of solutions, from simple ones, such as checking the correctness of your hyperlinks, to more advanced solutions.
As such, no matter if you are a beginner or an experienced user, you will be able to solve these issues with ease! The solutions are as follows:
1. Check The Link Or Path
If a PDF hyperlink is not working, it is most likely because the URL or path you have entered in your file is incorrect. However, it's easy to solve this issue. You just need to check if the link you have in the PDF is correct or not.
To check this, copy the hyperlink URL and paste it into a browser. If the link doesn't work in the browser, then you need to find the correct URL and replace the incorrect one.
2. Check Your Internet Connection
Don't just sit and complain about the platform if your PDF hyperlinks aren't working, because it won't solve your issue! In fact, it's better if you first check your internet connection. So before attempting any solution, we recommend you to ensure a stable internet connection for efficient work.
3. Replace Or Add https:// Or http://
No website URL is complete without the basic portion of "https://" or "http://." So, if a website URL in a PDF file is missing this portion, the hyperlink will not work. In such a case, add it to make the link clickable.
4. Add A New Hyperlink to the Existing Anchor Text
If your PDF link is not working, you can use a PDF editor to add the link again. This will keep the original content of the document but make the link clickable. The steps to add, edit, and remove PDF hyperlinks are pretty simple, and you will just need a good PDF editor installed on your device.
5. Change The Program You’re Using
You should keep in mind that not all PDF tools can automatically detect PDF hyperlinks. If yours doesn't, you can use a different tool that does. For example, you can install an external app for Mac instead of Preview or use a free application from the Google Play Store for Android, instead of Adobe Reader on your smartphone.