Using Adobe Acrobat for SharePoint and OneDrive

Search
Document Cloud

Document Cloud

Open app

Adobe Acrobat for SharePoint and OneDrive provides an integrated bundle of PDF services, enabling you to perform various operations on your PDFs. It also supports accessibility features such as read-out-loud functionality, keyboard tabbing, and high-contrast support. With this PDF experience, you can:

  • View PDFs online with Adobe's advanced web-based previewer.
  • Use the AI Assistant feature to help you quickly and easily understand complex PDF documents. 
  • Edit PDFs by modifying text, inserting, or deleting images.
  • Create PDFs that maintain original fonts, formatting, and layouts, with the option to add password protection.
  • Rearrange, delete, rotate pages, or split a PDF into multiple documents.
  • Merge Microsoft files and PDFs into one PDF, then reduce the file size for easier archiving or sharing.
  • Convert PDFs to editable Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or RTF files from anywhere, preserving the original design.
  • Annotate PDFs with sticky notes, highlights, and freehand drawings for effective note-taking.
  • Ensure accessibility with screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and support for High Contrast modes to aid those with visual impairments.

Supported browsers

The Adobe Acrobat for SharePoint and OneDrive is supported on all modern browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Note:
  • If you're using Microsoft Edge, see Browser configuration for Edge.
  • The Document Cloud integration will not work if third-party cookies are blocked in the browser. Ensure that third-party cookies are unblocked for the browser you are using.

Open a PDF file online

You can open and view a PDF online with Adobe's high-quality web-based PDF previewer. Double-click the file to open it in Adobe Acrobat. Alternatively, you can select the file and do one of the following:

  • From the top menu, select Open > Open in Adobe Acrobat.
  • Right-click the PDF file and select Open > Open in Adobe Acrobat.
  • If the file is open in SharePoint or One Drive preview, from the top menu bar, select Open > Open in Adobe Acrobat.
Note:

If a user isn't seeing the 'Open in Adobe Acrobat' option, admins must ensure that both SharePoint and OneDrive are provisioned for the user in his organization. 

Open a PDF file in the desktop application

You must add your SharePoint/OneDrive account to Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to open the files in the desktop application. For more information, see Connect your online storage accounts to access files in Acrobat.

Open PDFs in the desktop application by selecting Desktop in the top left menu bar of the web-based PDF previewer. The PDF opens in either Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader application. If both applications are installed, Adobe Acrobat takes precedence. The following desktop app versions are supported:

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro (v22.001.20142 and later)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader (v22.001.20142 and later)
  • Adobe Acrobat Standard (v22.001.20142 and later)
Note:

The Desktop button isn't available for files stored in another user's OneDrive.

Use AI Assistant and Gen summary

Acrobat AI Assistant tool can quickly provide comprehensive answers to your questions based on PDF content. The AI Assistant links to text and data tables within the document and suggests follow-up questions. 

The Generative Summary tool generates document outlines with headings and summaries highlighting key points. This feature provides key insights, processing PDF content in chunks for faster summaries. 

Refer to Adobe Acrobat's Generative AI guide for details on usage, guidelines, and limitations.

Convert a file to PDF

You can convert Microsoft Office documents into high-quality Adobe PDFs that preserve fonts, formatting, and layouts.

The Add-in lets you convert from the following popular file types to PDF:

Convert to PDF from Supported filename extensions
Microsoft Word .doc, .docx
Microsoft Excel .xls, .xlsx
Microsoft PowerPoint .ppt, .pptx
Image file formats .bmp, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff
Rich Text Format .rtf
Text file .txt
Adobe Illustrator .ai
Adobe InDesign .indd
Adobe Photoshop .psd
Fill & Sign Form Format .form

Steps to convert a file to PDF:

  1. From the file explorer window, select the file you want to convert to PDF, choose Actions > Adobe Document Cloud from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Create PDF by Adobe.

    Note:

    If you've multiple file handlers installed, select the file and choose Actions from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Adobe Document Cloud > Create PDF by Adobe.

