Create Links from Dictionary

Overview

Create Links from Dictionary scans the selected pages and creates link annotations using entries from a dictionary file (.ald). Each dictionary entry maps source text to a destination URL, page, or named destination.

How to use

  1. Open a PDF in Acrobat.
  2. Go to Plug-Ins > Links > Create Links from Dictionary.
  3. Browse for an existing .ald dictionary file, or click Create New Dictionary to build one.
  4. Configure the matching options and page range.
  5. Optionally click Edit Appearance to customise how the created links look.
  6. Click OK to generate the links.

Dictionary options

OptionDescription
Dictionary file Path to the .ald file that contains link definitions. Use the Browse button to select a file.
Create New Dictionary Opens a wizard to build a new dictionary file from scratch.
Edit Dictionary Opens the currently selected dictionary for editing.

Processing options

OptionDescription
Match text case Only match text when the letter case is identical to the dictionary entry.
Match whole words only Prevents partial matches inside longer words.
Page range Limits link creation to a subset of pages selected from a dropdown.
Processing area Choose whether to scan the page content, annotations, or both.
Edit Appearance Opens the Link Appearance dialog so you can customise the visual style of the created links.

Tip

Create a single dictionary file for your organisation and reuse it across multiple documents to maintain consistent cross-referencing links.

Note

The dictionary file uses the .ald extension. Each entry in the file maps a search term to its link destination and action type.

See also