Copy text with link  SOLVED

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AFalk
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Copy text with link

Post by AFalk »

Hello

I have a text with a filelink attached (created by myself). How can I copy this to another file?

This is a process that will occur multiple times, so a automated solution would make me happy :D

Edit: working with PDF-XChange Editor Plus, Version 10.6.0
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Sean - PDF-XChange
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Re: Copy text with link  SOLVED

Post by Sean - PDF-XChange »

Hi,

You can do that by enabling the Add/Edit Links tool, then simply right-clicking the link and clicking copy, then pasting it into the desired document:

image.png

Kind regards,
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Sean Godley
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AFalk
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by AFalk »

Thanks Sean, that helps me!

For understanding: I moved a text and the link stayed on it's original position. When I click "edit text" and I add a link, this link is not coupled wih the text it is a kind of overlay?
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Daniel - PDF-XChange
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by Daniel - PDF-XChange »

Hello, AFalk

That is correct, In PDF, links are a separate entity from the base content text they overlap. This is a part of the PDF Specification and is not something we can change at the technical level.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
PDF-XChange Co. LTD

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Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
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AFalk
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by AFalk »

Thank you, Daniel :D
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Sean - PDF-XChange
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by Sean - PDF-XChange »

:)
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FelixPDF
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by FelixPDF »

Hi Danial and Sean,

would it be possible to enable users to select all elements (regardless of type at least all PDF base content; text, links, lines, ...) with the "Edit Objects" tool in the Home > Objects category?
Maybe the "edit objects" tool selection menu for object types could be expand by all the other type of objects that could be present on a PDF page. I am asking this, because as a user, you would expact to move text WITH its "associated" link. And this might be true for all other types of objects as well. Often you currently do not even know what other "invisible" objects are there in a specific page area (like with the link object). And not having a single tool to view and then select and move objects makes editing PDFs currently quite unnecessary complicated and painful and error prone.

Why it would be better to enhence the "edit objects" tool
Providing a single tool to move all kind of (visual) (base content) objects would be much easier and much more understandable to the general user, instead of assuming and requiring that users must know that:
  • #1 in a specific page area might be objects that are not visible/displayed (even when the current object selection tool is activated or used)
  • #2 text and links are seperate, and both require a seperate specific tool to be selected and moved
  • #3 ... even when all of the above is known to the user ... users must know each object type might need a specific tool and where to find each tool in the GUI, and that even if the tool is known and found, each object type must be checked for separately and sequentially in each given edited page area and when another object type is present it must be moved separately by exactly the same amount to not destroy the composition in the movement process.
Instead of simply using "edit objects" tool and be shown all the elements present on the page when the tool is active, and be able to specify via the tools setting (drop down) the types of objects that should be selected by it. Maybe even keep the current pre-selection groups (All Text Elements, Images, Shapes) and add a dividing line under it and below that a list of PDF base content types as a multi-selection-list.

This is not only true for moving objects but also for copy (and insert).

Would love to hear your response on this and in what time frame this could be implemented.
All the best!

PS: Mabe when the tool gets overhauled, maybe even the integration of annotations would be possible 💫
grafik.png
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Last edited by FelixPDF on Sun Jul 12, 2026 9:33 am, edited 5 times in total.
mCHSNUg5Pz8cPap
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by mCHSNUg5Pz8cPap »

FelixPDF wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2026 4:05 pm I am asking this, because as a user, you would expact to move text WITH its "associated" link.
A couple of days ago, I ran into this exact problem. I printed a page from OneNote containing links to the pdf-xchange print driver, used edit objects to rearrange some content, and the links disappeared. At first, I thought the page had printed without the links. After some testing, I realized it printed correctly. The problem was that the links stayed in their original locations after moving the content, which makes no sense. I tried fixing it for a bit, but eventually decided it wasn’t worth the hassle and sent the file without moving the content so the links would still work.
Features I really want:
1. Fully customizable toolbars: https://forum.tracker-software.com/viewtopic.php?p=167585
2. Ability to draw curved lines: https://forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?p=178335
FelixPDF
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by FelixPDF »

Hi,
yes this happens often. In our company editors moved objects and where unaware of "invisible" objects (like links; yes I know that in the case of links they could be made visible) when using the "edit objects" tool and thereby by moving content destroyed the composition, which was only several days later discovered and resulted in us having to restart a +1000 page book editorial from scratch. *sigh*
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Daniel - PDF-XChange
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by Daniel - PDF-XChange »

Hello,

You have all raised many excellent points, a good number of which have come up in our internal meetings, and one or two which sound new to me, at the very least.
In any case, I will have to disappoint somewhat.

While we do want to streamline the process eventually, combining these separate editing modes, without breaking very important things, is an extremely tall order. As I noted before, the Specification has these items quite separated, and attempting to mix them leads to. unwanted interactions due to the extended differences between Base content, and comment items. So much so, it is not one which we can promise an implementation on, let alone offer a timeline for as of yet.

Know that we are aware of the demand, and it is something we are discussing, but I will need to ask all of you have patience in the meantime while we try to find a workable solution.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
PDF-XChange Co. LTD

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Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
[email protected]
FelixPDF
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by FelixPDF »

Hi Daniel,

thanks for getting back to this!
Implementing a tool like "edit objects" to edit most BASE content together (like described in the previous post) would already be a fantastic start and such a huge improvement and relief!

Thanks for all the work on this! Best regards to the programmer's! Cant wait for this to get shipped.
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Daniel - PDF-XChange
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by Daniel - PDF-XChange »

Hello, FelixPDF

An Edit objects tool, for handling base content collectively, already exists - in one form or another since before I started working here (8+ years ago).
image.png
As noted above, the requests, especially with pertinence to links, is a very different story. "Links" (any "comment" in general) are not base content, nor are they connected to the "base content" items, like text in any way.

Kind regards,
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Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
PDF-XChange Co. LTD

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Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
[email protected]
FelixPDF
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by FelixPDF »

Hi Danial,
I know that tool, but I unfortunately did forget in last post that links are not base-content.

But anyways ... It is just so frustrating and hard to understand for my, why it would be so hard for a programmer to provide a single tool (like "edit objects" is for base content) for selecting and moving together all other types of visual 'non-base-content' elements... I mean they have a position, they have dimentions, ...

Maybe a programmer could respond and expand on the reasons this is supposedly so hard?

I love PDFXChange, but this feels brocken to the user and things only get better if we fix them, right??
💝
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Daniel - PDF-XChange
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Re: Copy text with link

Post by Daniel - PDF-XChange »

Hello, FelixPDF

Unfortunately the Dev team is a little too busy to offer a details technical breakdown of the limitations for academic curiosity. The long and the short is that every PDF file is strictly structured according to the ISO Specification for PDF - it is not something we have freedom to "break away from" in most areas, if we want to ensure your documents are stable in other PDF software - which we very much do want to ensure.

I understand the frustration, and I am sorry that this is not a quick process, but you will have to take my word for it when I say that Yes, it is far more complicated than it sounds like it would be to "fix" links and comment structure, (which for all intents and purposes, are working as intended currently). Beyond that, we are intending to offer a solution here, as noted above. It will not, however, be a quick feature to implement - due to the aforementioned complexity.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
PDF-XChange Co. LTD

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
[email protected]