    If the file is already open in the document preview, choose Tools > Convert to PDF.

    Create PDF from preview

  2. Sign in with your Adobe ID and password if prompted. 

  3. In the One Drive explorer window, select the file you want to convert to PDF, and select Open.

    Note:

    Make sure you disable your browser's pop-up blocker to view the One Drive explorer and select the file.

    The file is converted to PDF and saved back to your OneDrive or SharePoint document library. Also, a preview of the file is displayed.

Edit text and images in a PDF

You can edit text or add images to a PDF file using the Adobe Acrobat app.

Steps to edit text and images in a PDF:

  1. Select the PDF file you want to edit from your Microsoft SharePoint or OneDrive document library.

  2. Choose Edit from the Adobe Acrobat preview window. The PDF becomes editable, and the Edit panel opens on the left. If the PDF is generated from a scanned document, the Acrobat app automatically runs OCR to make the text and images editable.

  3. In the edit mode, you can perform the following operations:

    You can add or insert new text into a PDF using the available fonts in the Acrobat app.

    1. From the Edit panel, select Text under Add Content.

    2. Drag to define the width of the text block that you want to add.

    3. The Add text tool intelligently detects the following text properties of text close to the point of click:

      • Font name, size, and color
      • Character, paragraph, and line spacing
      • Horizontal scaling

      These text properties are automatically applied to the text that you add at the point of click. You can change the text properties using the options under Format text in the left pane.

    4. Type the text. When you add text to a PDF, by default, the Acrobat app chooses nearby font attributes for the new text. Any font not available in Acrobat is substituted when you edit text by a default fall-back font for the particular script.

    5. To resize the text box, drag a selection handle.

    6. To move the text box, place the pointer over the line of the bounding box (avoid the selection handles). When the cursor changes to Move pointer , drag the box to the new location. To maintain alignment with the other list items, press Shift as you drag.

    When you edit text, the text in the paragraph reflows within its text box to accommodate the changes. Each text box is independent, and inserting text in one text block doesn’t push down an adjacent text box or reflow to the next page.  

    1. From the Edit panel, select Text under Add Content.

    2. Select the text that you want to edit. The text box turns blue upon selection, and a quick menu appears with the following options:

      • Highlight or Italicise the text inside the text box.
      • Delete the text box.
      • Cut, or Copy the text box.
      • Select all.
      Choose Tools, Edit PDF, Edit
      The dotted outlines identify the text and images that you can edit.

    3. Edit the text by doing one of the following:
      • Type new text to replace the selected text, or press Delete to remove it.
      • Manage list items using the list controls (bulleted and numbered) in the left-side Format text panel. You can create lists and, conversely, convert a list item to a paragraph or change list types.
      • Select a font, font size, or other formatting options in the left-side Format text panel. You can also try the advanced format options, such as line spacing, character spacing, horizontal scaling, stroke width, and color.
      Formatting options
      Formatting options in the left pane

    4. Select any area outside the selection to deselect it, and start over.

    You can move text boxes on a page. The Edit tool outlines each text box, so it's clear what text is affected. Edits are confined to the page. You can't drag a text block to another page or move individual characters or words within a text box. However, you can copy text boxes and paste them on another page.

    Resizing a text box causes the text to reflow within the new text box boundaries. It doesn't change the size of the text. As with other text edits, resizing is limited to the current page. The text doesn't flow to the next page.

    1. From the Edit panel, select Text under Add Content.

    2. Select the text box that you want to move or resize.

      Move the text box
      A bounding box with selection handles surrounds the text box that you clicked.

    3. Do any of the following:

      Move

      Place the pointer over the line of the bounding box (avoid the selection handles). When the cursor changes to Move pointer , drag the box to the desired location. Hold down the Shift key as you drag to constrain the movement vertically or horizontally.

      Move text box

      Resize

      Place the pointer over any of the circular selection handles, and drag the handle to resize the text block.

      Resize text box

    You can add items to a numbered or bulleted list, create list items, convert a paragraph to a list item, and conversely. You can also change list types.

    1. From the Edit panel, select Text under Add Content.

      Note:

      Acrobat detects paragraphs and lists separately. Therefore, both paragraph and list may appear in the same bounding box while editing. After you save the file, the paragraph and list items are displayed in separate bounding boxes.

    2. You can add or remove items to the list at all nested levels using the same familiar controls that you use in Microsoft® Office. For example, press Enter at the end of a list item to insert a new row. Press Backspace to remove the new row and position the cursor back to the end of the previous list item.

      To create a numbered or bulleted list:

      1. Place the cursor in the document at the location where you want to add a list.
      2. Choose the appropriate list type under Format text.

      To convert an existing paragraph to a list item:

      • Place the cursor in the paragraph, and then choose the appropriate list type under Format text.

      To convert an existing list item to a paragraph:

      1. Select all items in the list. The appropriate list type is highlighted under Format text.
      2. Click the highlighted list type.

      To convert from one list type to another:

      1. Place the cursor in the list item or select all items.
      2. Choose the appropriate list type under Format text.
      Add or edit list in a PDF

      Note:

      Use the keyboard to add a list item. For example, before a paragraph, you can type number ‘a’ followed by the closing parenthesis ‘)’ and then add one space. It adds a numbered list starting with “a)”.

    1. From the Edit panel, select Image under Add Content.

    2. Select the image you want to add from your Google Drive or other Shared drives.

    3. Adobe Acrobat app adds the image to the PDF. You can perform the following operations:

      • Drag the borders to resize the image.
      • From the left pane, use the options to 
        • Rotate the image clockwise.
        • Rotate the image anti-clockwise.
        • Delete image.
        • Replace the image with another image.
      Adjust image

Combine files to PDF

You can combine up to twelve files into a single PDF. Combine Files supports multiple file types, in addition to PDF files.

Note:

You cannot combine PDF files that are secure, password protected, 3D, or part of a PDF Portfolio.

In addition to PDFs, the Add-in lets you combine the following popular file types into a PDF:

Convert to PDF from Supported filename extensions
Microsoft Word .doc, .docx
Microsoft Excel .xls, .xlsx
Microsoft PowerPoint .ppt, .pptx
Image file formats .bmp, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff
Rich Text Format .rtf
Text file .txt
Adobe Illustrator .ai
Adobe InDesign .indd
Adobe Photoshop .psd
Fill & Sign Form Format .form

Steps to combine files into a PDF:

  1. From the file explorer window, select the files you want to combine to PDF, choose Actions > Adobe Document Cloud from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Combine Files by Adobe.

    Note:

    If you've multiple file handlers installed, select the file and choose Actions from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Adobe Document Cloud > Combine Files by Adobe.

    If the file is already open in the document preview, choose All tools > Combine Files.

    Combine files from Document Cloud view

  2. Sign in to Adobe Acrobat if prompted.

  3. The Combine files toolset appears on the left. Do any of the following and then select Combine.

    • To add more files, select Add files. 
    • To delete a file, select the file and select delete . 
    • Acrobat suffixes -combined with the file name. Enter the new file name as desired.
    A preview of the selected files

    • (Optional) If a file has multiple pages, it's shown as a stack. Hover over the file and click the arrow button to expand it. Use drag-and-drop to change the page order in which you want it to appear in the combined PDF.
    • (Optional) Use the options in the side panel on the right to arrange the files in Grid View or List View. You can also use the + or - button on the bottom right corner of the window to zoom in or zoom out the thumbnail preview.

    The files are combined into a PDF and saved back to your OneDrive or SharePoint document library. Also, a preview of the file is displayed.

Export PDF to Word/Excel/PowerPoint

You can convert PDF files into Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint, Rich Text Format, or image files.

Adobe Acrobat performs OCR on PDF files that contain images, vector art, hidden text, or a combination of these elements. For example, the Add-in performs OCR on PDF files created from scanned documents. The Add-in also performs OCR on the text that it can't interpret because the text was encoded incorrectly in the source application.

Note:

OCR is the conversion of images of text (scanned text) into editable characters so that you can search, correct, and copy the text.

Adobe Acrobat lets you export to the following file types from PDF:

Export PDF to

Supported filename extensions

Microsoft Word

.doc, .docx

Microsoft Excel

.xlsx

Microsoft PowerPoint

.pptx

Rich Text Format

.rtf

Image

.jpg, .tiff, .png

Steps to export PDF:

  1. From the file explorer window, select the file, choose Actions > Adobe Document Cloud from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Export PDF by Adobe.

    Note:

    If you've multiple file handlers installed, select the file and choose Actions from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Export PDF by Adobe.

    If the file is already open in the document preview, choose Convert, then select the format you want to export the document.

    Export PDF

  2. Sign in to Adobe Acrobat if prompted.

  3. Choose the Document language, then select Convert to [selected format] button.

    (For example, if you've selected Microsoft Word option, the button's name is displayed as Convert to DOCX.)

  4. The selected PDF file is exported to the desired format with the same name and is opened for preview. The exported document is automatically saved to your OneDrive or SharePoint document library.

    Note:

    The folder location of the saved file opens when you export the PDF file to file types like .rtf, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, and, .tiff.

Organize a PDF

You can manipulate existing PDF documents by deleting, reordering, or rotating its pages.

Steps to organize pages in a PDF:

  1. From the file explorer window, select the file, choose Actions > Adobe Document Cloud from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Organize Pages by Adobe.

    Note:

    If you've multiple file handlers installed, select the file and choose Actions from the top menu or the right-click menu, and then select Adobe Document Cloud > Organize Pages by Adobe.

    If the file is already open in the document preview, choose All tools > Organize pages.
    Organize pages from the Edit menu in the toolbar

  2. Sign in to Adobe Document Cloud if prompted.

  3. The Organize Pages toolset appears on the left. Use the + or - button on the bottom right corner of the window to zoom in or zoom out the page thumbnail preview. Do any of the following and select Save changes.

    • Rotate pages left, right, or delete them.
    • To reorder the pages, drag the page thumbnail to the new location. The pages are renumbered.
    • To add pages to your PDF, choose Insert pages, click the + icon where you want to add pages and select the file from file explorer.
    • To create a new PDF of selected pages, choose Extract pages, and then select the pages and then select Extract pages button.
    • To split the file into multiple pages, select Split into multiple files. Select the divider lines to mark the beginning of different files, and then select Split.
    Organize pages tooset

Protect a PDF

Use the Protect PDF tool to add password security to a PDF. After the password is set, users must provide the password to view the PDF.

  1. Open a PDF in Adobe Acrobat. 

  2. Select All tools > Protect a PDF.

  3. In the Protect PDF dialog box, type the password in the Set Password field, and confirm the same in the respective field. For each keystroke, the password strength meter evaluates your password and indicates the password strength. Select Set Password.

    Type your password, confirm, and then click Set Password

  4. Your PDF is now password protected. In the preview window, enter the password in the prompt to view the PDF.

Compress a PDF file size

Use the Compress PDF tool to reduce the size of your PDF file. The size of the file is optimized by removing embedded fonts, compressing images, and removing items from the file that are no longer needed.

  1. Open a PDF in Adobe Acrobat. 

  2. Select All tools > Compress a PDF.

  3. In the Compress PDF dialog box, choose the compression level as per the desired size and quality and select Compress.

    Compress PDF

    The PDF file is compressed and saved to your SharePoint or One Drive account.

Fill and sign documents

To fill and sign PDFs, select E-sign from the top global bar. The Fill & Sign tools appear on the left, allowing you to complete form fields and sign as outlined in the following sections.

  1. From the left panel, select  and then click on the field where you want to add text.
    It displays a text field along with a toolbar, as shown below. 

