How to retain extra [SharePoint] document properties when Exporting or Saving to PDF

I know of no way to do this with SharePoint properties.

This is going to depend on the pdf conversion software. 

I do not know that SharePoint document properties are traditional custom document properties; I believe not. Adobe Acrobat will convert standard traditional Custom Document Properties.

If they are not, someone may be able to write a macro that converts SharePoint DPs to traditional DPs so that they will be read by pdf conversion software. That is way beyond my experience and ability.

Cross-posted at Eileen's Lounge:

Please read: A Message to Forum Cross-Posters

Properties inserted by SharePoint are not the same as traditional Custom Document Properties and do not convert using Adobe Acrobat.

Here are some SharePoint properties that show up under Insert > Quick Parts > Document Properties. These are not the same thing as Custom Document properties.

These "properties" are not accessible using DocProperty fields.

They do not show up under Custom Document Properties. Here is the Custom Document Properties dialog for the same document.

The traditional or standard Custom Document Properties do show up when exported to pdf using Adobe Acrobat. The Sharepoint properties do not.

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

Thank you Charles and sorry about the cross-posting.

I did not know or though about this until now but I understand now.

It's very confusing, some say it works others doesn't, i can't test it because i have an old version of Acrobat.

There are reports that certain combinations of Word and Acrobat do not work, eg Word 2003 does work with Acrobat 7 and not with Acrobat 8 etc.

There is an integration of Acrobat with SharePoint but this need not to mean that document properties work, very confusing.

Charles do you know what this mean in the Acrobat documentation https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/access-sharepoint-files.html :

Prepare document properties

This makes it even more confusing to me.

Can you say something about this?

I only know a slight amount about SharePoint. I do not use it.

If Adobe is telling you how to do it, follow their directions. I do not see that in the support article you link. I do know that my Acrobat (Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020) converts standard custom document properties but does not translate the properties added by SharePoint. It is likely that Adobe does not know about the problem, also possible that Microsoft is not aware. My guess is that Adobe would be quicker to address it and may be able to do it.

You would need to address this in Adobe and SharePoint forums. Again, please follow the guidance about cross-posting.

The limitation on properties added by SharePoint also applies to the "document properties" under Quick Parts that do not correspond to built-in standard document properties. (At least one corresponds to, but is not mapped to, a suggested custom document property.)

If a so-called document property does not appear in a document using a DocProperty field, it will not be converted by my version of Adobe Acrobat.

On the Word side, I know that Greg Maxey has been working with these pseudo document properties that are mapped to Content Controls (as are the SharePoint DPs). He discusses them as the "Magic" document properties in this page. He might be able to come up with a macro solution for you that would convert the SharePoint DPs to standard custom properties (without removing the originals). If so, you would then be able to preserve them in pdf format. You could contact him through his website: Microsoft Word Help, Tips and Tutorials @ The Anchorage. I would not expect that he would do this as a volunteer, though.

Also cross-posted at: How do I save a Word document as a PDF such that custom properties metadata is carried over? - Microsoft Q&A

Sorry but in the first place I had never heard or thought about cross-posting and in the second place I haven't gotten an answer to my question yet. So I also have to put my question broadly.

I hope this is an excuse?

@Charles:

You wrote: 

"The limitation on properties added by SharePoint also applies to the "document properties" under Quick Parts that do not correspond to built-in standard document properties. (At least one corresponds to, but is not mapped to, a suggested custom document property.)

If a so-called document property does not appear in a document using a DocProperty field, it will not be converted by my version of Adobe Acrobat."

In my case the SharePoint properties are available under Quick Parts and do not correspond to built-in standard document properties. In the screenshot these are 'Agendapunt', 'Documenttype'and 'Vergaderdatum'.

Does that mean that these can be converted as metadata in PDF/A with Acrobat?

@Charles:

You wrote: 

"The limitation on properties added by SharePoint also applies to the "document properties" under Quick Parts that do not correspond to built-in standard document properties. (At least one corresponds to, but is not mapped to, a suggested custom document property.)

If a so-called document property does not appear in a document using a DocProperty field, it will not be converted by my version of Adobe Acrobat."

In my case the SharePoint properties are available under Quick Parts and do not correspond to built-in standard document properties. In the screenshot these are 'Agendapunt', 'Documenttype'and 'Vergaderdatum'. ***

Does that mean that these can be converted as metadata in PDF/A with Acrobat?

No. The point I was making is that those installed in that list by Word as a part of a normal installation will not:

• Respond to a DocProperty Field unless mapped to a built-in document property

• Those which will not respond to a DocProperty field will not show up in a pdf with current software.

I was pointing out that this limitation is not restricted to quasi-document-properties inserted through SharePoint.