Skip to content
LeoPDF

Tips & guides

How to Convert PDF to HTML Files?

Published

Converting a PDF to HTML can make its contents available as a web page, but it is not the same as publishing a finished website. Check the exported text, page structure, images and links before using the output.

Use an application with HTML export

Adobe Acrobat documents a PDF-to-HTML workflow. Check that your Acrobat product includes the required export feature; a free PDF reader should not be assumed to offer the same controls.

  1. Open the PDF and select Convert.
  2. Choose Other format, then HTML.
  3. Review the available settings for the output.
  4. Select Convert to HTML and save the result.

See Adobe’s HTML conversion instructions. The settings include single or multiple linked HTML files, image inclusion and text recognition. Choose according to the document rather than assuming that one option fits every page.

Review the exported files together

An HTML export can depend on accompanying images or other files. Keep the output together and check it from the location where it will be used. Copying only one file may leave the page without resources it needs.

Open the result in a browser and compare it with the PDF. Check the order of paragraphs, tables, headings, captions and any navigation links. Look beyond the first page when the source contains multiple sections.

Check text and readability

Try selecting and searching for a sentence in the output. A page that looks readable can still contain text as an image or an awkward reading order. If recognition was used, compare important names, numbers and symbols with the PDF.

  • Check whether headings and lists describe the document’s structure.
  • Inspect tables and text arranged in columns.
  • Review images and any descriptions needed to understand them.
  • Try the page at more than one browser-window width.

Choose the right source for a website

If you have the original document or its editable source, consider whether rebuilding the content in your website editor would be more maintainable than retaining a converted page layout. For a short article, cleaning up the structure may matter more than reproducing the PDF’s exact positioning.

This workflow uses a documented HTML export. PDF-to-Word, PDF-to-image and HTML export are separate operations; support for one should not be inferred from another. Renaming a .pdf file to .html does not convert its contents.

Keep the original PDF and check the exported page before sharing or publishing it. A successful export alone does not establish that the HTML is accessible, responsive or identical to the source.

Questions about LeoPDF?

Contact xuehui@leopdf.com with your platform, app version and a description of your question.