I received the as-built drawings from [contractor=GroundLine] showing grading and piping changes. Planting is schedule…
Open Adobe Acrobat on your computer.
Go to Tools and select Compare Files.
Click Select File under 'Compare' and choose your first PDF (the older or original version).
Click Select File under 'With' and choose your second PDF (the newer or revised version).
Click Compare to start the comparison.
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.
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.
'Compare text only' is an option in the Compare Files tool. When you select it, Acrobat will only look for differences in the words and numbers in your documents. It ignores any changes to pictures, drawings, or other graphics. This is useful when you only care about the written content and want to quickly find text edits without being distracted by visual changes.
No, you cannot use Compare Files directly if your PDF files have security settings or are password-protected. Acrobat will show an error message saying that comparison is prevented. To compare them, you must first remove the security protection from both PDF documents. You can usually do this in Acrobat if you have the password or permissions to edit the security settings.
You choose different comparison modes because they help Acrobat find changes more accurately based on the type of document. For example, 'Reports/Spreadsheets' is better for documents with lots of tables and numbers, as it understands how data is often laid out. 'Presentation Decks' is designed for slides, where changes might be in layout or specific elements. Using the correct mode helps Acrobat give you more precise comparison results.
Comparing two documents generally means checking any two PDF files for differences, regardless of their status. Comparing signed document versions, however, is a specific use of the Compare Files tool designed for documents that have been digitally signed. This feature specifically helps you see if any changes were made to a document *after* it was signed, which is crucial for legal and official records to ensure integrity and authenticity.