How do I add a sticky note to a PDF document?

Open your PDF in Acrobat. Go to the 'Comment' tools. Select the 'sticky note' icon. Click on the page where you want the note. Type your message and close the note box.

Add File Note in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Add a short note to the Ramirez file explaining the nonstandard rental income from an Airbnb…+

Add a short note to the Ramirez file explaining the nonstandard rental income from an Airbnb property so teammates understand my assessment during underwriting.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Save a clear teammate-facing note in the Ramirez file: add a comment describing the Airbnb…+

Save a clear teammate-facing note in the Ramirez file: add a comment describing the Airbnb income cadence, how I annualized irregular stays, point to the supporting bank statements and the calculation used, and mark it as ‘For Underwriter’ so auditors can trace the rationale.

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 your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Click the Comment button in the toolbar to display the commenting tools.
3
Select the annotation tool you want to use, such as Note, Highlight, Text Box, or Draw.
4
Click on the PDF page where you want to add your comment or annotation.
5
Type your comment or draw your annotation as needed.
6
Click away from the annotation or press Escape to save your comment or annotation.

In the appWith the API

You can use multiple annotation types in one session, such as highlighting text and adding sticky notes for detailed feedback.

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

Glossary

words on this page

Sticky NoteA small, digital note that you can place anywhere on a document.ExampleYou add a sticky note to the contract to remind yourself to ask about a specific clause.

MarkupHighlighting, underlining, or drawing on a PDF to show what is important.ExampleYou use the markup tool to highlight key sentences in the report.

SanitizeTo remove sensitive or private information from a document before sharing it.ExampleRemember to sanitize the document by redacting personal details before sharing it publicly.

Who does this

3 roles

EditorTeacherProject Manager

FAQ

about this task

Open your PDF in Acrobat.
Go to the 'Comment' tools.
Select the 'sticky note' icon.
Click on the page where you want the note.
Type your message and close the note box.

A sticky note is a small icon that opens a pop-up window for your text, good for short reminders. A text box lets you type text directly onto the page, making it visible all the time. Both are useful for adding comments, but the text box is better for longer, always-visible notes.

Comments and annotations are designed to be a separate layer on top of the original document. This allows reviewers to add feedback without changing the main content. This design means they are recoverable data, which is useful during review. However, it also means you must actively remove them if you want a truly 'final' file, to prevent information from leaking.

Yes, if you share a PDF that has sticky notes and other comments, the recipient will see them. These comments are part of the file's data. If you do not want them to see your notes, you must use the 'Protect > Sanitize' feature before sharing. This action removes all comments and markups permanently.

Flattening comments means making them a permanent part of the document's content, no longer a separate, editable layer. This makes the comments look like regular text or images on the page. Once flattened, comments cannot be easily removed or changed as individual notes. It's a way to make sure notes are visible but not interactive, and it can prevent accidental changes or removal by others.

Add File Note

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help