Open and Edit a PDF Directly in Microsoft Word

Have you ever received a PDF that you needed to edit but had no easy way to do so? Starting with Microsoft Word 2013, Word gained the ability to open PDF files directly and convert them into editable documents — no additional software required. This guide explains how the feature works, what formatting issues to expect, why scanned PDFs require OCR, and which alternative tools to use when Word is not sufficient.

Opening a PDF Directly in Word (Word 2013 and Later)

Microsoft Word 2013 introduced a feature called PDF Reflow, which allows Word to open and convert PDF documents into editable Word files. This feature is available in Word 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365.

Here is how to use it:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Click File → Open.
3. Browse to and select the PDF file you want to edit.
4. Word will display a notification explaining that it will convert the PDF to an editable Word document, and that the result may look different from the original PDF. Click OK.
5. Wait for Word to complete the conversion. The time required depends on the file size and complexity.
6. Once complete, the PDF content appears as an editable Word document. You can now modify text, tables, and other elements directly.
7. When finished, use File → Save As to save the file as a .docx document or re-export it as a PDF.

You can also right-click the PDF file in Windows Explorer and select Open with → Microsoft Word to achieve the same result.

Common Formatting Issues After Conversion

While Word’s PDF opening capability is convenient, the conversion quality has limitations. Here are the most common formatting problems you may encounter:

• Font substitution: Fonts used in the PDF may be replaced with default system fonts if they are not embedded or not installed on your computer, causing layout discrepancies.
  Fix: Manually reapply the correct fonts after conversion.
• Table structure broken: Complex table layouts — including merged cells or irregular borders — often do not convert cleanly and may appear as plain text or misaligned content.
  Fix: Rebuild the table structure manually in Word after converting.
• Images out of position: Precisely placed images in the PDF may shift or overlap text after conversion.
  Fix: Adjust image wrapping and positioning settings after conversion.
• Multi-column layouts collapsed: Two-column or multi-column page layouts often convert into a single column of text.
  Fix: Manually set up column layouts in Word using Layout → Columns.
• Headers and footers mixed into body text: Some PDF headers and footers are interpreted as body content during conversion and need to be cleaned up manually.
• Garbled characters: If the PDF does not properly embed its character encoding, certain characters — especially non-Latin scripts — may appear as boxes or question marks.
  Fix: Use a dedicated PDF conversion tool with better encoding support (see alternatives below).

General recommendation: Word’s PDF opening feature works best with simple, text-heavy PDFs. For complex layouts with heavy use of images, tables, or multi-column designs, consider using a dedicated PDF conversion tool.

Scanned PDFs Require OCR

This distinction is critical: if your PDF was created by scanning a paper document rather than exporting from a digital file, the content inside the PDF is an image, not selectable text.

When you open such a PDF in Word, you will see an uneditable image rather than editable text. To extract editable text from a scanned PDF, you need Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology:

• Microsoft 365 Word: Newer versions of Microsoft 365 Word include limited built-in OCR capability and may automatically attempt to recognize text when you open a scanned PDF. Quality varies depending on the language and document clarity.
• Online OCR tools: Upload your scanned PDF to an online OCR service, which will recognize the text and convert it to an editable format. These tools often handle mixed-language documents better than Word’s built-in OCR.
• Adobe Acrobat: Provides high-quality OCR with multi-language support, ideal for professional use where high accuracy is required (requires a paid subscription).

OCR accuracy depends heavily on the quality of the original scan. Documents scanned at 300 DPI or higher, with clear text and no tilt, will yield the best results.

Alternative Tools for PDF to Word Conversion

When Word’s built-in PDF conversion is not sufficient, these tools offer better results:

• Online PDF to Word converters: Upload your PDF directly in the browser and download a converted .docx file with no software installation needed. These tools generally produce better layout fidelity than Word’s built-in conversion, making them a practical first choice for occasional use.
• Adobe Acrobat: The industry-leading PDF tool, offering the highest accuracy for PDF to Word conversion, including support for complex layouts and multiple languages. Requires a paid subscription starting at approximately $14.99 USD per month.
• Nitro PDF: A capable alternative to Adobe Acrobat with PDF to Word functionality and a more affordable price point for individual users.
• Google Docs: Upload a PDF to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs for free basic text extraction. Best suited for simple, text-only PDFs.

Choosing the Right Approach

• The PDF is a standard digital file (not scanned) with a simple layout → Open directly in Word.
• The PDF was created by scanning a paper document → Use an OCR tool first.
• The PDF has a complex layout with many tables, images, or multiple columns → Use an online PDF to Word converter or Adobe Acrobat.
• You only need to copy a portion of the text and do not need to recreate the full layout → Copy text directly from a PDF reader without converting.

Do it in your browser — the file never leaves your device: PDF Tools