How to Insert a PDF into PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s say you’re creating a PPT presentation. You’ve already got enough on your plate between getting the content right and nailing the visual side of things. So, the last thing you need is to spend time figuring out how to present a PDF as part of your presentation.

In this article, I’ll cover practical tips on how to insert a PDF into PowerPoint, convert it into editable slides, and troubleshooting tricks to keep you on track.

Common Benefits of Inserting PDFs into PPT Presentations

• Provides PDF files that can be opened easily
• Makes the PDF more accessible
• Ensures that the content isn’t missed
• Shares information in a single PowerPoint file

7 Ways to Insert a PDF into PowerPoint

Depending on how you want to use your PDF content, there are several simple options to get it into your presentation:

• Insert it as an object. 
• Add it as a picture. 
• Create a clickable link.
• Use a snipping tool.
• Copy and paste content directly from the PDF.
• Drag and drop the PDF into your slide on macOS.
• Insert it as an icon.

Note: You must have PowerPoint 2013 or later to insert PDF content when editing a PPT for the Web.

1. How to insert a PDF into a PowerPoint presentation as an object

Note: Before we start, make sure the PDF file is not open on your computer.

1. Open the PowerPoint presentation and select a slide.
2. Click Insert > Object.
3. Click Create from File, select Browse, choose your PDF, and then click OK.
4. To make it open during the slideshow:
   – With the PDF object selected (in Normal view), go to Insert > Action under the Links group.– On the Mouse Click (or Mouse Over) tab, select Object action > Open, then OK.
5. Resize or reposition as needed.

Important: You’ll notice that the quality of the PDF is lower, but you can double-click on the image (in Normal View) to maximize the file for better readability.

2. How to import a PDF into PowerPoint as a picture

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the PDF. 
2. Go to PowerPoint and select the slide you want to add the PDF content to.
3. Tap on Insert > Screenshot.
4. Tap on the PDF file (it should be the first image in the Available Windows menu).
5. Select Screen Clipping.
6. Drag the pointer to draw a box around the content you want to capture (if you make a mistake, hit the Esc key to cancel and start again).Source: Microsoft – How to Insert a PDF into a PowerPoint presentation.
7. The captured image will appear on your slide. Select Picture Tools Format to move or resize it. Ensure that it’s readable and that no content has been cropped out.

3. How to add a PDF to a PPT as a link

You can do this in four simple steps.

1. Add the text you want to add the link to, e.g., <<PDF to PPT guide>>.
2. Select Insert > Link > Add a hyperlink.
3. Input the file name or location and hit OK.
4. To open the file with a PDF reader, while holding down the Ctrl key, click on the linked text.

4. Use the snipping tool (Windows only)

1. Open the PDF document and go to the desired page.
2. In PowerPoint, select Insert > Screenshot > Screen Clipping, pick the PDF window, and then drag the cursor to capture the desired content as a snapshot.
3. Or open the Snipping Tool (Win + Shift + S), capture a region, annotate if needed, and hit Save or Ctrl + C to copy.
4. Paste the image onto your slide, then resize and edit it.
5. Use Picture Tools Format to add borders or effects.

5. Copy and paste content from a PDF

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat, Reader, or Preview, then select text/images.
2. Copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C), then go to PowerPoint and paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V).
3. Edit the formatting to fit your slide design.
4. If it’s a block of text, paste it into a text box first to adjust fonts and spacing.

Important: It depends on how the PDF allows selection (some PDFs restrict the copy function).

6. Drag and drop a PDF in macOS

1. Open the PDF in Preview.
2. Select the page or specific area and drag it directly onto your PowerPoint slide.
3. To make it interactive during a slideshow: select the image/icon > Insert > Action > Object action > Open.
4. Resize as needed.

7. How to insert a PDF into a PowerPoint presentation as an icon

1. On your slide, go to Insert > Object.
2. Choose Create from file, click Browse, and select your PDF.
3. After you select the file, check the Display as icon box.
4. Click on Change Icon… to choose a different icon or rename the label.
5. To make the icon clickable during the slideshow:
   – Select the icon and go to Insert > Action.
   – Choose whether it responds to Mouse Click or Mouse Over, and then set Object action to Open and click on OK.
6. Resize or move the icon as needed.

