Compare last quarter's approved process PDF with the newly proposed version, generate a markup report showing deleted …
Open Adobe Acrobat on your computer.
Go to Tools and select Compare Files.
Click Select File under 'Compare' and choose your first PDF (the older or original version).
Click Select File under 'With' and choose your second PDF (the newer or revised version).
Click Compare to start the comparison.
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.
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.
Comparing PDF files helps you quickly see what has changed between two documents. This is useful for checking revisions, finding edits, or making sure no unwanted changes were made. It saves time by highlighting differences automatically.
If Compare Files shows a message about security settings, it means one or both of your PDF files are protected. Acrobat cannot compare protected documents. You need to remove the security settings from both the old and new PDF files first. After removing protection, you can try comparing them again.
You would use 'Compare text only' if you only care about changes in the words and numbers. This option tells Acrobat to ignore any differences in pictures, drawings, or other graphics. It helps you focus on the text changes without being distracted by visual updates.
When you compare a regular PDF, Acrobat looks for all kinds of changes. When you compare signed document versions, Acrobat has a special feature. It helps you see changes that happened after the document was signed. This is important for legal documents to ensure no unauthorized changes were made post-signature.