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.
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Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Who can comment
You and anyone you share the document with through a comment or edit 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.
Tools in this article
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- Measure distances and areas on a drawingChoose 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 flattenedClick 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 linkIn 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.