How to Create Buttons to Page Views in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat

This tutorial shows how to create buttons to page views in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat. A page view is the part of the PDF you see on your screen when you create the button link. Therefore, you can link the button to anything viewable in your PDF, such as a specific part of a page, a form, an image, or an embedded video.

We’ll also look at how to edit existing page view buttons and distribute buttons across multiple pages.

Quick Links:

How to Create Buttons to Page Views
How to Edit Page View Buttons
How to Distribute Page View Buttons across Multiple Pages

The process to create buttons to page views in PDF attachments and portfolios is more complex than the steps shown here, so we will cover that topic in a separate tutorial.

Before we begin…

What Is the Difference between Page View Buttons and Internal Links?

Page view buttons and internal links both help readers move to specific parts of your PDF. However, buttons can be duplicated in the same spot across every page or a specific page range. Internal links can’t be duplicated; however, they are easier to blend with the surrounding text.

To learn more about internal links, visit “How to Create Internal Links in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat.”

This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 150 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. The steps are the same in Adobe Acrobat Standard DC, Adobe Acrobat 2020, and Adobe Acrobat 2017. Adobe’s free PDF display software, Acrobat Reader, does not provide a way to create buttons. However, buttons created in Acrobat will work in Reader.

Important Note: Acrobat’s buttons may not work in all apps and/or devices. Therefore, you should test your buttons in a variety of environments if your audience will access your PDF with apps other than Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Reader, or a standard web browser.

How to Create Buttons to Page Views

Select the Tools tab.

Tools tab in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 1. Tools tab

Select Rich Media in the Tools Center.

Rich Media button in the Tools Center in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 2. Rich Media button

Select Add Button in the Rich Media toolbar.

Add Button button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 3. Add Button button

Move the button outline to the location where you want to create the button.

Button outline in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 4. Button outline

Click that location if you want to accept the default button size. Alternatively, you can click and drag your mouse to resize the button outline.
Type the name of the button in the Field Name text box. (This does not have to be the same as the label that will appear in the button.)

Button File Name text box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 5. Field Name text box

Select the All Properties link.

All Properties button link in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 6. All Properties link

Select the Actions tab in the Button Properties dialog box.

Button Properties dialog box Actions tab in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 7. Actions tab

Ensure that Mouse Up is selected in the Select Trigger menu.

Button Properties dialog box Select Trigger menu Mouse Up option in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 8. Mouse Up option

Select Go to a page view in the Select Action menu.

Button Properties dialog box "Go to a page view" option in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 9. “Go to a page view” option

Select the Add button.

Button Properties dialog box Add button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 10. Add button

The Create Go to View dialog box will appear.

Create Go to View dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 11. Create Go to View dialog box

Leave the Create Go to View dialog box open as you scroll to the part of the PDF that the button should link to (i.e., the button’s destination).

Important note: The button will link to the view of the PDF shown on your screen rather than to a specific page. This view does not have to be at the top of a page.

Select the Set Link button.

Create Go to View dialog box Set Link button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 12. Set Link button

The Button Properties dialog box will reappear.

Select the Options tab.

Button Properties dialog box Options tab in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 13. Options tab

Enter the text you want to appear in the button in the Label text box.

Button Properties dialog box Label text box — Figure 14. Label text box

(Optional Step) Select the Appearance tab.

Button Properties dialog box Appearance tab in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 15. Appearance tab

(Optional Step) Select your button’s border color, line thickness, fill color, line style, font size, text color, and font style.

Button Properties dialog box appearance options in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 16. Appearance options

Select the Close button.

Button Properties dialog box Close button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 17. Close button

(Optional Step) Select the Close button in the Rich Media toolbar, and then test your new button. (The button won’t work if the Rich Media toolbar is open.)

Rich Media toolbar Close button in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 18. Close button

How to Edit Page View Buttons

You can edit an existing button’s action (i.e., where it links to) and appearance. These steps will work for any action buttons in your PDF, not just page view buttons.

Skip to step 3 if your Rich Media toolbar is already open.

Select the Tools tab (see figure 1).
Select Rich Media in the Tools Center (see figure 2).
Select Select Object in the Rich Media toolbar.

Select Object button in the Rich Media toolbar in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 19. Select Object button

Right-click the button, and then select Properties from the shortcut menu.

Properties option in the button shortcut menu in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 20. Properties option

To edit the action, select the existing action in the Actions tab.

Existing action in the Button Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 21. Existing action

Select the Delete button.

Action Delete button in the Button Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 22. Delete button

Add a new action as shown in steps 9 through 13 above.
Continue to edit the button properties in the Options tab (see figure 13) and the Appearance tab (see figure 15), as necessary.
Select the Close button (see figure 17).

How to Distribute Buttons across Multiple Pages in PDFs

You can distribute (i.e., copy) your page view buttons across all the pages in your PDF or across a specific page range. These steps will work for any action buttons in your PDF, not just page view buttons.

Skip to step 3 if your Rich Media toolbar is already open.

Select the Tools tab (see figure 1).
Select Rich Media in the Tools Center (see figure 2).
Select Select Object in the Rich Media toolbar (see figure 19).
Right-click the button, and then select Duplicate Across Pages from the shortcut menu.