--- title: "Highlight, comment on and annotate a PDF" description: "Highlight, underline or strike out text, pin sticky notes, start comment threads with replies, review them by page, and export comments to PDF, CSV or JSON." url: https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/highlight-comment-annotate/ collection: "Editing & annotating" section: "Review & markup" updated: 2026-10-18 publisher: "PDFBetter (AI Generated Inc.)" --- # Highlight, comment on and annotate a PDF > Use **Highlight**, **Underline** or **Strikeout** and drag across text; use **Sticky** or **Comment** for notes and threads. Open **More** → **Review annotations** to reply, resolve and filter, and **Done** → **Export comments** for a PDF, CSV or JSON summary. Do it in PDFBetter: https://pdfbetter.com/app/documents/ 1. **Highlight, underline or strike out**: Open the **Highlight & markup** group and pick **Highlight** (`H`), **Underline** or **Strikeout**. Drag across the text. On a scan, drag a box over the area instead. 2. **Pin a sticky note**: Choose **Sticky** (`N`) in the notes group and click the page. Type your note. In the properties bar you can set the note color and whether it shows open or collapsed in the PDF. 3. **Start a comment thread**: Choose **Comment** in the same group and drag over the area the comment is about, then write it. Others reply in the same thread. 4. **Review everything by page**: Open **More** → **Review annotations** (or the comments icon in the side rail). Filter by **All**, **Comments & notes** or **Open threads**; **Reply**, **Resolve** or **Reopen** each thread. > **Highlight without the mouse:** Select text (press `F7` for keyboard text selection, then `Shift` + arrows) and press `Shift` `H`. You can also search with `⌘/Ctrl` `F` and click **Highlight all** to mark every match in one step. ## Who can comment You and anyone you share the document with through [a comment or edit link](https://help.pdfbetter.com/sharing/create-share-link/) can add to threads; their messages show who wrote them, and those that came in through a link are marked **via share link**. Comments refresh on their own while the document is open. ## Export comments Click **Done** → **Export comments** (or **Export** at the top of the Review panel). Pick a **Format**: **Summary PDF** (one section per page with author, date, text, replies and the highlighted text), **CSV** (one row per annotation and per reply, for Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets) or **JSON**. Options: **Include resolved comments**, **Include shapes and drawings** and **Include measurements**. The export is created in your browser and nothing is uploaded. It needs a free account, like downloading, but it doesn't count toward your monthly downloads. ## Comments in the downloaded PDF When you download, **Include comments and sticky notes** decides whether notes and threads go into the file. With **Keep fillable** they stay as real PDF annotations that open in Acrobat, Preview and browsers; with **Flatten** they're drawn into the page. ### Why can't I highlight the text? The page is probably a scan with no text layer. Drag a highlight box over the area, or run OCR first so the text becomes selectable. ### Do resolved comments disappear? No. Resolving marks a thread done and hides it from **Open threads**. It still shows under **All**, and you can **Reopen** it. ### Can I export only comments, not drawings? Yes. Turn off **Include shapes and drawings**; rectangles, ellipses, lines, arrows and freehand drawings have no text anyway, only page, author and date. ## Related articles - [Add text, images, shapes and whiteout to a PDF](https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/add-text-images-shapes.md): In Edit & fill mode, pick a tool from the toolbar (Text, Image, Erase, shapes, marks, Table, Date, Draw) and click or drag on the page. Select anything you added to restyle, move, lock or copy it to other pages. - [Measure distances and areas on a drawing](https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/measure-distance-area.md): Choose Measure in the toolbar, set the drawing's Scale (for example 1/4 in = 1 ft or 1:100) or Calibrate from a known length, then click two points for a Distance or click each corner for Perimeter and Area. - [Download your edited PDF, fillable or flattened](https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/download-edited-pdf.md): Click Done → Download, choose Keep fillable or Flatten, decide whether to Include comments and sticky notes, and click Download. Downloading needs a free account; Free includes 3 edited-document downloads a month, and Pro is unlimited. - [Share a PDF with a link](https://help.pdfbetter.com/sharing/create-share-link.md): In the editor, click Done → Share, pick what people can do (Can view, Can comment, Can fill or Can edit), set expiry, password and download options, then click Create link and Copy link. - [What people see when they open your link](https://help.pdfbetter.com/sharing/shared-link-recipient-view.md): The link opens the document in the browser with "Shared by" your name. Depending on the permission, people can comment, fill fields and click Send to …, open it in the editor, or Download it. Passwords and named-people limits are checked first. --- Source: https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/highlight-comment-annotate/ · PDFBetter Help Center · Last checked against the product 2026-10-18. Questions: support@pdfbetter.com