Hi All,



I am trying to add a 'Go to Top of Document' link to each page of a very large Word document. Preferably I would like it in the footer area. When I add a link to a bookmark in the footer area you can see the link but it is not clickable.

The word document will mostly be read from different mobile devices like iPhone's and Android mobile phones so there needs to be a link on each page at the bottom.

I am using the latest version of MS Office (Office 365 ProPlus desktop application). MS Word is basically the same as Word 2016.

I hope you can help

Colin

There is no procedure for this. First, for GoTo purposes, a link to something in a footer is meaningless. You would want the bookmark in the body.


If the hyperlink is in the footer and the document is distributed as pdf, it should work fine.


Otherwise, consider, instead of using a link, using instructions: i.e. "Press Ctrl+Home to go to the top of the document."

The thought of trying to read something described as a 'very large Word document' as a .pdf file on a smartphone … perhaps there may be a different approach?

So, suggest one that has worked for you.


I have reviewed long pdf files on a tablet or phone. It is not any harder or easier than viewing long Word files. I don't like doing it.

One approach that is often used with web pages is to break a long page into separate parts with links back and forth.

(I am not good at this, I just add, and add, and add. I.e., Templates in Microsoft Word), and Sections / Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word (Ribbon Versions)) It takes work and thought to do that.)

I don't usually say anything about the way I work, since this is a Word forum and I almost never use Word; I follow the forum just to keep informed, in case colleagues turn to me with questions.


In my environment, the nearest match to this question might be a 300+ page document where the developers and I migrated the content to DITA-compliant XML. We now deliver it as WebHelp and let the browser cope with resizing; to be fair, I'll admit the target audience will be consulting these helps while running the software on a PC, but we successfully use the same approach for another application designed for use on a 7" tablet.


pdf output remains a one-click option, but navigation/hyperlinks are optimised for the non-paper format. Editing and updating is of course a breeze, as individual topics are rarely more than [the equivalent of] a single page.


I happily read novels on a smartphone, but wouldn't want to write/edit 'documentation' on anything smaller than a laptop.

Likewise.



And for things that are going to be read but not edited, links in the footer to return to beginning or TOC (both a bookmark on the first page) work well. Since the TOC acts as hyperlinks to the rest of the document it is OK. Also when I convert to pdf I have headings included as pdf bookmarks in case the user wants to use those.


I do routinely use a Word document that is 100+ pages as a reference when responding to Word questions. It is liberally peppered with hyperlinks in the body to return to the top. Of course, Ctrl+Home is a better choice when working on the computer.