This is the most common document conversion people need, and most of the time it's straightforward. But there are a few specific things that trip people up.
The fastest option if you already have Word or Google Docs
In Microsoft Word: File → Save As → PDF. In Google Docs: File → Download → PDF Document. The conversion built into these apps is excellent and produces a PDF that looks exactly like your document. Use this if you have access to it.
When to use the online converter
If you're on a device where you don't have Word or Google Docs, or someone sent you a DOCX file you need to convert and you don't want to install anything — go to pdfmerger.io/word-to-pdf. Upload the file, convert, download. Everything runs in your browser.
The custom fonts problem
Custom fonts are the most common issue. If your Word document uses a font that isn't installed on the machine doing the conversion, the PDF will substitute a different font. This can shift line breaks, change spacing, and make the document look wrong.
The safest approach: before converting, make sure you're only using common fonts — Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Georgia. If you need a custom font and format matters, export directly from Word rather than using an online converter. Word will embed the font in the PDF correctly.
Headers, footers, and page numbers
These usually convert correctly. The main exception is complex section-specific headers or elaborate footer configurations — these occasionally misalign. Worth checking the first and last few pages of the output PDF before sending.
Tables
Tables convert well in most cases. The main issue is very wide tables — if a table is wider than the page margins in Word, it may get clipped or overflow in the PDF. Check any tables in your document before sharing, especially if they have many columns.
Before you send it to anyone
Open the PDF and scroll through every page. It takes 30 seconds and saves you from sending a document where page 7 has text cut off or images are missing. This is good practice regardless of which conversion method you used.
Why PDF is better for sharing
A PDF looks the same on every device, regardless of whether the recipient has Word installed or what fonts they have. That's the whole point — it's a fixed-layout format. Use Word for editing, PDF for sharing.