How do I add comments to a specific part of my PDF document?

Open your PDF in Acrobat. Go to the 'Comment' tools. Select the text or image you want to comment on. Choose a tool like 'sticky note' or 'highlight' and add your feedback. Save your document.

Why should I flatten or sanitize a PDF before sharing a final version that had comments?

To prevent review notes from leaking: Comments are often internal and not meant for the final audience. To ensure a clean, professional look: Remove all editing marks for a polished document. To protect sensitive information: Sanitize removes all hidden data, including comments that might contain private discussions. To reduce file size: Sometimes, removing extra layers can make the file smaller.

Collect Annotated Feedback in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Create an executive workshop PDF with scenario projection slides and enable annotation so…+

Create an executive workshop PDF with scenario projection slides and enable annotation so participants can add feedback, include interactive comment widgets, and share the link with the workshop invitees for the Thursday session.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Before the workshop, add a one-slide instructions frame explaining how to annotate projections,…+

Before the workshop, add a one-slide instructions frame explaining how to annotate projections, provide a template annotation legend (assumption, risk, question), enable audio snippets for context on key slides, and pre-load sample annotations to model the feedback we need from executives.

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

AnnotationAn annotation is a note or mark added to a document, like a highlight or a stamp, without changing the original text.ExampleHe added an annotation to the PDF, circling a key sentence and adding a question mark.

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

FlattenTo combine all comments and layers into the main document so they cannot be easily changed or removed.ExampleAfter review, you flatten the document to make all comments a permanent part of the text.

Who does this

3 roles

EditorTeacherProject Manager

FAQ

about this task

Open your PDF in Acrobat.
Go to the 'Comment' tools.
Select the text or image you want to comment on.
Choose a tool like 'sticky note' or 'highlight' and add your feedback.
Save your document.

Adding a comment, like a sticky note or text box, lets you write text feedback linked to a specific spot. Drawing markup, however, uses shapes, lines, or freehand drawings to visually point out areas or make corrections. Both are useful for review, but comments are for written notes, while drawing markup is for visual emphasis or indicating changes directly on the page's design or layout.

Comments are kept as a separate layer in your PDF, which means they are not permanently merged with the document content by default. This design allows you to easily edit or remove them during the review process. 'Sanitize' is a security feature that completely removes all hidden information, including comments and markup, from your PDF. It ensures that no review notes or other sensitive data accidentally remain in a 'final' version of your document before you share it publicly.

If you are in a shared review with many people, reaction emojis let you quickly show your feelings about a comment or a part of the document without typing. Instead of writing 'I agree' or 'This is good,' you can just click an emoji. This saves time and makes it easier for everyone to see quick feedback and understand general reactions at a glance.

To prevent review notes from leaking: Comments are often internal and not meant for the final audience.
To ensure a clean, professional look: Remove all editing marks for a polished document.
To protect sensitive information: Sanitize removes all hidden data, including comments that might contain private discussions.
To reduce file size: Sometimes, removing extra layers can make the file smaller.

Collect Annotated Feedback

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help