Last Updated on May 24, 2026
Two of the most common document formats in use these days are Microsoft Word documents and Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files with Google Docs files near the top as well. In general, it’s very easy to convert a Word document to a PDF document simply by using the print to PDF feature that is built into the Windows operating system. But getting the information from a PDF into a Word document is not as easy. Sure you can copy and paste between your PDF and Word documents but that might come out the way you want it to.
In this article, we will be showing you 3 ways to insert a PDF file into a Microsoft Word document. This way, you can keep the formatting of your PDF file intact and if your PDF file has many pages, you can still insert it without having to worry about your Word document getting too large as well. The method you use to insert a PDF file into a Microsoft Word document will vary depending on your goals so check out each one of these 3 methods and choose the one that works the best for you.
The method you use to insert a PDF file into a Microsoft Word document will vary depending on your goals so check out each one of these 3 methods and choose the one that works the best for you.
Method 1: Inserting a Single or Multiple Page PDF as an Image
1. Position Your Cursor in the Document
If your PDF file is only one page, you may find it easiest to insert that page into your document as an image so it can be viewed but not edited. Place your cursor within your Word document in the exact location where you want the PDF file to be placed. Word anchors the incoming file right at this blinking insertion point.
2. Open the Object Menu
Navigate your mouse up to the top ribbon and click the Insert tab. Look over to the far right side to find the Text group. Click on the Object drop down arrow and choose Object from the small menu. This action opens a new dialog box for embedding external files.
3. Select the Adobe Acrobat Document Format
On the next screen, you will see a long list of supported file types. Scroll down and choose Adobe Acrobat Document from the selection box. Click the OK button to confirm your choice. Word prepares the document canvas to receive the external PDF data.
4. Browse for Your PDF File
A file explorer window immediately pops up on your screen. You will then need to browse to the exact location of the PDF file that you want to insert into your Microsoft Word document. Highlight your chosen file and click the Open button.
5. Review the Inserted Image
Word will then open the PDF file in your default PDF viewer. You can simply close this out because you will not need to do anything with it there. You will now see that Word has inserted the PDF document as an image right on the page itself. You cannot edit any of the text or images within this PDF object.
6. Resize and Interact with the Object
You can easily resize the imported object or move it to a different location within your document. Click the corners of the image to scale it up or down. If you double click the image, it opens the full PDF file in your default PDF viewer application.
7. Handle Multi-Page Documents
You can also use this method for a multi-page PDF document which uses the exact same process. The main difference is that it will only show the first page of the PDF document as an image within your Word document. If your readers do not know that there is more than one page, they may think that the information they are seeing is the entire document. If you do use this method with a multi-page PDF document, you can still double click the image within Word and open the PDF file with your default PDF viewer and then scroll down to see the additional pages within that PDF file.
Method 2: Inserting a Single or Multiple Page PDF Icon
1. Choose to Display as an Icon
If you have a multi-page PDF file, you may want to use this method to ensure that your readers will see the additional pages. This will also work with single page PDF files. You will once again choose the Adobe Acrobat Document choice inside the Object menu. This time you will need to check the box that says Display as icon.
2. Change the Default Icon Art
It will use an Adobe Acrobat icon by default. You can change it to something else entirely if you click the Change icon button. To change the icon, you will need to have another icon file (.ico) saved on your computer to replace the default icon with.
3. Insert and Position the Icon
Once you click the OK button, you will see the Adobe Acrobat icon placed in your document where you had your cursor. Now when someone double clicks this icon, it will open the PDF file in their default PDF reader software so they can view the entire thing. You can also move the location of this icon within your text if you need to place it elsewhere within your document.
4. Adjust the Text Wrapping Settings
If you want to make the icon move freely, you can right click on it and choose Format AutoShape/Picture. Then you can change it to In front of text from the Layout tab. This makes it where you can drag the icon around on the page and place it directly on top of text or images without breaking the paragraph structure.
Method 3 – Inserting Your PDF as Text
1. Choose the Text from File Option
The last method involves converting the text and images from your PDF file and then placing it into your Microsoft Word document. The process is similar except this time you will choose Text from File rather than Object from the dropdown selection. Go to the Insert tab and click the small arrow next to the Object button to find this specific tool.
2. Wait for the Conversion Process
You will then see a message saying Word will convert your PDF to an editable Word document and it might take a while. Click OK to accept this prompt. How long this takes will depend on the size and number of pages in your PDF file. It usually does not take more than a minute or two for standard text documents.
3. Edit Your Newly Converted Text
When the process is complete, you will then see the text and images from your PDF file inserted directly into your Word document. You can now edit the text the exact same way as any other text that you typed yourself. Use your keyboard to add paragraphs, delete sentences, or change the font style.
4. Proofread for Conversion Errors
When using this method to insert a PDF into a Word document, you may find that some words do not get converted properly. Optical character recognition is rarely perfect. You will need to check the spelling and fix any strange line breaks manually. Read through the imported text carefully to ensure accuracy.
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