How to Convert Word to PDF Free Online (DOCX to PDF)
A PDF looks the same on every device, which makes it the safe format for sending a CV, a letter or an assignment. This guide explains how to convert a Word file to PDF in your browser and where it falls short of Word itself.
Why send a PDF instead of a Word file
A Word document is designed to be edited, and it rearranges itself depending on the fonts and settings on the computer that opens it. A CV that looks perfect on your laptop can break across pages on someone else's. A PDF freezes the layout. It also makes it clear that the file is meant to be read, not changed, and it opens on any phone or computer without Word.
How our Word to PDF works
It helps to know the method, because it explains the strengths and the limits. Word to PDF reads your .docx file (styles, fonts, page size, margins, text, lists, tables, pictures, columns, headers and footers) and lays it out again on PDF pages in your browser, with real, selectable text. The common Office fonts (Calibri, Cambria, Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New) are replaced by open fonts with exactly the same letter widths, so in most documents lines and pages break where Word breaks them. The page size and margins come from the document unless you choose others.
Hindi and Marathi text is drawn with a Devanagari font and stays selectable. Documents in Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali and other scripts without a bundled font are handled differently: the tool switches to Exact look, draws each page as it would appear on screen and saves the pages as pictures, without ever cutting a line in half. You can choose Exact look yourself too.
The advantage of this approach is that it works on any device with no software to install, and your file stays on your device. The drawback is that it is not Word’s own layout engine, so complex layouts can come out slightly differently.
Step by step
- Open Word to PDF.
- Choose a .docx file.
- Keep the page setup As in file, or pick another page size, orientation and margins. Leave the output on Selectable text unless you need Exact look.
- Press Convert to PDF. The PDF downloads with the same name as your document.
- Open it and look at every page, especially tables and where pages break.
What carries over
- Body text with its fonts, sizes, colours, bold, italic and underline.
- Headings, paragraphs, spacing, tab stops, numbered and bulleted lists.
- Tables with their borders, shading and merged cells, and pictures.
- Page size, margins, columns, headers, footers and page numbers.
What does not carry over
- Uncommon fonts. Fonts other than the common Office fonts are replaced by the nearest bundled font, so their lines can break differently.
- Text boxes, shapes, charts and SmartArt. Text boxes and floating pictures are placed in the text flow; shapes, charts and SmartArt are left out.
- Footnotes. They are collected at the end of the document rather than at the foot of each page.
- Tracked changes and comments. Only the content is converted, so do not rely on them showing.
- Exact page endings in complex documents. Pages are laid out afresh, so in a complex document a page can end in a slightly different place than in Word. Your manual page breaks are kept, and lines are never cut in half.
Selectable text or exact look?
In Selectable text mode, the default for English and most other documents, the PDF contains real text: it can be selected, copied and searched, and the file stays small. That matters for a CV that will be read by a recruiter’s software, because automated systems need real text.
In Exact look mode, each page is a picture. The text cannot be selected or searched and the file is larger, but the pages look exactly as they are drawn, including Gujarati, Tamil and other Indian-script text. For printing or handing in a read-only copy, that is fine. If you need both an exact look and selectable text for those scripts, export from Word itself.
When to use Word's own Save as PDF
If you have Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice on hand, their built-in export (File, then Save as PDF or Download as PDF) keeps fonts, page layout, headers, footers, page numbers, links and a real text layer. It is the best choice when a complex layout must be exact. Use our tool when you are on a device without those programs, for example a borrowed computer or a phone, or when you do not want to upload the document to an online converter.
Prepare your document for a good conversion
- Save the file as .docx. The older .doc format is not supported, so open it in Word and use Save As first.
- Use standard headings, paragraphs and lists rather than text boxes.
- Keep images inline with the text where you can.
- Remove tracked changes and comments you do not want to show, by accepting or deleting them.
Check the result like a reader
Open the PDF and scroll to the end. Look at the top and bottom of every page for split lines, check that table columns are readable, and confirm that images appear. If something is wrong, adjust the Word file (for example, simplify a table or move a floating picture in line with the text) and convert again, or try Exact look.
Size and follow-up
If the result is large, see our size guide. To join the result with other documents, use Merge PDF. To add page numbers to a document that has none, use Add page numbers. To add a signature, see how to sign a PDF.
Troubleshooting
The tool asks for a .docx file. Your file is probably an older .doc. Open it in Word and save as .docx.
The layout looks different. The tool lays the document out again with similar fonts; complex layouts can shift. For an exact match use Word's own export.
Gujarati or Tamil text looks broken. Choose Exact look as the output; the letters will join correctly.
The converter did not load. The tool loads its conversion code from our site the first time you use it. Check your connection and reload the page.
Worked example: converting a CV
A job seeker has a two-page CV with a simple layout: a name heading, section headings, bullet lists and one table of dates. On a borrowed computer with no Word installed, they open Word to PDF, choose A4 with normal margins and convert. The headings, bullets, table and the footer with the page number come across, the text can be selected, and the Calibri text is drawn with a font of the same width, so both pages end where they did in Word. If the CV used an unusual designer font, they would export from Word on their own device instead.
Our tool versus Word's own export
| Feature | iLoveDocuments Word to PDF | Save as PDF in Word or Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Needs software installed | No, only a browser | Yes, or a Google account for Docs |
| Fonts and layout | Same page setup; common Office fonts matched by width; complex layouts can differ | Exact |
| Selectable text | Yes (except in Exact look mode) | Yes |
| Headers, footers, page numbers | Yes | Yes |
| File stays on your device | Yes | Yes in desktop Word |
Frequently asked questions
Does Word to PDF support .doc files?
No. Open the file in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice and save it as .docx first.
Can I select the text in the PDF?
Yes, in the default Selectable text mode, including Hindi and Marathi. Documents in Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali and similar scripts, or any document you convert with Exact look, are saved as page pictures without selectable text.
Will my fonts be kept?
Calibri, Cambria, Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New are drawn with open fonts of the same letter widths, so the text looks very close and breaks the same way. Other fonts are replaced by the nearest of these. Use Word’s own Save as PDF if an unusual font must be exact.
Is my document uploaded?
No. The conversion runs in your browser.
Keep reading
- PDF to Word Formatting Guide: What Converts, What Breaks & How to Fix Scans
- How to Merge PDF Files Online for Free (No Upload)
- How to Sign a PDF Online for Free (Step by Step)
Written by the iLoveDocuments team and checked against how the tools behave today. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it. See our editorial standards.