"Open in Adobe Acrobat" Missing in SharePoint.

Question

Hello,

It has come to attention that one of our users who recently joined is missing the option on our SharePoint to open PDF files via Adobe Acrobat.

Below is a screenshot from SharePoint when I try to do this:

As you can see, I have the ability to view it in 3 different ways I choose, also when I click on the PDF it opens a new tab using documentcloud.adobe.

This is how every user as far as I am aware is able to view PDFs which is fine. Except one new user who would really benefit from this as he is in the finance department so the option to open in app, download it, edit it and reupload which then gets a (1) next to its name is not very efficient when you have to do this with multiple files.

Below is what he is seeing:

I have done a lot of troubleshooting and so far I cannot find the reason for this. If anyone has come across something similar please give me suggestions on how to resolve this.

Answer 1

Hello Chris Coletti,

Welcome to Microsoft Community and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.  

We understand that one of your users is currently unable to access the "Open in Adobe Acrobat" option when viewing PDF files in SharePoint, while others have full access to this functionality. 

 Below are recommended steps you may want to try to resolve the issue: 

1. Adobe Acrobat Integration Assignment 

For the "Open in Adobe Acrobat" button to appear consistently in SharePoint Online, both SharePoint and OneDrive must be provisioned for the user in the tenant, and the user must have the Adobe Acrobat for SharePoint app assigned directly (not just via group assignment in Azure AD). 

Please note that users added via group-based Azure AD assignments may not always be provisioned correctly due to directory limitations. You can assign the license or integration directly to the user via Microsoft 365 Admin Center or via Azure AD. 

2. Browser Configuration 

Please confirm that the Adobe Acrobat extension is installed and enabled in the user’s browser. 

Check browser settings for: 

• PDF handling behavior (e.g., disable “Always download PDF files”). If you’re using Microsoft Edge, you can follow these steps:  
  • Open Microsoft Edge.
  • In the address bar, type: “edge://settings/content/pdfDocuments” and press Enter. You’ll see a setting labeled “Always download PDF files”.
  • If the toggle is on, Edge will download PDFs instead of opening them. To allow PDFs to open in-browser, turn this toggle off.
• Pop-up blockers or security extensions that might interfere with this feature. How to Allow Pop-Ups in Microsoft Edge: 
  • Go to: “edge://settings/content/popups”
  • Under “Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects”, click Add.
  • Add trusted domains such as:
  • *.adobe.com
  • *.sharepoint.com
  • *.microsoftonline.com

3. Default PDF Application on Device 

On the user's computer, ensure that Adobe Acrobat is set as the default application for opening PDF files: 

On Windows: 

• Right-click a PDF → Open with → Choose another app.
• Select Adobe Acrobat, check “Always use this app”, click OK.

Inside Adobe Acrobat: 

• Open the app → Go to Edit → Preferences → General.
• Look for “Set as default PDF handler” and follow the prompt if needed.

We recommend signing into a different device or browser using the affected user’s credentials to determine whether the issue persists across environments. If the option remains unavailable, it is likely a configuration or provisioning issue rather than a local machine setting. 

If you need further assistance implementing any of these steps please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you again for your patience and cooperation.

Best Regards,   

Tamara-Hu- MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

Answer 2

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. I can confirm that this happens with whatever PC the user is logged into in the office. Does not matter what Windows it is, or browser it still happens.

I will proceed with the suggestions tomorrow and provide you the results.

Answer 3

Hello Chris Coletti, 

Thank you for your confirmation.  

I will be glad if you can proceed my suggestions with success. Please let me know if you need further assistance or clarification on any step. 

You can provide feedback on my answer via the option below or if you find our suggestions helpful, you can also use the feedback tool below our answer to submit your feedback for us  which will definitely help others in the community who have similar queries to find solutions to their problems faster.  

 

If there are any issues related to SharePoint or any Microsoft product in the future, feel free to post in this community.  

We will be here to help you.  Have a nice day and stay healthy! 

Best Regards,   

Tamara-Hu- MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

Answer 4

Dear Tamara,

Thank you again for your previous response and for outlining the steps to investigate the missing “Open in Adobe Acrobat” option in SharePoint Online for one of our users.

We’ve now tested all recommended areas and would like to provide a detailed update:

---

Provisioning & Assignment

• The affected user is fully provisioned for SharePoint Online and OneDrive, both of which are actively in use.
• They are directly assigned to:
  • Adobe Acrobat for Microsoft 365 (via Microsoft 365 Admin Centre – targeted deployment).
  • Adobe Document Cloud (via Entra ID – with Default Access role).

Browser Configuration (Edge)

• "Always download PDF files" is already turned off (edge://settings/content/pdfDocuments).
• Pop-ups have been allowed for:
  • *.adobe.com
  • *.sharepoint.com
  • *.microsoftonline.com
• The Adobe Acrobat browser extension is installed and enabled in Edge.
• No conflicting security extensions are present.

Default PDF Application

• Adobe Acrobat Reader is correctly set as the default app for PDF files on the device.
• However, there is no option shown within Adobe Reader for “Set as default PDF handler,” the version I am using is Continuous Release 2025.001.20531. Adobe Acrobat Reader

---

What’s Unclear / Unexpected

• Despite meeting all configuration and assignment conditions, User does not see the “Open in Adobe Acrobat” option in SharePoint, even after:
  • Reinstalling the extension,
  • Signing into https://documentcloud.adobe.com,
  • Clearing cache,
  • Trying in a clean browser profile,
  • Signing in on a different machine.

Meanwhile, I do see the option — despite having:

• No Adobe Acrobat app assignment
• No Entra ID or Microsoft 365 deployment listed under Adobe apps

This suggests that the “Open in Acrobat” button may not be strictly governed by direct app assignments and might instead be tied to Adobe’s own service-linked caching or a user-triggered prompt that some accounts receive and others do not.

---

Working Theory

We believe the issue may lie with:

• A missing or delayed service-side activation from Adobe's end for this specific user.
• Or a non-persistent Adobe/SharePoint handshake that only triggers in specific conditions (e.g., post-authentication in the browser, prior acceptance of Adobe web integration).

---

Request for Clarification

Can you confirm:

• Whether Adobe's SharePoint integration requires a backend token/session that is only issued after a specific user action (e.g., visiting Adobe Document Cloud)?
• Whether there’s a known delay or caching mechanism involved when new users are assigned the integration?

We're happy to test any additional diagnostic steps or log collection processes you may recommend.

Thanks again for your ongoing support.

Kind regards,
Chris Coletti

Answer 5

Hello, 

Thank you for your detailed response. 

Based on your description, it appears this issue may require further investigation from the Microsoft Technical Support team. This is due to the following reasons: 

• All possible configurations and settings have already been thoroughly reviewed on your end
• The issue is isolated to a single user, despite identical configurations across the rest of the user base

A Technical Support Engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis. 

Here’s what your Office 365 Global Admin should do next:     

1. Submit a Service Request: The Global Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.
2. Find Your Microsoft 365 Admin: If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.

I recommend you collect these information below and attach them in your request to fasten the progress: 

1. Screen recording (screenshot or video recording) of the issue.
2. Network log when reproduce issue (How to collect a network trace | Microsoft Learn).

About the confirmation you need: 

Does Adobe's SharePoint integration require a backend token/session issued after a specific user action? 

Yes, very likely. Adobe’s integration with SharePoint and OneDrive relies on session-based authentication and user consent flows. So, if a user hasn’t triggered that handshake (e.g., by never visiting Adobe’s cloud services), the integration may not initialize properly. 

Reference: Configure the SharePoint Integration | Adobe Workfront 

Is there a known delay or caching mechanism involved when new users are assigned the integration? 

Yes, up to 48 hours. Adobe explicitly states that Microsoft’s caching infrastructure can delay the visibility of the Adobe Acrobat integration in SharePoint and OneDrive by 24–48 hours after deployment. This applies whether the app is deployed to individuals or tenant-wide. 

Reference: Deploy Adobe Acrobat for SharePoint and OneDrive 

Feel free to reply if you need any further assistance. Thank you again for reaching out to us. 

Best Regards,   

Tamara-Hu- MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.