Export Word with Sharepoint properties to PDF metadata

jsface@live.nl
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Export Word with Sharepoint properties to PDF metadata

Post by jsface@live.nl »

When a Word document is exported to PDF, the document properties are converted to metadata in PDF.

In SharePoint Online the document properties are mapped to SharePoint column data (metadata) in Libraries.
Additional columns can be defined in a SharePoint library. These end up in the Word document as extra document properties.
When this document is downloaded, these extra properties can be viewed with Word File>Info Show All Properties. These extra properties can also be used with Quick Parts>Document Property.
However, when I export or Save the document as PDF, I do not see these extra properties as metadata in PDF.
It is important for me that this metadata is included in the PDF file because the PDF file is intended as a document in an external archive where the metadata is important for a durable access.

Does anyone know why the extra properties are handled differently?
Or do I use the wrong software to export or view the PDF file, how can I solve this?

I use the latest version of Office 365 and SharePoint.
Last edited by HansV on 06 Apr 2021, 20:45, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: to clarify purpose (export with Sharepoint properties)

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HansV
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Re: Export Word with document properties to PDF metadata

Post by HansV »

Welcome to Eileen's Lounge!

As far as I know, custom document properties will not be included if you use File > Save As or File > Export to save a Word document as a PDF file.

If you have Adobe Acrobat, the Adobe add-in for Word can preserve custom document properties in the PDF file.
Best wishes,
Hans

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Charles Kenyon
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Re: Export Word with document properties to PDF metadata

Post by Charles Kenyon »

Are SharePoint's properties Custom Document properties?
I do not know that they are; they do not show up under Custom Document Properties.
00 deleteme 10.png
These do not appear in the Custom Properties list.



I will test whether one of these exports using Acrobat.
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Last edited by Charles Kenyon on 06 Apr 2021, 19:51, edited 2 times in total.

jsface@live.nl
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Re: Export Word with document properties to PDF metadata

Post by jsface@live.nl »

In 2015 the same question was positive answered that Adobe can Create PDF with custom document properties.
My question is what Adobe product is minimal required to do this?

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Charles Kenyon
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Re: Export Word with document properties to PDF metadata

Post by Charles Kenyon »

AFAIK, Adobe Acrobat to do the conversion. There may well be other, free or less-expensive options that will do this.

:nope: Again, SharePoint properties are not the same as Custom properties.
Microsoft keeps confusing us by using the same word to mean different things.

My test is that Acrobat is not converting SharePoint properties. That test is based on a document created from this template which does have SharePoint generated properties.
You may need someone to write code to convert SharePoint Properties to standard Word custom document properties before you run Acrobat.

Here are temporary links to the resulting pdf, and to the source document.

A standard Custom Document property shows up in the document using a DocProperty field. The SharePoint property will not but does show up in the mapped Content Control.

In the pdf, only the standard Custom Document Property shows up.
Last edited by Charles Kenyon on 06 Apr 2021, 20:24, edited 3 times in total.

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Charles Kenyon
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Re: Export Word with document properties to PDF metadata

Post by Charles Kenyon »


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Charles Kenyon
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Re: Export Word with document properties to PDF metadata

Post by Charles Kenyon »

Please edit your post's title to reflect that the properties are created by SharePoint.

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HansV
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Re: Export Word with Sharepoint properties to PDF metadata

Post by HansV »

Charles: I have done so (in the first post)
Best wishes,
Hans

jsface@live.nl
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Re: Export Word with Sharepoint properties to PDF metadata

Post by jsface@live.nl »

Charles is right.
I have viewed the Word docx file. It has an Open XML format, which is a zipped, XML-based file format. The Zip file contains several xml files for the content and the metadata. The metadata files (core.xml, app.xml and custom.xml) are in the docProps directory. Optionally there is a directory customXML, in it you will find the metadata that SharePoint has added. I also see the core and custom properties here. I read that the custom.xml was called legacy. The question for me remains how the customXML metadata can be included in the conversion forecast to PDF/A.
Strange, while in many places the importance of storing metadata in the PDF/A file itself is emphasized for reasons of long-term archiving independent of a particular archiving system.
Will everyone who takes this seriously develop customization?
I look a little further and keep myself recommended for information.

Regards,
Jan

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macropod
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Re: Export Word with Sharepoint properties to PDF metadata

Post by macropod »

Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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Charles Kenyon
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Re: Export Word with Sharepoint properties to PDF metadata

Post by Charles Kenyon »

Jan,
It is your responsibility to list every forum in which you cross-post in each other forum, not ours. Further, you should try to focus the discussion in one location and point others to that location. Once there is any resolution, you have also undertaken an obligation to report that resolution in each other location in which you have posted. A Message to Cross-Posters.

None of these forums are places to get changes in the software. I have, in the Microsoft Community Anwers Forum, suggested how you might go about getting a solution.

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Charles Kenyon
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Re: Export Word with Sharepoint properties to PDF metadata

Post by Charles Kenyon »

See Greg Maxey's code in the Microsoft Answers Forum. It creates custom document properties based on the SharePoint properties. These then will be picked up in creation of the pdf.