How do I compare two versions of a PDF plan draft in Acrobat?

Open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'. Select 'Compare files'. Choose your 'old' and 'new' plan drafts. Pick a comparison mode (Autodetect is usually best). Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will show you a summary and let you navigate changes.

What are the different modes for comparing PDF files in Acrobat?

Autodetect: Acrobat automatically picks the best comparison method. Reports/Spreadsheets: Best for documents with lots of tables and numbers. Presentation Decks: Good for slides or documents with many graphics and layouts.

Compare Plan Drafts in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Compare the two drafts of the vocational plan for [client=Heather Long] and produce a markup…+

Compare the two drafts of the vocational plan for [client=Heather Long] and produce a markup report showing all changes before I present the final plan to her on [deadline=Friday].

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

BImprove — “do it better”Before [deadline=Friday]'s meeting with [client=Heather Long], run a document comparison of the…+

Before [deadline=Friday]'s meeting with [client=Heather Long], run a document comparison of the two vocational plan drafts, highlight additions and removals, summarize key goal changes on one page, and flag any conflicts in service hours so I can explain differences and resolve them efficiently during the meeting.

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.

AutodetectA setting that lets Acrobat choose the best way to compare your files.ExampleWith autodetect enabled, the software automatically chose the best settings for comparing the two document versions.

Who does this

3 roles

EditorLegal AssistantProject Manager

FAQ

about this task

Open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'.
Select 'Compare files'.
Choose your 'old' and 'new' plan drafts.
Pick a comparison mode (Autodetect is usually best).
Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will show you a summary and let you navigate changes.

The 'Compare text only' option tells Acrobat to ignore all images and graphics in your PDF files. It will only show you differences in the words and sentences. This is useful if you only care about text changes and not how pictures moved or changed.

Compare Files fails because one or both of your PDF documents have security settings. These settings stop Acrobat from making changes or even reading parts of the file for comparison. To fix this, you must first remove the security protection from both PDF files before you try to compare them.

When you compare signed document versions, Acrobat is designed to help you see what changed after a signature was applied. It won't affect the signature itself. Instead, it highlights any modifications made to the document content since it was signed, which is very important for legal documents.

Autodetect: Acrobat automatically picks the best comparison method.
Reports/Spreadsheets: Best for documents with lots of tables and numbers.
Presentation Decks: Good for slides or documents with many graphics and layouts.

Compare Plan Drafts

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails