How to insert PDF into Word on Mac the easy way

Putting together a report or attaching reference materials to a proposal? Or combining files for a presentation? No matter what you’re working on, knowing how to insert a PDF into Word on your Mac makes life much easier. There’s no need to send extra files or retype everything. You can add a PDF to a Word document right inside your file, and I'll show you how.

Key ways to insert a PDF into Word: Quick table

The main options for inserting a PDF into Word include:

• Embedding a fixed copy. It stays exactly as it is. It's a good choice for standalone files you don’t plan to change. 
• Linking to the file so changes in the original PDF update automatically. Works especially well for projects with live updates.
• Extracting the text when you need content for editing or quoting.
• Converting the PDF to images when the layout, charts, or design need to look perfect.

In the table below, I’ll describe the key ways to insert a PDF into Word documents with short instructions. For more details, tips, and ways to better manage your PDF files on your Mac, scroll down.

PDF into Word	How to do this
Need to insert a full PDF into Word	Open Word > Insert > Object > From File to embed the PDF.
Need to edit PDF before inserting into Word	Use Nitro PDF Pro to annotate, redact, or rearrange PDF content.
PDF changes not updating in Word after embedding	Open Word > Insert the PDF as a linked object using Insert > Object > Link to File.
Only want PDF text in Word (not images or layout)	Open Word > Insert > Text from File, or use Prizmo for quick OCR-based text extraction.
Need to add PDF content as images in Word	Convert PDF to images with Permute, then insert using Insert > Pictures.

Insert PDF into Word document as an embedded object

Embedding is the best option when you want a fixed, non-editable copy of the PDF stored directly inside the Word file. This gives you a self-contained document that works great for sharing.

Here’s how to add PDF to Word as an embedded object:

1. Open Word on your Mac.
2. Open the document where you want to insert a PDF into Word.
3. Click Insert in the menu bar > Object.
4. Choose the PDF you’d like to embed from your Mac’s file system
5. Click Insert.

The PDF often appears as an icon or the first page preview. Double-click the object to open the full file in your default viewer.

Your PDF embed isn’t always a “living” document inside Word, so edits made after you embed it may not show up. I prefer using Nitro PDF Pro to manage PDFs before adding them to Word, because it seems to be the fastest method. Nitro PDF Pro allows you options for marking PDFs up, redacting important information from a page, and helps you quickly and easily reorder and delete pages. These are all great options when you want to insert a PDF into Word.

How to insert PDF into Word as a linked object

A good way to insert a PDF into Word while allowing you to edit the file on the go is to insert the PDF into Word as a linked object.

Adding a PDF to a Word document as a linked object means you’re linking to the PDF as an external document. This also means you have to have the PDF hosted somewhere, like OneDrive, and both your PDF and Word documents must have a reliable connection to the cloud if you’re sharing the Word document with others. 

If you edit the PDF on a Mac that isn’t connected to OneDrive, for instance, changes may not be reflected in the linked object in Word.

Here’s how to insert PDF to a Word document as a linked object:

1. Open the Word document where you want to add the PDF.
2. Go to the Insert tab at the top of the app screen.
3. In the Text group, click Object.
4. Choose Object from the drop-down menu.
5. In the pop-up window, select the From File tab.
6. Browse and select the PDF file from your Mac.
7. Click Options (if available).
8. Click Link to file (if your version supports it) > Insert.

Linked objects in Word can be displayed as icons or embedded documents. Before adding the document, consider which is best for the end user. This approach for how to add a PDF to Word also keeps your main file size smaller than full embedding.

Callout: It’s better to keep both the PDF and Word file in the same cloud-synced folder (Google Drive, OneDrive or iCloud Drive works reliably on Mac). This way, updates happen smoothly.

How to insert text from PDF into Word

Can I insert a PDF into Word that is text only? Of course you can! 

PDFs with a lot of imagery, like studies with graphs associated, may not be necessary for your Word document. Extracting text is helpful when you need editable content for quoting, rewriting, or reformatting inside Word. It’s possible you simply need the text, and not the fancy images. This method works well when you want to insert a PDF into Word but only need the words, not the full layout or images.

How to insert a pdf into Word as text:

1. Open a document you’d like to add a PDF to.
2. Click Insert at the top of the Word window.
3. In the Text group, click the Object icon.
4. Select Text from File from the drop-down menu. 
5. Choose From File from the pop-up window. 
6. Choose the PDF you’d like to embed from your Mac’s file system > Insert.

Keep in mind that this adds all of the text from a PDF into your Word document as editable text. It’s as if you copied and pasted the text yourself, but it keeps the styling you choose for your Word documents. If you need a complete editable Word version instead, check our guide on convert PDF to Word on Mac.

Read also:

• How to undo redo on Mac
• Extract PDf pages
• Best alternatives to Notepad++ for Mac

How to copy PDF into Word

You can also copy and paste text from a PDF into Word. Copying PDF content into Word is mainly useful when you only need small text portions rather than an entire file. It is ideal for quick quotes, short references, or minor edits. It’s simple on a Mac and uses the familiar copy-paste shortcuts you’re used to. 

Here’s how to copy PDF text into Word:

1. Open the PDF from which you want to copy text.
2. Highlight the text you want to copy.
3. Right-click within the PDF > Copy (or Command + C). 
4. Open the Word document to which you want to add the copied text.
5. Right-click within the Word file > Paste (or Command + V).

Insert PDF content as an image in Word

You can also add a PDF to Word as an image, but you will have to convert the image first. Converting PDF pages to images preserves layout accuracy, especially for forms, charts, or complex designs.

The best app for this is Permute, which can convert a file to just about any other type of file.

Here’s how to use Permute to turn PDFs into image files:

1. Open Permute on your Mac.
2. Drag and drop your PDF file into the Permute window.
3. If prompted in the Permute’s Workshop window, click PDF to Images > Click Open to add your PDF.

4. In the main window, make sure PDF to Images is selected in the drop-down menu. You can pick PNG for sharper quality or JPG for smaller sizes.

5. (Optional) If you only need specific pages, delete the pages you don’t want in the preview.

6. Click the play button (if it hasn’t started automatically) to convert the file.

Each page of the PDF will now show in your file system as image files. 

To add an image to Word, follow these steps:

1. Open a document to which you’d like to add the image.
2. Click Insert at the top of the Word window > Pictures.
3. Choose Picture from file > Choose the image you’d like to embed.
4. Click Insert.

Your image will be added to Word and can be resized as you like.

Manage PDFs before inserting into Word

If you're planning to insert a PDF into a Word document, you’ll realize that sometimes it's not as straightforward as just dropping it in. You might need to manage the PDF before inserting it into Word to ensure compatibility and remove unwanted pages or content. 

Preparing a PDF before inserting into Word creates cleaner, more accurate results. You can delete unwanted pages, reduce file size, fix formatting, or run OCR.

So, in any of these situations, it’s a good idea to prep the PDF beforehand. Here are some ways to do it.

• Compress the file size. Large PDFs can make the whole file slow to open. For fast compression, try PDF Squeezer. It will keep your Word document fast and light.

• Run OCR on scanned documents. It will extract the text cleanly without garbled characters. Prizmo handles text recognition on scanned documents with excellent accuracy.

• Split or extract specific pages. After it, you’ll be able to insert only the necessary items instead of a 50-page report. Try Nitro PDF Pro to reorganize, compress, merge, split, or optimize your files. 

• Merge multiple PDFs into one clean file before adding it to Word.
• Redact sensitive information, remove comments, or clean up extra annotations for professional sharing.
• Reorder, rotate, or crop pages to fix order and orientation so everything lines up perfectly. All these (and the above-mentioned tasks) can also be done with Nitro PDF Pro.
• Get AI insights to summarize or pull key sections before deciding what to insert. For quick AI prep before inserting, use the free PDF summarizer GPT tool to review content fast.

See our complete guide on how to edit PDF files on Mac for more pro tips.

Final summary on inserting Pdf into Word

Inserting PDF into Word on Mac gives you flexible options that match any project. Although most of us often associate Word files and PDFs as a conversion, the two file types work really well together! Adding a PDF to Word is pretty simple and can save you time when you just need to embed a file or copy-paste some text.

Apps like Prizmo, Nitro PDF Pro, and Permute make the process far simpler, and each is available for free as part of a seven-day trial of Setapp, the world’s best suite of productivity apps for your Mac. In addition to these apps, you’ll get access to nearly 260 other incredible Mac and iOS apps.