How do I use Compare Files to check changes between two PDF documents?

First, open Acrobat and go to 'All Tools'. Then, select 'Compare Files'. Choose your older PDF and your newer PDF. Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will then show you a report of all the differences.

What is the difference between 'Autodetect' and 'Compare text only' when using Compare Files?

Setting What it does When to use it. Autodetect Acrobat figures out the best way to compare your files by itself. It looks at text, images, and layout. Use this for most documents, like contracts or reports, when you want to see all types of changes. Compare text only Acrobat only checks the words in your documents. It ignores any pictures, drawings, or how things are placed on the page. Use this when you only care about changes to the written words, for example, if you are checking a text revision and don't care about image updates.

Verify Counsel Edits in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Compare the counsel-reviewed press statement PDF to the new draft, generate a differences…+

Compare the counsel-reviewed press statement PDF to the new draft, generate a differences report highlighting insertions and deletions, and share the report with Legal and Communications by end of day.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Avoid missing a risky change — produce a side-by-side comparison of the counsel-reviewed…+

Avoid missing a risky change — produce a side-by-side comparison of the counsel-reviewed [document=statement] and the [document=latest draft], flag wording that softens or adds liability language, highlight who changed each passage, and send the annotated report to [team=Legal] and [team=Communications] for clearance.

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

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.

AutodetectA setting that lets Acrobat choose the best way to compare your files.ExampleWith autodetect enabled, the software automatically chose the best settings for comparing the two document versions.

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 older PDF and your newer PDF.
Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will then show you a report of all the differences.

Compare Files will not work if either of your PDF documents has security settings. These settings stop Acrobat from reading the files fully to find differences. To fix this, you must remove the security from both PDF files before you try to compare them. This ensures Acrobat can access all parts of the document.

Setting	What it does	When to use it
Autodetect	Acrobat figures out the best way to compare your files by itself. It looks at text, images, and layout.	Use this for most documents, like contracts or reports, when you want to see all types of changes.
Compare text only	Acrobat only checks the words in your documents. It ignores any pictures, drawings, or how things are placed on the page.	Use this when you only care about changes to the written words, for example, if you are checking a text revision and don't care about image updates.

Yes, Compare Files can show you changes between versions of a signed document. This is very useful for contracts. You can see exactly what was changed after it was signed. However, make sure neither version has security settings that block comparison, or you will need to remove them first.

After comparing, Compare Files gives you a summary page. This page shows an overview of all the changes it found. You can then use 'Previous Change' and 'Next Change' buttons to go through each specific difference in the document, making it easy to review them one by one.

Verify Counsel Edits

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails