About the Word to PDF
Word to PDF reads a .docx file and writes its content into a new PDF with real, selectable text. Headings, paragraphs, bold, italic, underline, links, bulleted and numbered lists, tables and PNG or JPG pictures are carried over. You choose the font style, text size, page size (A4 or US Letter), margins and whether to add page numbers. The conversion happens in your browser, so your document is never sent anywhere. Be aware of the limits: this is a clean, simple layout built from the document's content, not an exact copy of how Word draws it. Custom fonts, columns, text boxes, headers and footers, page borders and exact spacing are not reproduced. For a page-perfect copy, use Word's own Save as PDF.
Updated September 2026
How to use the Word to PDF
- 1Select your .docx file (older .doc files must be saved as .docx in Word first).
- 2Choose the font style, text size, page size and margins.
- 3Turn page numbers on or off.
- 4Press Convert to PDF.
- 5Download the PDF and check it, especially tables and pictures.
When a simple conversion is the right choice
PDF is the safest way to send a document that people only need to read: it opens the same way on every phone and computer, and it cannot be changed by accident. Many people need to turn a Word file into a PDF for job applications, school work, forms and invoices, and often they are on a phone or a shared computer without Word.
This tool is aimed at text documents such as letters, reports, assignments, CVs and notes, where the words and the structure matter more than the exact typography. For a brochure with columns and text boxes, use the Save as PDF option inside Word instead.
What is kept and what is not
- Kept: headings, paragraphs, bold, italic, underline, links, bulleted and numbered lists, tables, PNG and JPG pictures.
- Changed: fonts become a standard sans-serif or serif font, and spacing follows a simple, even style.
- Not reproduced: columns, text boxes, headers and footers, footnotes, page borders, colours of text and shading.
- Links appear underlined in blue, but they are not clickable in the PDF.
- Tables get equal column widths, and long rows can be trimmed if they are taller than a page.
Getting a good result
Before converting, look at your document and remove things that will not be carried over, such as text boxes that hold important text. Use real heading styles rather than big bold text, so that the headings stand out in the PDF. Keep tables simple, with the same number of columns in every row.
Choose 11 or 12 pt for normal reading, and wide margins if the document will be printed and bound. After the file is made, scroll through it once. If it is large, Compress PDF can reduce the size for email, and Add Page Numbers to PDF or Watermark PDF can finish it off. To edit the PDF text later, use Edit PDF.
On phone and on computer
On a phone, tap Select Word file and pick the document from your files, cloud drive or downloads. The conversion takes a few seconds even for long documents, and the PDF is saved where your downloads go. On a computer you can drag the file onto the page.
Documents with many large pictures use more memory, so on an older phone split the work by converting smaller parts, or reduce the pictures in Word first. If you need to go the other way, PDF to Word turns a PDF back into an editable document.
Features
- Reads modern Word .docx files
- Keeps headings, bold, italic, underline and links
- Bulleted and numbered lists, including nested lists
- Tables with borders
- PNG and JPG pictures scaled to fit the page
- A4 or US Letter, four margins, optional page numbers
- Text in the PDF is real text you can search and copy
- Runs in your browser: no upload
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a Word document to PDF for free?
Select your .docx file here, choose the page size and font, and press Convert to PDF. The PDF is made in your browser and downloads straight away. If you have Word installed, its Save as PDF option gives an exact copy of your layout, and this tool is useful when you do not have Word or want a quick, private conversion.
Will my formatting stay exactly the same?
Not exactly. The tool keeps the structure of the document: headings, bold and italic text, lists, tables, links and pictures. It draws them with a clean standard layout, so fonts, line breaks, columns, text boxes, headers, footers and exact spacing can differ from what you see in Word. Check the PDF before you send it.
Does it work with .doc files?
It works with .docx, the format Word has used since 2007. An older .doc file needs to be opened in Word or another word processor and saved as .docx first. This is a limit of reading the older binary format in a browser.
Is my document uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read and converted inside your browser and never leaves your device. That makes it suitable for CVs, contracts and other private documents.
Why do some characters show as question marks?
The PDF uses the standard built-in PDF fonts, which cover Western European letters, but not other scripts such as Arabic, Hindi, Chinese or emoji. Those characters show as a question mark, and the tool lists them after the conversion so you know. For such documents, use Word's Save as PDF, which embeds your fonts.
What happens to pictures and charts?
PNG and JPG pictures are placed in the PDF and shrunk to fit the page width. Pictures in other formats, and charts or drawing shapes that Word stores in special ways, are left out, and the tool tells you how many pictures were skipped.
Can I convert a password-protected document?
No. Remove the password in Word first and save a copy. After conversion you can protect the new PDF with Protect PDF if you need a password on it.