Embedding Email Hyperlinks in PDF Documents: What You Must Know

Imagine you’re sending someone a PDF—maybe it’s your résumé, a brochure, or a business proposal—and you want them to email you back. Instead of making them copy and paste your email address, you can embed your email in the PDF so they can click once and contact you instantly.

It’s fast, professional, and easy to do with Smallpdf and Word.

Quick Steps to Embed an Email in a PDF

1. Convert your PDF to Word using Smallpdf’s PDF to Word tool.
2. Add your email link in Word with the “Hyperlink” and “Email Address” option.
3. Save or re-convert it back to PDF. Your email is now clickable.

What “Embed Email in PDF” Really Means—3 Quick Scenarios

When you search “embed email in PDF,” you might mean one of three things:

• Adding a clickable email link (‘mailto’): Create a hyperlink that opens someone’s email program when clicked.
• Saving email messages as PDFs: Convert an email conversation from Outlook, Gmail, or your phone into a PDF document.
• Embedding PDFs in email bodies: Insert a PDF file directly into the body of an email message.

Let’s cover each method so you can pick what works best for you.

How to Add a Clickable Email Link (‘Mailto’) to a PDF

Adding a clickable email link lets readers contact you with one click—no copy-pasting needed. Here’s the easiest way to do it:

Add an Email Link Using Smallpdf + Word (Fastest Route)

1. Import your PDF into our PDF to Word converter.
2. Download the newly converted .docx file and open it in Microsoft Word.
3. Select the relevant text, right-click, choose “Hyperlink” and then “Email Address.”
4. Add the email address and save your changes in Word.

Now, let’s get it back to PDF format:

• In Word, choose “Save As...” and change the file format to PDF.

OR

• Upload the edited Word file to our PDF Converter tool.
• The Word document will automatically convert to PDF.
• Download your PDF with the clickable email link—that’s it!

If you don’t have Microsoft Word, you can use Google Docs and still get the same results.

‘Mailto’ Examples for Subject and Body Parameters

Want to get fancy with your email links? You can pre-fill the subject line and message body using ‘mailto’ syntax—a special link format that opens email programs with your details already filled in:

• Basic email link: hello@smallpdf.com
• With subject line: hello@smallpdf.com?subject=Question about your service
• With subject and body: hello@smallpdf.com?subject=Hello&body=I’d like to know more about...

Just replace the email and text with your own details when adding the hyperlink in Word.

Make the Link Look Right (Underline or Invisible Rectangle)

Your email links can appear different ways in the final PDF:

• Underlined text: Classic blue underlined links that clearly show they’re clickable
• Invisible rectangle: Text looks normal but becomes clickable when you hover over it
• Custom styling: Match your document’s design by changing colors and removing underlines

Word will usually default to the underlined style, but you can adjust the appearance in the “Link Properties” if needed.

How to Embed an Email Message into a PDF (Outlook, Gmail, iPhone)

Need to save an email conversation as part of a PDF document? Here’s how to convert emails to PDF and combine them with other documents.

Save an Outlook or Gmail Message as PDF

On a computer: 1. Open the email you want to save. 2. Click “File” > “Print” or use Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac). 3. In the “Printer” dropdown, select “Save as PDF” or “Microsoft Print to PDF.” 4. Click Print and choose where to save your PDF file.

On an iPhone:

1. Open the email in the Mail app.
2. Tap the Share button and select “Print.”
3. Pinch out on the preview thumbnail to enlarge it.
4. Tap the Share icon again and choose “Save to Files” to save as PDF.

Insert the Email PDF into Another PDF (Merge)

Once you’ve saved your email as a PDF, you can combine it with other documents: 1. Go to our PDF Merge tool. 2. Upload your email PDF and any other PDF files you want to combine. 3. Drag and drop to arrange the pages in your preferred order. 4. Click “Merge PDF” and download your combined document.

FAQs About Embedding Email in PDFs

How do I make an email clickable in a PDF?

Convert the PDF to a Word document using Smallpdf, add the email link in Word (using the “Hyperlink” option), and then convert it back to PDF. This method works seamlessly across all devices and browsers, so you don’t need any additional tools or software. Once you’re done, test the PDF by clicking the link to ensure it opens your default email client.

What’s the best way to add a hyperlink to a PDF on a Mac?

Use Smallpdf to convert your PDF to Word. Open it in Pages or Word for Mac, add the email hyperlink, and convert it back to PDF. Both tools are user-friendly and work perfectly on Mac, so you won’t run into compatibility issues. Just remember to save a copy of the original PDF before editing, in case you need to make further changes later.

Can I add an email link without fancy software?

Yes! Smallpdf lets you add hyperlinks without expensive tools. Just convert your PDF to Word, edit it in Microsoft Office, and switch it back. It’s fast, works on any operating system, and doesn’t tie you to specific software other than Office or Google Docs. Whether you’re working on a laptop, tablet, or phone, Smallpdf makes it possible to edit on the go.

Why isn’t my email link working when I click it?

Sometimes the PDF viewer you’re using blocks external links or doesn’t recognize ‘mailto’ links. Try opening the PDF in another viewer or your browser’s built-in reader. If the issue persists, double-check that the email address starts with ‘mailto:’ and that the link wasn’t lost during conversion.

How do I embed a PDF in the body of an email (Outlook/Gmail)?

You can’t directly embed a PDF file inside an email body, but you can attach the PDF file or insert an image preview of the first page. For Outlook, use “Insert” > “Object” to add a PDF icon that recipients can click. Gmail users should attach the PDF and mention it in the email text for the best experience.

Can I link to a specific section inside the same PDF?

Yes! These are called internal links, and they work great for navigation within longer PDFs. When adding your hyperlink in Word, choose “Place in This Document” instead of “Email Address” to link to specific headings or bookmarks within your PDF.

Are embedded email links in PDFs safe to click?

Yes—as long as the PDF comes from a trusted source. The link itself is only a shortcut that opens your email app with the address pre-filled. It can’t send messages or collect data. For more on how Smallpdf protects files, see our Trust Center.

How do you send a PDF file in an email?

Simply attach the PDF to your email using the paperclip or attachment icon in your email client. For large files, consider using cloud storage links instead. You can also compress your PDF first to make it smaller and easier to send.

Now go on, try it out, and share your PDF with confidence. It’s one less thing to worry about.