How do I use Compare Files in Adobe Acrobat?

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'. Then, select 'Compare files'. Choose your 'old' and 'new' PDF documents. Select a comparison mode, like 'Autodetect', and click 'Compare'. Acrobat will show a summary, and you can navigate through changes.

What are the different comparison modes in Compare Files?

Autodetect: This mode is usually best as Acrobat tries to figure out the document type itself. Reports/Spreadsheets: Use this for documents that are mainly tables or data. Presentation Decks: Choose this for slide presentations. You can also check 'Compare text only' to ignore images and focus on text changes.

Minimize Manual Comparisons in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

DBecome — “help me grow”I keep spending hours comparing redlines and missing subtle risk shifts across different…+

I keep spending hours comparing redlines and missing subtle risk shifts across different editors. Look at the last [N=20] redline comparisons and show where time is wasted—format differences, clause renaming, or tracked changes. Recommend one consistent comparison routine or tool setting that would let me reliably spot substantive risk changes in under [deadline=ten minutes].

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

PDFA common file type used to share documents that look the same everywhere.ExampleShe saved the brochure as a PDF so everyone would see the exact same layout and fonts.

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.

Who does this

3 roles

EditorLegal AssistantProject Manager

FAQ

about this task

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'.
Then, select 'Compare files'.
Choose your 'old' and 'new' PDF documents.
Select a comparison mode, like 'Autodetect', and click 'Compare'.
Acrobat will show a summary, and you can navigate through changes.

Compare Files fails if either PDF has security settings that block comparison. This happens to protect the document. To fix this, you must remove the security settings from both files before trying to compare them.

Autodetect: This mode is usually best as Acrobat tries to figure out the document type itself.
Reports/Spreadsheets: Use this for documents that are mainly tables or data.
Presentation Decks: Choose this for slide presentations.
You can also check 'Compare text only' to ignore images and focus on text changes.

Yes, Compare Files can help you see changes even in signed documents. Acrobat has a specific feature to 'Compare signed document versions'. This is useful for checking what was changed after a document was signed, ensuring its integrity.

'Compare text only' is an option you can select within any comparison mode. It tells Acrobat to ignore all images, graphics, and other visual elements, focusing solely on changes in the written text. Other modes like 'Autodetect' will look for changes in both text and visuals, which can be slower if you only care about words.

Minimize Manual Comparisons

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails