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 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.

Highlight Dreamweaver Diffs in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

3 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”I have two HTML files for the marketing microsite — [file=index_v2.html] and…+

I have two HTML files for the marketing microsite — [file=index_v2.html] and [file=index_live.html]. Highlight line-by-line differences and produce a short list of changed assets (CSS, JS, images) so I can hand it to the front-end developer before the [deadline=3pm] deploy.

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

BImprove — “do it better”The developer, [contact=Ken], will reject vague reports. Compare [file=index_v2.html] with…+

The developer, [contact=Ken], will reject vague reports. Compare [file=index_v2.html] with [file=index_live.html], show exact code diffs, call out any inline script changes and new external asset references, and flag anything that could break IE11 or slow load. Format as a checklist [contact=Ken] can act on without rereading the files.

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

CDecide — “help me choose”I’ve got [file=index_live.html] from the production server and [file=index_v2.html] from…+

I’ve got [file=index_live.html] from the production server and [file=index_v2.html] from design. The traffic owner warned that a bad build could break the signup form; I’m unsure whether differences are safe edits or critical regressions. Diagnose the diffs, identify which changes affect form behavior, third-party calls, or performance, advise whether to deploy [file=index_v2.html] or keep live, and list the exact lines or assets I should rollback or test first. I cannot push a broken signup before the campaign starts.

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 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

DiffThis is a short word for 'difference' and means what has changed between two versions.ExampleThe software showed a diff highlighting the new paragraph added to the second version of the contract.

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.

FAQ

about this task

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Highlight Dreamweaver Diffs

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails