How do I add a sticky note to flag an escalation item in a PDF?

Open your PDF in Acrobat. Go to the 'Comment' tools panel. Select the 'Sticky Note' tool. Click on the part of the document where you want the note to appear. Type your message in the sticky note pop-up and close it.

What is the difference between a sticky note and a text box for adding comments?

Feature Sticky Note Text Box. Appearance Small icon that opens a pop-up note Visible box directly on the page Placement Can be placed anywhere, icon is small Takes up space on the document page Use Case Quick, short notes or questions Longer explanations, callouts, or specific instructions

Flag Escalation Items in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Review the supplier claim file, annotate sections that meet contract remedies and flag those…+

Review the supplier claim file, annotate sections that meet contract remedies and flag those requiring escalation, then save the annotated file for the contract owner.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Annotate the incoming claim with page-level notes: mark clauses invoked, cite relevant contract…+

Annotate the incoming claim with page-level notes: mark clauses invoked, cite relevant contract sections, classify each claim line as covered, partial, or escalated, and add a one-page recommendation for the contract owner on next steps.

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

CommentsShort notes or feedback added to a document without changing the main text.ExampleYour colleagues added short notes and suggestions to your presentation slides without changing the content.

AnnotationsMarks or drawings added to a document to highlight, explain, or suggest changes.ExampleThe editor's annotations on the manuscript included underlines, highlights, and margin comments.

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 panel.
Select the 'Sticky Note' tool.
Click on the part of the document where you want the note to appear.
Type your message in the sticky note pop-up and close it.

Comments and markups are important because they let you give feedback or highlight key information without changing the original document content. They create a separate layer of notes. This helps others understand your thoughts, suggest changes, or draw attention to specific parts for discussion. It makes reviewing documents much clearer and more organized for everyone involved.

Not necessarily. Comments are a separate layer of data. If you share the PDF, others can see them by default. However, if you want to make sure comments are not visible in a 'final' version, you must use the 'Protect > Sanitize' feature. This tool permanently removes all comments and other hidden data, preventing them from being seen by anyone you share the sanitized file with.

Feature	Sticky Note	Text Box
Appearance	Small icon that opens a pop-up note	Visible box directly on the page
Placement	Can be placed anywhere, icon is small	Takes up space on the document page
Use Case	Quick, short notes or questions	Longer explanations, callouts, or specific instructions

You should use drawing markup tools when you need to highlight something that isn't just text, or when you want to draw specific attention to a shape or area. Highlighting works great for words, but drawing tools let you circle images, draw arrows to specific points, or underline non-text elements. They offer more visual flexibility to flag complex parts of a document that simple text highlighting cannot cover.

Flag Escalation Items

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help