How do I compare two versions of a PDF document in Acrobat?

Go to 'All tools' in Acrobat. Select 'Compare files'. Choose your old and new PDF files. Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will show you the differences.

What is the difference between 'Autodetect' and 'Compare text only' when comparing PDF files?

Option What it does. Autodetect Acrobat tries to guess the best way to compare your files. It works well for most documents, looking at both text and images. Compare text only Acrobat only looks for changes in the words. It ignores any differences in pictures, drawings, or how things look on the page. Use this when you only care about text edits.

What information does the summary page show after comparing PDF files?

A quick overview of the total changes found. The number of text changes. The number of image changes. The number of annotation changes.

Produce Redline Comparison in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Run a comparison between the developer's latest plan PDF and the commission's requirement PDF,…+

Run a comparison between the developer's latest plan PDF and the commission's requirement PDF, produce a redlined PDF showing changes, add reviewer comments where standards are not met, and deliver it to the review committee.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Before issuing the redlined comparison to the committee, make the differences decisive —…+

Before issuing the redlined comparison to the committee, make the differences decisive — generate a side-by-side and overlaid compare, annotate each nonconformity with the specific code citation and recommended fix, summarize major deviations on page one, and include a change log with who requested each change and when.

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 Pro on your computer.
2
Go to the Tools pane and select Compare Files.
3
In the Compare Files window, click Select File on the left to choose the older version of your PDF.
4
Click Select File on the right to choose the newer version of your PDF.
5
Click Compare to start the comparison process.
6
Review the summary report that appears, which highlights all text and graphic differences between the two files.
Best practiceFor best results, avoid using scanned PDFs as input, since Acrobat compares text and graphics most accurately with digitally generated files.
7
Use the side-by-side view and navigation tools to examine each change in detail, including both textual edits and visual modifications.
Best practiceYou can focus the comparison on text, graphics, or both by adjusting the settings before running the comparison.

In the appWith the API

After comparing, use the navigation panel to quickly jump between each detected change in your PDFs.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

Redline ComparisonThis is a way to show changes between two documents, like marking edits in red ink.ExampleA redline comparison clearly highlights every change made between the first and second draft.

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.

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.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Produce a redlined comparison showing precisely what changed between the latest developer plan and the commission's requirements.

FAQ

about this task

Go to 'All tools' in Acrobat.
Select 'Compare files'.
Choose your old and new PDF files.
Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will show you the differences.

Acrobat shows this message because one or both of your PDF files are protected. Security settings stop the comparison tool from working. To fix this, you must remove the security protection from both PDF files before you try to compare them.

Option	What it does
Autodetect	Acrobat tries to guess the best way to compare your files. It works well for most documents, looking at both text and images.
Compare text only	Acrobat only looks for changes in the words. It ignores any differences in pictures, drawings, or how things look on the page. Use this when you only care about text edits.

Yes, Acrobat has a special way to compare signed document versions. This is useful for legal documents or contracts where signatures are important. You can find specific instructions for comparing these types of documents on the Adobe help website.

A quick overview of the total changes found.
The number of text changes.
The number of image changes.
The number of annotation changes.

Produce Redline Comparison

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails