How to Insert PDF Files Into PowerPoint Presentations

Tricia Goss has been a writer and editor for 10+ years. She's written tips and tutorials for Microsoft Office applications and other sites.

What to Know

• Insert a PDF as an object: Open the slide and select Insert >Object >Create from File >Browse. Choose the PDF and click OK.
• Insert the PDF as an image: Open the PDF and the PowerPoint slide. In PowerPoint, select Insert >Screenshot and select the PDF.
• Insert text or an image from a PDF: Copy the text or image in the PDF and paste it into your PowerPoint slideshow.

This article explains how to add a PDF to your PowerPoint slideshow to create a richer presentation experience. Options include inserting the entire PDF as an object that can be viewed during a slideshow, inserting a picture of a page, adding text from the PDF file, and copying a picture used in the PDF. Instructions apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013; PowerPoint for Microsoft 365; and PowerPoint for Mac.

Insert a PDF as an Object on a PowerPoint Slide

When you want to view the entire PDF file during your PowerPoint presentation, insert the PDF as an object. During your presentation, select the PDF object on the slide and the PDF file opens in a PDF viewer.

1. Open the PowerPoint slide where you want to insert the PDF.

Select Create from File, then select Browse.

Open the PDF During a Slideshow

To open the PDF file during a presentation, attach an action to the image.

1. Make sure PowerPoint is in Normal view. Display the slide with the PDF object.

Select the Mouse Click tab if you want to open the PDF with a click. Select the Mouse Over tab if you want it to open when you point to the PDF.

Insert a PDF into PowerPoint as a Picture

If you only want to view the content of one page of a PDF file, add it to a PowerPoint slide as an image.

1. Open the PDF file and display the page you want to insert into PowerPoint.

Select Insert >Screenshot. All of your available windows are presented, including the open PDF file.

Insert Text from a PDF to PowerPoint

Another way to add a specific section of a PDF to PowerPoint is using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

To insert text from a PDF file:

1. Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader.

Insert Graphics from a PDF to PowerPoint

To insert a graphic from a PDF file:

1. Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader.

Import PDF into PowerPoint for Mac

When you insert a PDF into PowerPoint for Mac as an object, you may receive an error message stating that the file type is not supported or the file is not available. This is because object linking and embedding is not fully implemented in Mac Office applications.

You can insert text and graphics from a PDF in PowerPoint for Mac using the same steps provided above.

Another option is to select Insert > Hyperlink > Web Page or File, to link to a PDF. You can open the hyperlink during the presentation to display the PDF file.

Import PDF into PowerPoint Online

PDF files cannot be inserted or edited in PowerPoint Online. However, PDFs display as expected when created in another version of PowerPoint.

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