How do I compare two versions of a PDF document?

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'. Select 'Compare files'. Choose your older and newer PDF documents. Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will then show you a summary of all the changes.

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 tables and numbers. Presentation Decks: Designed for comparing slide presentations. You can also choose 'Compare text only' to ignore images and focus on words.

Create Comparison File in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Compile contractor bids from [contractor=GreenEarth], [contractor=TerraBuild], and…+

Compile contractor bids from [contractor=GreenEarth], [contractor=TerraBuild], and [contractor=Oakridge] into one file for the project manager—combine each bid PDF into a single document with each bid starting on its own page and deliver to the PM by [deadline=Friday noon].

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Before handing the bids to the PM, make comparison immediate—merge the three contractor bids…+

Before handing the bids to the PM, make comparison immediate—merge the three contractor bids into one PDF, insert a comparison cover sheet with total prices and key exclusions side‑by‑side, and add bookmarks to jump to price breakdowns so the PM can shortlist without opening separate files.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open Adobe Acrobat on your computer.
2
Go to Tools and select Compare Files.
3
Click Select File under 'Compare' and choose your first PDF (the older or original version).
4
Click Select File under 'With' and choose your second PDF (the newer or revised version).
5
Click Compare to start the comparison.
6
Review the results in the comparison summary and use the side-by-side view to examine highlighted differences.
Best practiceFor best results, avoid using scanned PDFs as input files, as text recognition may be inconsistent.

In the appWith the API

You can filter the comparison results to focus on text, images, or formatting changes for a clearer review.

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

Glossary

words on this page

Security SettingsRules that protect a PDF file, like preventing changes or copying.ExampleThe security settings on the PDF prevented anyone from printing or copying its contents.

Autodetect ModeA setting in Compare Files that automatically chooses the best way to compare your documents.ExampleCompare Files uses Autodetect Mode to figure out the best comparison type for your documents.

Who does this

3 roles

EditorLegal AssistantProject Manager

FAQ

about this task

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'.
Select 'Compare files'.
Choose your older and newer PDF documents.
Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will then show you a summary of all the changes.

When you select 'Compare text only', the Compare Files tool will ignore any pictures or graphics in your documents. It will only look for differences in the written words. This is useful if you only care about text changes and not image changes.

The 'Compare Files' tool fails if either of the PDF documents you are trying to compare has security settings. These settings prevent Acrobat from accessing the document's content to find differences. To fix this, you need to remove the security protection from both files before starting the comparison process.

Autodetect: Acrobat tries to figure out the best way to compare your files.
Reports/Spreadsheets: Best for documents with lots of tables and numbers.
Presentation Decks: Designed for comparing slide presentations.
You can also choose 'Compare text only' to ignore images and focus on words.

When comparing signed document versions, the 'Compare Files' tool will highlight not only content changes but also differences related to the digital signatures themselves. This is very useful for legal or official documents where signatures confirm a specific version. You can see if a signature was added, removed, or if the document was altered after signing, which is crucial for document integrity and legal compliance.

Create Comparison File

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails