We have three copies of a material transfer agreement signed by different parties; I need to confirm they all match be…
Prepare two folders: one containing all 'Old' version PDFs, and another containing the corresponding 'New' version PDFs, ensuring each pair has matching filenames.
Best practiceConsistent and unique filenames for each pair will prevent mismatches and streamline the batch process.
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro and go to the Tools view.
Search for and open the Compare Documents tool.
NoteCompare Documents is available in Acrobat Pro. For batch processing, consider using Action Wizard or Batch Processing if available in your version.
Click New Action to create a custom batch process.
In the action builder, under 'Choose tools to add', find and add the Compare Files action.
Configure the Compare Files step: set the 'Old File' and 'New File' to prompt for each pair, or use JavaScript to automate file pairing if you have many files.
Best practiceAdvanced users can use JavaScript in Action Wizard to loop through folder contents and auto-pair files for comparison.
Add an output step to specify where comparison reports will be saved (e.g., a dedicated 'Comparison Reports' folder).
Save and name your new action (e.g., 'Batch PDF Compare').
Run the action: select all the 'Old' version PDFs as input, and follow prompts (or let the script auto-pair) to compare each with its 'New' counterpart.
CautionEach comparison will generate a separate report; ensure you have sufficient disk space for all outputs.
Review the generated comparison reports in your output folder.
You can automate comparing many PDF pairs by building a custom Action in Acrobat Pro's Action Wizard.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
The 'Compare Files' tool might not work if your PDF documents have security settings. These settings can prevent Acrobat from accessing and comparing the content. You will see an error message. To fix this, you need to remove the security protection from both PDF files before trying to compare them.
| Comparison Mode | What it compares |
|---|---|
| Compare text only | Only looks at the words and ignores any pictures or graphics in the document. |
| Autodetect (default) | Acrobat tries to figure out the best way to compare, including text, images, and layout changes. |
| Reports/Spreadsheets | Optimized for documents with structured data, like tables and numbers. |
| Presentation Decks | Optimized for slides, focusing on layout and content changes in presentations. |
Yes, 'Compare Files' can help you see changes in signed documents. Acrobat has a specific feature to compare signed document versions. This is useful for checking if a document was altered after it was signed, helping to ensure its integrity.