How to save a Word document as a PDF

If you have Word, choose File, Save As, then PDF. If you do not, upload the .docx file to Word to PDF and download the PDF. Both give you a file that looks the same on any device.

Step by step

1. If you have Microsoft Word: open the document, choose File, then Save As (or Export), and pick PDF as the format.
2. If you use Google Docs: choose File, then Download, then PDF Document.
3. If you have neither: open the Word to PDF tool and upload your .docx file.
4. Click "Convert to PDF" and download the result.
5. Open the PDF and check the pages, especially tables, images and page breaks, before sending it.

Which method should you use?

When you have Word itself, its own Save As PDF is the most faithful, because the same program that made the layout is drawing the PDF. An online converter is the answer when you are on a computer or phone without Word, or working from a file someone sent you.

Getting a clean conversion

• Use .docx. If your file is an older .doc, open it in Word and save it as .docx first.
• Plain text, headings, tables and images convert well. Very complex layouts, such as nested tables or unusual styles, can shift slightly.
• Check how fonts look. If a document relies on an unusual font, look at the PDF to be sure it still looks right.
• Look at where pages break, since the PDF is created on a server rather than inside Word.

After the conversion

• To add a signature or fill in extra text, use the signing guide or the add text guide.
• To protect it with a password before sending, see the password guide.
• To make it smaller for email, see the compression guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert an old .doc file?

Open it in Word, choose Save As, and save it as .docx first. Then upload that file.

Will the formatting stay the same?

Standard text, headings, tables and images convert well. Very complex layouts may look slightly different from what you see in Word.

Is the conversion free?

Yes. It needs no signup and adds no watermark, within the free plan limits of 10 files a day and 25 MB per file.

Can I edit the PDF afterwards?

Light changes, yes: the Edit PDF tool can add text, highlights and a signature. For real wording changes, go back to the Word file, edit it there and convert it again.

Is my document kept?

Not for long. Free-plan files are deleted from our servers automatically within 24 hours of processing.

More guides