Refresh the DOCX before creating the review PDF
Update Word's fields after the final edits, then check the references in the exported PDF. A report can look polished while its figure references or table totals still describe an earlier revision.
Work on a saved DOCX copy and keep the previous PDF separately. Microsoft's field update instructions specify Ctrl+A followed by F9, with a separate selection and F9 pass where tables contain fields or formulas. For one field, use its right-click menu and choose Update Field.
The instructions reviewed on September 28, 2026 list Word for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016. The keyboard and Options paths here are for Windows desktop Word. That applicability list is not a statement about each release's support lifecycle. On Mac or Word for the web, use the edition's help or an approved Windows desktop copy instead of assuming the same controls exist. This article is based on documentation and source-code inspection; no Office session was executed for this review.
Give a changed reference an answer you can check
Use a short disposable report to establish what success should look like. For example, start with two captioned illustrations: “Figure 1 — Intake” and “Figure 2 — Outlet.” Add a sentence referring to the Outlet figure using a real cross-reference, rather than typing its number manually.
Microsoft's cross-reference guide says to create the target first, then use Insert > Cross-reference. Choose the appropriate reference type, target item, and information to insert; enable Insert as hyperlink if navigation is required. In this exercise, choose the Outlet caption and its label and number. Add a second reference to that same caption's page number.
Now insert another properly captioned illustration between Intake and Outlet. After updating the caption fields and then the references, the expected sentence refers to Figure 3, still meaning Outlet. Its page reference should match Outlet's current printed page number. Do not preassign that number: font, paper size, and spacing determine pagination. Check the actual page instead.
For a second control, use an existing Word table formula that totals two quantities, initially 4 and 6. Change the second input to 9. After selecting that table and updating its fields, the expected total is 13. This assumes the original formula actually sums those two cells; a typed “10” is ordinary text and has no calculation to refresh.
These are illustrative inputs and acceptance criteria, not reported test results. The exercise is reproducible because the expected figure identity and arithmetic are known independently of Word's displayed answer.
Diagnose the field before changing its displayed number
If the number stays at 2, first determine whether it is a field or typed text. Word's documented File > Options > Advanced > Show document content > Field shading setting can make fields easier to identify. A manually typed reference needs deliberate correction or replacement with a cross-reference; repeatedly pressing F9 cannot turn it into one.
If the table still shows 10, select the table separately and update again, then inspect its formula and source cells. A refresh cannot correct a formula pointing at the wrong values. Keep the expected sum of 13 beside the review notes so an unchanged but plausible number does not pass unnoticed.
If an update reports a missing reference, inspect the target. Microsoft notes that a deleted target or broken bookmark can prevent updating. Restore the intended item or recreate the reference to the correct surviving target, then verify it again. Do not simply type a plausible number over the error and leave the relationship unresolved.
If F9 is intercepted by the keyboard or another application, use the individual field's context menu to check it. Review references in headers and footers where they matter as well; do not treat a successful body selection as evidence that every location was inspected.
Export a new file and follow the reference through it
Save the corrected DOCX, then create a distinctly named PDF such as outlet-report-review-r2.pdf. The official Office desktop PDF instructions use File > Save a Copy for a saved Word document, followed by Browse, PDF as the file type, and Save. An unsaved document can show Save As instead.
The PDF page lists Word for Microsoft 365, 2021, 2019, and 2016; its current applicability list does not explicitly name Word 2024, although the field and cross-reference pages do. If your build presents a different export menu, consult that edition's help and inspect its output. Do not substitute a change of filename extension for a real export.
Open the exact PDF you intend to send. Locate the sentence, read its figure number, and find the corresponding caption. Confirm the target is Outlet, not merely another figure bearing a plausible number. Check the printed page reference and the table total. If the reference was meant to be clickable, exercise it in a PDF reader and confirm where it goes.
For a repeatable second pass, change the table input from 9 to 8 in another DOCX copy, refresh, and export under a new name. The expected total becomes 12. Comparing the two explicitly named PDFs helps expose a stale export or an accidentally reopened earlier file.
Use page images to review appearance, then return to the PDF
The PDF to Image tool can create visual review copies of the reference page and its target. It accepts the exported PDF, not the Word document, and cannot update fields, repair bookmarks, or edit either source file.
Choose PNG at 150 DPI and a small custom range. If a disposable report's sentence is on the first physical PDF page and Outlet is on its fourth, enter 1,4; the expected outputs from the sample filename are outlet-report-review-r2_page001.png and outlet-report-review-r2_page004.png. Physical PDF positions include covers and may differ from the printed numbers cited in the prose.
Open both downloaded images and compare the reference with the caption. This reveals visible mismatches, but images cannot prove link navigation, selectable text, or accessibility. A caption can even have the correct number while referring to the wrong illustration, which is why the target's identity matters.
If conversion reports an invalid range, compare it with the loaded PDF page count and use ascending, in-bounds page numbers. If the PDF cannot load, check that it opens elsewhere and that network policy permits the external PDF.js and ZIP libraries. The interface has no password-entry control. Keep review files within the document owner's permitted workflow; a visual copy is still a copy of its content.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ctrl+A then F9 prove the report is correct?
No. It requests field updates. You still need to inspect targets, table formulas, and the resulting PDF, including references outside the body where relevant.
Why does a reference show the right number but lead to the wrong figure?
The selected target may be wrong. Check the caption's subject, not just its number, and recreate the reference against the intended item if needed.
Can PDF to Image repair a stale Word reference?
No. It rasterizes existing PDF pages. Fix the DOCX and export again; regenerating images from the old PDF simply reproduces the old visible content.
Is a PNG enough to approve a clickable reference?
No. A PNG can show its wording and placement but has no working PDF link. Test navigation in the final PDF itself.