How do I add an attachment to a PDF in Adobe Acrobat?

Open your PDF and go to 'Edit' > 'Link'. Select 'add a link' and draw a box on the page. Follow the prompts to choose the file you want to attach. The attachment will now be part of your PDF document.

What is the difference between adding a link and attaching a file in Acrobat?

Feature Result. Adding a Link Creates a clickable area that can open a web page or jump to another part of the PDF. The linked content is usually external. Attaching a File Embeds another file (like a Word document or image) directly inside the PDF. The attached file travels with the PDF.

Attach Status Evidence in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Send the shipment-status summary for [order=4821] to customer service lead [approver=Maria…+

Send the shipment-status summary for [order=4821] to customer service lead [approver=Maria Gomez] and update the customer via email by [deadline=5pm today] — verify tracking numbers and carrier ETA are included first.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Before notifying customers, surface the late items and their new ETAs at the top of the…+

Before notifying customers, surface the late items and their new ETAs at the top of the summary, call out which shipments are undelivered versus in transit, and flag any required follow-up actions for [approver=Maria Gomez] to avoid escalation.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Select Tools in the top menu.
3
Choose Protect or look for the attachment tool in the tools panel.
4
Click the paperclip icon or select the attachment tool from the secondary toolbar.
5
Click anywhere on the PDF page where you want the attachment icon to appear.
6
In the file dialog, browse to and select the file you want to embed, then click Open.
7
Choose an icon to represent the attachment and, optionally, enter a description.
8
Click OK to embed the file into the PDF.
Best practiceFor best compatibility, let recipients know that they may need to use Adobe Acrobat or Reader to extract embedded attachments, as some PDF viewers do not support this feature.
9
Save the PDF to retain the embedded attachment.

In the appWith the API

You can view and manage all embedded attachments by opening the Attachments pane in Acrobat.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

AttachmentA file that is added inside a PDF, so it travels with the PDF.ExampleThe email included an attachment of the full contract, which opened as a PDF.

Link RectangleA clickable area you draw on a PDF page that can open an attachment or go to a web page.

SanitizeTo remove sensitive or private information from a document before sharing it.ExampleRemember to sanitize the document by redacting personal details before sharing it publicly.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Keep our customers informed about shipment status so they don’t escalate calls about late deliveries.

FAQ

about this task

Open your PDF and go to 'Edit' > 'Link'.
Select 'add a link' and draw a box on the page.
Follow the prompts to choose the file you want to attach.
The attachment will now be part of your PDF document.

It is important to sanitize attachments because they become a permanent part of the PDF. If the attached file contains private details, like bank account numbers or personal addresses, anyone who receives the PDF can see them. Sanitizing removes this sensitive data, protecting your privacy and ensuring you only share what is necessary. Use Acrobat's 'Protect' features to help with this.

Feature	Result
Adding a Link	Creates a clickable area that can open a web page or jump to another part of the PDF. The linked content is usually external.
Attaching a File	Embeds another file (like a Word document or image) directly inside the PDF. The attached file travels with the PDF.

Yes, attaching a large video file will likely make your PDF document much bigger. This can make it slow to open, save, and share, especially over email. Consider if the video needs to be embedded or if a link to an online video would be better to keep your PDF small and fast.

An attachment in a PDF document is another file, such as a spreadsheet, image, or text document, that is stored directly within the PDF itself. When you share the PDF, the attached files go with it. This is useful for keeping related information together.

Attach Status Evidence

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help