How to use Word to PDF
Convert a .docx file to PDF in your browser, preserving fonts, colors, headings, images, and hyperlinks. Useful for sending a final-form copy that can't be edited, producing a print-ready file, or archiving a .docx in a format that won't change with future Word versions. Runs locally — your document never leaves the tab.
Good for
- •Sending a contract or report where the recipient shouldn't be able to edit
- •Producing a print-ready file from a .docx
- •Archiving a .docx in a format that won't change with future Word versions
- •Submitting forms or applications that require PDF format
- •Locking down a final version before sharing with a wider audience
Not good for
- •Documents with cross-references or table of contents that need live updating
- •Files using Office 365 cloud features (Online Comments, Co-authoring annotations)
- •Heavy macros or embedded Excel/PowerPoint objects (they get stripped)
- •Files relying on Word's auto-update fields (dates, doc properties) — values are frozen at conversion time
Walkthrough
Step by step
- 01
Drop the .docx
Tools menu → Word to PDF. Files up to 25 MB are supported. .doc (older binary format) gets a 'please re-save as .docx' prompt.
- 02
Extract + lay out
We parse the .docx XML to pull paragraphs, headings, lists, tables, images, and inline formatting, then re-flow them into a PDF with a real searchable text layer.
- 03
Pick page settings
Inherit from .docx (default — matches Word's page setup), or override to A4 / Letter / Legal. Margins follow suit.
- 04
Preview
First 3 pages render side-by-side against a Word reference render so you can verify font matching and layout before committing.
- 05
Convert
Click Convert. Progress bar shows per-page. Typical 20-page document converts in 3–5 seconds.
- 06
Download
Filename keeps your original .docx name with a .pdf suffix. The original is untouched.
Tips
- •Want hyperlinks to remain clickable in the PDF? They do — link annotations are preserved during conversion.
- •Page breaks in the .docx are honored. Soft line breaks inside a paragraph stay inside the paragraph.
- •Accept all tracked changes in Word first if you want a clean PDF — otherwise the changes render as visible markup.
- •Custom fonts that aren't embedded in the .docx fall back to the closest match. For perfect fidelity, embed the font in Word (File → Options → Save → Embed fonts) before exporting.
- •Large images bloat the PDF. If size matters, compress images in Word first (Picture Tools → Compress Pictures) or run the output through our Compress PDF tool.
Frequently asked
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