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Bookmarks from Text File

Overview

Create Bookmarks From Text File imports a plain-text file and creates PDF bookmarks from its contents. Each line in the file becomes a bookmark. The tool extracts the bookmark title, a page number, and optionally a URL or file path from each line, and supports hierarchical nesting via leading tab characters.

How to use

  1. Open the PDF that will receive the bookmarks.
  2. Go to Plug-Ins > Bookmarks > Create Bookmarks From Text File.
  3. In the file dialog, select a .txt file and click Open.
  4. The tool reads the file line by line and creates bookmarks immediately.

File format

Each line uses the format:

Title, PageNumber

The comma separates the bookmark title from the page number. The trailing digits after the last comma are parsed as the destination page (zero-based index). Examples:

Chapter 1 Introduction, 0
Chapter 2 Scope, 4
	Section 2.1 Overview, 5
	Section 2.2 Details, 8
Appendix A, 42

Hierarchy with tabs

Leading tab characters control the nesting level of each bookmark. Lines with no tabs are created at the top level. Each additional leading tab indents the bookmark one level deeper under the previous parent. This lets you build a multi-level bookmark tree from a single text file.

Destination types

Trailing valueDestination created
Digits only (e.g. 5) A GoTo action pointing to the specified page (zero-based index) with a Fit Page view.
URL (e.g. https://example.com) A URI action that opens the URL in a web browser.
File path A Launch action that opens the specified file.

Tip

Use a spreadsheet or text editor to prepare the file. Export as tab-delimited text to preserve the hierarchy, and append the page number after a comma at the end of each line.

Note

Page numbers in the text file are zero-based — page 0 is the first page of the PDF. Lines without a valid trailing value are created as bookmarks with no destination.

See also