How do I add a highlight to text in my PDF using Comments and Annotations?

Open your PDF in Acrobat. Go to the 'Comment' tools. Select the 'Highlight' tool (it often looks like a marker). Click and drag your mouse over the text you want to highlight. The selected text will now be highlighted, making it easy to spot important information.

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

Feature Sticky Note Text Box. Appearance A small icon appears on the page; click it to open a pop-up note. A visible box with text appears directly on the page. Primary Use Adding short, contextual notes or questions without cluttering the page. Adding longer comments or specific instructions that need to be clearly seen on the page. Visibility Less visible until clicked, good for many small notes. Always visible, good for prominent feedback.

Inconsistent Annotation Impact in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

DBecome — “help me grow”Review my last [N=15] annotated inspection reports mentally: where do my comments fail to…+

Review my last [N=15] annotated inspection reports mentally: where do my comments fail to trigger action—are they too hedged, too technical, or misplaced? Recommend one change to the tone or structure of my annotations that increases the chance a compliance officer will act, and give a before-and-after example of a single observation line.

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.

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.
Select the 'Highlight' tool (it often looks like a marker).
Click and drag your mouse over the text you want to highlight.
The selected text will now be highlighted, making it easy to spot important information.

Adding Comments and Annotations helps you interact with a PDF without changing the original text. You can use them to give feedback, ask questions, or mark important sections for yourself or others. This is very useful for reviewing documents, studying, or collaborating with a team, as it keeps all notes organized within the file.

Yes, by default, comments and markups are visible if you just save and share the PDF. They are a separate layer of data. If you want to share a 'final' version without any review notes, you must use the 'Protect > Sanitize' feature. This tool removes all comments and hidden data, ensuring only the document content is shared.

Drawing markup tools let you visually point out specific areas or elements that text alone cannot easily describe. For example, you can circle an image, draw an arrow to a specific word, or underline a phrase with a wavy line. This makes your feedback much clearer and faster to understand, especially for visual content.

Feature	Sticky Note	Text Box
Appearance	A small icon appears on the page; click it to open a pop-up note.	A visible box with text appears directly on the page.
Primary Use	Adding short, contextual notes or questions without cluttering the page.	Adding longer comments or specific instructions that need to be clearly seen on the page.
Visibility	Less visible until clicked, good for many small notes.	Always visible, good for prominent feedback.

Inconsistent Annotation Impact

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help