Important: The embedded icon won’t preview the document contents. But when you run the slideshow or double-click on the icon in editing mode, the entire PDF will open in your default viewer.

How to Convert a PDF to a PowerPoint Document

Embedding a PDF into a PPT presentation means that the file will still open as a separate document. If you want to avoid this, your best option is to first convert your PDF to a PPT file. That will allow you to add it directly to your slide deck. 

Choose a converter that does a good job of preserving formatting and layout:

• Adobe Acrobat: Drag and drop your PDF to convert it to PPTX with excellent formatting retention.
• iLovePDF: Free and supports OCR, turning scanned or text PDFs into editable slides.
• Canva: A user-friendly, no-cost option to convert PDFs directly to PPTX.
• PDFPro: Another reliable converter, worth mentioning alongside the main tools.

Then, you can simply download the resulting file.

Also read: How to Convert a PowerPoint Presentation to a PDF File

Follow these instructions to add it to an existing presentation deck:

1. In PowerPoint 365, go to Home > New Slide > Reuse Slides.
2. Click on Open a PowerPoint file, and select your converted PPTX.
3. From the slide preview:
   – Click on a thumbnail to insert individual slides, or
   – Right-click on a thumbnail and choose Insert All Slides, checking Keep source formatting to retain layout.
4. Adjust themes or formatting as needed.

Important: This feature is only available in desktop PowerPoint 365; it’s not supported in the online version.

Once converted, you can easily reuse slides and even transform them into an eLearning module using a PowerPoint-based tool like iSpring Suite.

FAQ on PDF Troubleshooting Tips

Why do I keep receiving an error message when I try to insert a PDF as an object?

A common reason this error message appears is that you have the PDF file open on your computer. So, double-check that the file is closed before trying to add it as an object. 

Why is my PPT file so large?

Adding a PDF to your deck can increase the size of the file, which makes it difficult to share. A good way to avoid this is to compress the size of your PDF before inserting it, if possible.

I’m having issues opening a PDF in PowerPoint. What should I do?

The most common reason your PDF won’t open is that it doesn’t have an action assigned to it. An easy fix is to assign an action to the PDF object by following these steps:

1. Select the PDF object in the PPT.
2. Tap on Insert > Action.
3. Click on Object Action.
4. Select Activate Contents from the dropdown menu.
5. Click on OK. 

Once you’ve done this, PowerPoint has instructions on what to do with the file and will open it using your PDF reader.

If it still won’t open, it’s good practice to check the security settings of the PDF document. In some cases, it may have restricted access, which is causing it not to open properly from your PPT presentation.

Can I embed a scrollable PDF document into my PPT presentation?

While PPT doesn’t support scrolling PDFs within a presentation, you can embed them as images or linked documents.

Simply follow these simple steps:

1. Open your presentation.
2. Click on Insert > Object.
3. Then, click on Create from File.
4. Select the PDF you want to embed.
5. Once embedded, select the PDF again.
6. Hit Insert > Action.
7. Press Mouse Click.
8. Set Object Action to Open.

It’s best practice to check all links in your PPT carefully to ensure they’re working as you expect them to. 

How can I enable learners to open a PDF from a slide show?

You’ll need to attach an action to the file before you can open it during a slide show. To do this, simply follow the steps below.

1. Make sure you’re in Normal View.
2. Go to the slide with the PDF.
3. Select the file icon or image.
4. Press Insert > Links > Action.
5. Go to the Action Settings field.
6. Select Mouse Click to open the file with a click, or Mouse Over to open it when you move the pointer across the file icon.
7. Press Object action > Open

Your PDF document should now open in your PPT slide show.

Final Thoughts

You can insert a PDF into PowerPoint in several ways, from adding it as an icon to pasting selected content onto your slide. Each method works well for different situations, depending on how much of the PDF you need and how you want it to appear.

If you’re sharing your presentation online, make sure to test how the PDF opens during the slideshow. And if you need to reuse the content from a PDF, try converting it to editable slides. This gives you more control over the design and lets you create interactive learning content using tools like iSpring Suite.

Explore a few of the methods and choose the one that fits your task best.