How do I compare two versions of a PDF using Compare Files?

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'. Then, select 'Compare files'. Choose your older PDF and your newer PDF. Acrobat will then show you a summary of all the changes found, making it easy to review.

What is the purpose of comparing text only in Compare Files?

Comparing text only means Acrobat will ignore any pictures or graphics in your documents. This is useful when you only care about changes in the words, like in a text-heavy report or legal document. It helps you focus on the written content without being distracted by image differences.

Why does Compare Files sometimes fail and say 'These documents have security settings'?

Compare Files fails when a PDF has security settings that prevent changes or comparisons. This is a protection feature. To fix this, you need to remove the security settings from both PDF files before trying to compare them. Look for the 'Protect' feature in Acrobat to manage these settings.

If I compare two signed document versions, what does Compare Files show me?

When you compare two signed document versions, Compare Files focuses on changes made after each signature. It helps you see if any content was altered once a document was signed. This is very important for legal or official documents where preserving the integrity of a signed version is critical. The tool highlights these post-signature modifications.

What are the different comparison modes available in Compare Files?

Autodetect: Acrobat tries to figure out the best way to compare your files. Reports/Spreadsheets: Best for documents with lots of numbers or tables. Presentation Decks: Good for slides or visual documents. 'Compare text only': Ignores pictures and only looks for text changes.

Compare two PDF files side-by-side visually in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

3 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Compare these two PDF files side-by-side: [PDF 1] and [PDF 2]…+

Compare these two PDF files side-by-side and show me the differences: [PDF 1] and [PDF 2].

when the reply comes backWould you like to save a summary of the differences?

BImprove — “do it better”Make the differences between [PDF 1] and [PDF 2] easy to see…+

Make the differences between [PDF 1] and [PDF 2] easy to see by highlighting or marking them clearly.

when the reply comes backNeed help merging the best parts from both PDFs?

CDecide — “help me choose”Based on the comparison, suggest which PDF is better to keep…+

Based on the side-by-side comparison of [PDF 1] and [PDF 2], suggest which file I should keep and explain why.

when the reply comes backWant to share the comparison results with someone else?

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro on your computer.
2
Go to the Tools pane and select Compare Files.
3
In the Compare Files window, click Select File on the left to choose the older version of your PDF.
4
Click Select File on the right to choose the newer version of your PDF.
5
Click Compare to start the comparison process.
6
Review the summary report that appears, which highlights all text and graphic differences between the two files.
Best practiceFor best results, avoid using scanned PDFs as input, since Acrobat compares text and graphics most accurately with digitally generated files.
7
Use the side-by-side view and navigation tools to examine each change in detail, including both textual edits and visual modifications.
Best practiceYou can focus the comparison on text, graphics, or both by adjusting the settings before running the comparison.

In the appWith the API

After comparing, use the navigation panel to quickly jump between each detected change in your PDFs.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

PDFA common file type used to share documents that look the same everywhere.ExampleShe saved the brochure as a PDF so everyone would see the exact same layout and fonts.

Side-by-sideSide-by-side means showing two things next to each other for easy comparison.ExampleYou view the original and revised documents side-by-side to easily spot the changes.

VisuallyVisually means looking at something with your eyes instead of using text or data.ExampleYou can visually check the progress bar to see how much of the file has downloaded.

The real tasks

all 2, listed here

Compare files for differences in dreamweaver

Two versions floated during last-minute edits; I don’t know which to deploy.

FAQ

about this task

In Adobe Acrobat, you can use the 'Compare Files' tool to open both PDFs and see their differences side-by-side. This helps you spot any changes quickly.

Comparing PDF files visually means looking at both documents at the same time to easily see what is different, such as changes in text, images, or layout.

Use side-by-side PDF comparison when you want to check for edits, updates, or mistakes between two versions of a document, like before submitting homework or sharing a contract.

Comparing PDFs visually lets you see changes in formatting, images, and layout, not just the words, while text file comparison only shows changes in the text.

Comparing two versions of a PDF helps you make sure nothing important was changed or missed, which is useful for editing, proofreading, or checking official documents.

Compare two PDF files side-by-side visually

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails