How do I highlight text in a PDF using Comments & Annotations?

Open your PDF in Acrobat. Go to the 'Comment' tools. Select the 'Highlight' tool. Drag your mouse over the text you want to mark. Release the mouse to apply the highlight.

If I want to add a note to a highlighted section, how do I do that with Comments & Annotations?

First, highlight the text as usual. Then, right-click on the highlighted area. Choose 'Add Note' or 'Open Pop-up Note'. A small text box will appear where you can type your note. Click outside the box to close it. A small icon will show there's a note.

What is the difference between highlighting text and using drawing markup tools in Comments & Annotations?

Feature Purpose Example. Highlighting To mark specific text for emphasis or review. Making 'Architectural Notes' stand out. Drawing Markup To add shapes, lines, or freehand drawings over content. Drawing a circle around an image or an arrow to a section.

◆ Acrobat · edit

Highlight Architectural Notes

Create a version that highlights only architectural notes for scope review: extract the architectural pages, hide stru…

2ready prompts

1real task

3roles

See the prompt↓More edit workflows

When to use it

real situations

A student marks important parts of a study guide.
A reviewer points out key sections in a contract.
An editor highlights changes needed in a draft report.

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Create a version that highlights only architectural notes for scope review: extract the…+

Create a version that highlights only architectural notes for scope review: extract the architectural pages, hide structural and MEP layers/annotations, export a PDF that shows only text callouts and schedules labeled '[label=ARCH Notes Only]', and save it for the review team.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Before I share the 'ARCH notes only' version with the client and architect-of-record, make it…+

Before I share the 'ARCH notes only' version with the client and architect-of-record, make it focused and trustworthy: produce a PDF that filters out structure and MEP content while keeping sheet context, create an index of removed items, highlight every retained architectural note on its sheet, and add a one‑page summary of scope items reviewers must confirm to avoid late surprises.

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 'Highlight' tool.
Drag your mouse over the text you want to mark.
Release the mouse to apply the highlight.

Comments & Annotations are tools in Adobe Acrobat that let you add notes, highlights, and other marks to a PDF. They help you review documents without changing the original text. These marks are saved as a separate layer, making them easy to manage or remove later.

Highlights are part of a separate comment layer. If the person viewing your PDF uses a different PDF reader or an older version, they might not see the highlights correctly. To ensure everyone sees your highlights, you should 'flatten' the PDF using the 'Protect > Sanitize' feature. This makes the highlights a permanent part of the document, so they can't be changed or lost.

First, highlight the text as usual.
Then, right-click on the highlighted area.
Choose 'Add Note' or 'Open Pop-up Note'.
A small text box will appear where you can type your note.
Click outside the box to close it. A small icon will show there's a note.

Feature	Purpose	Example
Highlighting	To mark specific text for emphasis or review.	Making 'Architectural Notes' stand out.
Drawing Markup	To add shapes, lines, or freehand drawings over content.	Drawing a circle around an image or an arrow to a section.