  2. Select the text field again and enter your text.

  3. To reposition the text box to align it with the text field, select the textbox and hover over it. Once you see a plus icon with arrows, move the textbox to the desired position.

  4. To edit the text, select the text box. Once you see the cursor and keypad, edit the text and then click elsewhere to enter.

  5. To change the text size, select A or A as required.

    fill-text-field

    Note:

    Resize the first annotation you place to fit the check box or radio button in the document, and the next annotations you add will be of the same size and will fit the rest of the box/circle fields.

  6. To change the text color, select  from the quick toolbar and then select a desired color from the color palette.

    The default color for signatures is black. To change the color of signatures, you must deselect the Keep signatures black checkbox. 

    text-color

  7. To switch to a different input type, select and then select one of the available options like Signature, Initials, Crossmark, and Checkmark.

    Change input type

  1. Hover over the field with the radio option. It automatically displays the default checkmark or the selected radio field symbol.

  2. Select the radio option field to enter the symbol.

  3. To change the symbol, select the field again, and then from the menu, tap and then select another symbol. It marks the field with the selected symbol.

    change-radio-symbol

  1. Create your signature and initials if not already done. To do so:

    1. From the Quick action toolbar, select 
    2. To add a signature, select Add signature. In the dialog that appears, type or draw your signature and then select Done.
    3. To add your initials, select  > Add initials. In the dialog that appears, type or draw your initials and then select Done.

    Note: You may also add an image as your signature or initials. To add an existing image, tap the image icon from the top menu. To take a new picture to be added as your signature, tap the camera icon and follow through with the workflow.

  2. To add a signature:

    1. From the left panel, select your signature, move over to the field where you want to add it, and then click there to place the signature.
      Else, from the Quick actions toolbar, select  and then select your signature.
    2. Your signature appears in the field.
      Note: Once you add a signature or initial to a form and save it, you cannot edit it again.
    3. To adjust the placement of your signature, hover over the signature till you see a plus icon, and then click and move the signature as desired. 
    4. To adjust the size of your signature, hover over the blue circle at the corner, and then hold and drag it as desired.
    resize-signature

    Caution:

    Once you add a signature or an initial to a form and save it, you cannot edit it again. So, when adding a signature or an initial, you see the following warning message.

  3. To add your initials:

    1. From the left panel, select your initial, move over to the field where you want to add it, and then click to place the signature.
      Else, from the Quick actions toolbar, select  and then select your initial.
      Your initials appear in the field.
    2. To adjust the placement of your signature, hover over the signature till you see a plus icon, and then click and move the signature as desired. 
    3. To adjust the size of your signature, hover over the blue circle at the corner, and then hold and drag it as desired.
    Note:

    If you want to use an image as your signature or initials:

    • Sign your name in black ink on a clean, blank sheet of white paper. Sign in the middle of the paper so you don't photograph or scan the edges.
    • Photograph or scan your signature. If you are taking a picture of your signature, make sure that the page is lit and that no shadows fall across the signature.
    • Transfer the photo or scan to your computer. Acrobat/Reader accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, TIF, and BMP files. You do not need to crop the image. Acrobat/Reader imports just the signature if the photo or scan is fairly clean.

Add comments to a PDF

Use the Adobe Acrobat commenting features to write notes to yourself as you view or read documents. You can add comments to your PDF files with text comments, sticky notes, highlights, and drawing tool. To add comments, do the following:

Note:
  • When two users view the same PDF simultaneously, adding comments to a PDF will prompt the other user to refresh the page to get the latest version of the PDF.
  • You cannot add comments or edit PDF files that are secure, protected, or read-only. The commenting and edit buttons are hidden for such files.
  • You cannot add comments to PDF files from mobile devices using browsers.
  • The comment pane is visible in the right if you add a sticky note comment, click on any existing comment, or open any file with existing comments.

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.

  2. In the quick tools bar, select the desired annotation tool and choose where you want to place the note. The following comment types are available for use:

    • Add comments like sticky note or text comment.
    • Highlight, Underline, or Strikethrough text.
    • Draw freehand.
    Add comments
    Add comments or text comment

    Highlight, Underline, Strikethrough
    Highlight, Underline, Strikethrough

    Draw freehand
    Draw freehand

    Note:

    When you use Add Text annotation, the same text is posted as a comment, and appears in the comment pane.

    When you select any text in the PDF, additional commenting tools are available for use - Add comments, Highlight selected text, Strikethrough selected text, Underline selected text, Copy text.

    Note:

    If you're logged in, and your subscription includes access to the Edit tool, you'll also see the Edit text option.

    Additional tools when you select text in a PDF

    A. Add comments B. Highlight text C. Underline text D. Strikethrough text E. Copy text 

Change the look of your comments

To change the color of your comments, do the following:

  1. Select the comment. A pop-up window appears.

    Change the color of the comment

    Note:

    Similarly, you can choose and change the line thickness of the Drawing Tool annotation, and adjust the font size of the Add Text annotation.

  2. Select the color to open the color panel.

  3. Select the desired.

  4. Your changes are auto-saved in 20 seconds. Alternatively, you can save by pressing Ctrl+S on Windows and Cmd+S on macOS.

Undo or redo changes

  • To undo changes, select the undo   icon on the top toolbar.
  • To redo changes, select the redo   icon on the top toolbar.

Edit comments, delete comments, or erase drawing

To edit a comment, do the following:

  • Select the comment. The comments pane is displayed on the right. From the options (...) menu, select Edit.
  • To edit the Add text annotation, select the text comment and type to make your changes.

To delete comments, select the comment and do one of the following:

  • The comments pane is displayed on the right. From the options (...) menu, select Delete.
  • From the pop-up window, select the delete icon.

To erase drawing comments, do the following:

  • Select the Erase drawing tool from the toolbar, and drag over the parts of the drawing you want to erase.

Customize Acrobat's appearance in Microsoft SharePoint or OneDrive

You can change Acrobat's appearance to Light or Dark theme. You can also change the setting to always follow the theme selected in Microsoft SharePoint or OneDrive. Do the following:

  1. In the Acrobat viewer, from the More menu (   ) near your profile picture, select Preferences.

    Acrobat preferences

  2. In the Preferences window, choose your desired theme in the Appearance drop-down list.

    Choose appearance theme

  3. Select Save. The set preference in Acrobat takes precedence over the appearance setting of Microsoft SharePoint or OneDrive.

Frequently asked questions

File name formats mentioned below are not allowed:

  • The special directory names "." and ".."
  • File names or files with the following extensions: CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT0, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, and LPT9.
  • File names ending with a space or period.
  • File names beginning with a period.
  • File names using '#' special character.

If you have a file with a long filename in One Drive or SharePoint, Adobe Document Cloud PDF Experience for Office 365 is unable to perform the requested action and displays the error - "There's some problem while processing your files."

Error processing files with long name or path

Solution
Shorten the filename in One Drive or SharePoint, and then perform the action using the Adobe Document Cloud PDF Experience for Office 365.

Note:

Microsoft’s Graph API limits usage of long file name or file path. Adobe is working with Microsoft for the issue resolution.

The Adobe Document Cloud PDF Experience for Office 365 is only visible in the modern view of One Drive and SharePoint. To use the Adobe Document Cloud PDF Experience, click Exit Classic Experience in the lower left corner of One Drive/SharePoint.

Exit classic experience

Transient copies are created whenever a paid feature such as Organize pages or Export a PDF is used. Every time a user uses a paid feature, an equal number of transient copies are created for up to 24 hours, after which they are deleted. Neither Adobe nor Microsoft® has access to this data. For more details, see Adobe Acrobat with Document Cloud Services Security Overview.

 Adobe

Get help faster and easier

New user?

Quick links

View all your plans Manage your plans
View quick links
Hide quick links

Legal Notices    |    Online Privacy Policy