How do I compare two versions of a Decree in Adobe Acrobat?

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'. Then, select 'Compare files'. Choose your older Decree file and your newer Decree file. Acrobat will then show you a summary of all the changes between them. You can navigate through each change.

What kind of documents can 'Compare Files' work with?

It works well with two versions of a PDF document. It can compare different drafts of a contract or report. It is useful for seeing changes in spreadsheets or presentation decks. You can also compare versions of documents that have been digitally signed.

Compare Decree Versions in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Compare [version A] and [version B] of the [consent decree PDFs] and produce a marked…+

Compare [version A] and [version B] of the [consent decree PDFs] and produce a marked comparison [report] showing textual and technical changes so I can document introduced technical differences.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Run a focused comparison and make it useful for legal and technical reviewers: highlight…+

Run a focused comparison and make it useful for legal and technical reviewers: highlight altered [technical language], flag any changed [numeric limits] or [sampling frequencies], and produce a summary [table] of material changes with page references so I can explain each change in the audit memo.

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

Compare FilesThis tool helps you find differences between two similar PDF documents.ExampleYou use this tool to quickly spot the differences between an original and a revised PDF document.

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.

VersionA version is a specific copy of a file at a certain time, like 'version 1' or 'version 2'.ExampleYou save your report as 'report_v1' and then 'report_v2' after making major edits.

Who does this

3 roles

EditorLegal AssistantProject Manager

FAQ

about this task

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'.
Then, select 'Compare files'.
Choose your older Decree file and your newer Decree file.
Acrobat will then show you a summary of all the changes between them. You can navigate through each change.

The 'Compare Files' tool needs to read and analyze the content of both documents to find differences. If a PDF has security settings, it might prevent Acrobat from accessing or processing the document's content fully. This protection is often put in place to keep the document safe from changes or unauthorized viewing. To compare them, you must first remove these security settings from both files.

When you compare documents, Acrobat offers different modes. 'Autodetect' tries to figure out the best way to compare your files, whether they are reports, spreadsheets, or presentations. 'Compare text only' is a specific option that tells Acrobat to ignore any pictures or graphics in the documents. It will only look for changes in the written words. This can be useful if you only care about text edits and not visual layout changes.

For a contract revision, use the 'Compare Files' tool. After you select the old and new contract versions, Acrobat will create a summary. This summary highlights all the changes. You can then use the 'Previous Change' and 'Next Change' buttons to jump directly to each specific edit in the contract, letting you focus only on what has been revised.

It works well with two versions of a PDF document.
It can compare different drafts of a contract or report.
It is useful for seeing changes in spreadsheets or presentation decks.
You can also compare versions of documents that have been digitally signed.

Compare Decree Versions

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails