How to Insert a PDF Into PowerPoint (as a Picture or a File)

PDFs turn up in every kind of presentation: a client's brief, a page from a report, a certificate, a case study you want to show off. The trouble is that PowerPoint doesn't treat a PDF like a picture. You can't simply drag it in and expect every page to appear as slides.

Microsoft's help gives you two main routes, and which one you pick depends on whether you want people to see a page on the slide or open the full document. I'll cover both, plus a handy trick for opening the PDF mid-presentation.

Two ways to put a PDF into PowerPoint

Method	What appears on the slide	Best when
Screen Clipping	A picture of the part of the PDF you select	You want the audience to read one page, chart or quote
Insert Object	An image of the PDF that opens the whole file	You want the full document inside your deck

A quick heads-up: Microsoft says you can't insert PDF content in PowerPoint for the web. Both methods need the desktop app.

Inserting a PDF page into PowerPoint as a picture

This is the one I use most. It gives you a crisp image of exactly the section you want.

1. Open the PDF and go to the page you need. Zoom out if you want the whole page in view.
2. Switch to PowerPoint and select the slide. Keep the PDF window open and make sure it was the last window you used.
3. Go to Insert, then Screenshot. Your PDF should appear as the first thumbnail under Available Windows.
4. Select Screen Clipping below the thumbnails. PowerPoint minimises and shows your PDF.
5. When the screen fades and the pointer becomes a crosshair, drag a box around the part you want. Press Esc if you change your mind.
6. The clipping lands on your slide as a picture you can move, resize and crop.

Repeat it for each page if you want several PDF pages across several slides. It's a little fiddly for long documents, but the results look clean.

Inserting a whole PDF into PowerPoint as an object

1. Close the PDF if you have it open.
2. In PowerPoint, select the slide, then go to Insert and choose Object.
3. In the Insert Object box, select Create from file.
4. Select Browse, find the PDF, and select OK.

Microsoft says the PDF then becomes part of the presentation file. You'll see an image of the PDF on the slide, and double-clicking it in Normal view opens the full document.

Two caveats from Microsoft's help. First, inserting a PDF as an object reduces its quality on the slide, so it's not ideal if you need people to read fine print. Second, you can resize the object but you can't edit it once it's in, and you need Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed to view it.

Opening the inserted PDF during your PowerPoint slide show

Double-clicking only works in Normal view. To open the PDF while you're presenting, give it an action:

1. In Normal view, select the PDF's image on the slide.
2. Go to Insert, then in the Links group select Action.
3. Choose the Mouse Click tab to open it when you click, or the Mouse Over tab to open it when your pointer passes over it.
4. Select Object action, then choose Open.

I'd always pick Mouse Click. Mouse Over can fire by accident when you're moving the pointer across the screen mid-sentence.

If the PDF won't insert into PowerPoint

• Error when inserting as an object: Microsoft's first fix is to make sure the PDF isn't open anywhere.
• No PDF thumbnail under Available Windows: open the PDF and make it the last window you used before switching back.
• Can't find Insert Object in the browser: PowerPoint for the web doesn't support inserting PDF content, so open the file in the desktop app.
• The inserted PDF looks blurry: use Screen Clipping instead, zoomed in on the section you need.
• You want to edit the text: an inserted PDF can't be edited, so see the next section.

Microsoft's PDF help pages don't give Mac-specific steps for these methods, so if you're on a Mac, menus may differ from the ones above.

Getting editable PDF text into PowerPoint slides

Sometimes you don't want a picture of the PDF at all. You want the words, so you can restyle them to match your slides. Microsoft's suggestion is to open the PDF in Word, which converts it to editable text and keeps as much of the layout as it can, including paragraphs, lists and tables. From there you can copy the bits you need into PowerPoint.

Copying straight out of a PDF reader also works for short passages, but Microsoft notes it usually gives you plain text without formatting.

Using PDF content in PowerPoint for business presentations

For coaches, consultants and small business owners, PDFs are often your best proof. A testimonial letter, a press mention or a page from a report you wrote all carry more weight than a bullet point. A screen clipping of the key paragraph, with the full PDF available on a click, gives the room the highlight and the evidence.

If you design your slides or one-pagers in Canva first, cropping before you bring things into PowerPoint saves a lot of tidying, and my guide to cropping images in Canva shows how. And if you'd rather share the full document online than bury it in a deck, you can put a clickable link into a Canva design instead.

Frequently asked questions

Can I insert a PDF into PowerPoint for the web?

No. Microsoft says you can't insert PDF content in PowerPoint for the web, so you'll need the desktop app.

Can I edit a PDF after inserting it into PowerPoint?

No. Microsoft says you can resize the inserted object but you can't edit it. To work with the text, open the PDF in Word to convert it, then copy what you need.

Why do I get an error inserting a PDF as an object?

Microsoft's advice is to make sure the PDF isn't open, then try Insert, Object, Create from file again.

How do I open the PDF during a slide show?

Select the PDF image, go to Insert, Action, choose Mouse Click or Mouse Over, select Object action and choose Open.

Will all the pages of my PDF show on the slide?

No. Inserting as an object shows an image of the PDF that opens the full file. To show several pages, use Screen Clipping on each page and place them on separate slides.