This tutorial shows how to duplicate links across pages in Adobe Acrobat. You can use this method to duplicate links across all pages or specific pages in your PDF.
Acrobat doesn’t offer a way to duplicate links directly through the Add Links tool, so this process is a work-around using buttons that will look and function like regular text links.
This process is particularly helpful for adding websites or social media links to the header and footer areas.
This tutorial’s companion video shows all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
The images below are from Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. These steps also apply to Adobe Acrobat 2020 and Adobe Acrobat 2017. In addition, the steps are the same for PC and Mac. These steps don’t apply to Adobe’s free PDF display software, Acrobat Reader. However, Reader users will be able to use the links created with this method.
How to Duplicate Links Across All Pages
- Select the Tools tab.
- Select Rich Media in the Tools Center.
- Select Add Button in the Rich Media toolbar.
- Move the button outline into the area of the page where you want to place the link, and then click to place the mouse.
Pro Tip: You can place the button in the header or footer area.
- Select All Properties from the button menu. Alternatively, right-click (PC) or Control-click (Mac) the button and then select Properties from the shortcut menu.
- Select the Appearance tab in the Button Properties dialog box.
- Select No Color (PC) or Transparent (Mac) in the Fill Color menu.
- Adjust the font size, text color, and font as necessary.
- Select the Options tab.
- Enter the link text in the Label text box. (This is not the actual URL, but rather the text that will appear indicating a link.)
- Select the Actions tab.
- Select Open a web link from the Select Action menu.
- Select the Add button.
- Enter the URL into the Enter a URL for this link text box.
- Select the OK button.
- Select the Close button in the Button Properties dialog box.
- Use the resizing handles on the button outline to resize the link, as necessary.
- Right-click or Control-click the button and then select Duplicate Across Pages from the shortcut menu.
- By default, the Duplicate Field dialog box will be set to All. However, you can enter specific pages in the From and To text boxes, if necessary.
- Select the OK button.
- Select the Close button in the Rich Media toolbar.
Your link should now be duplicated across all the pages in your PDF or the specific pages you chose in step 19.
To visit the link destination, click the link and select Allow in the Security Warning dialog box.
Related Resources
How to Add Page Numbers to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat
How to Create Internal Links in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
How to Create In-Text Links to Attached PDFs in Adobe Acrobat
How to Create Navigation Buttons in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
How to Create Buttons to Page Views in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
Updated January 18, 2023