Prepare the annotated [slides] PDF with supporting [evidence] attached and share a controlled‑access link with the [pr…
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
Click the Comment button in the toolbar to display the commenting tools.
Select the annotation tool you want to use, such as Note, Highlight, Text Box, or Draw.
Click on the PDF page where you want to add your comment or annotation.
Type your comment or draw your annotation as needed.
Click away from the annotation or press Escape to save your comment or annotation.
You can use multiple annotation types in one session, such as highlighting text and adding sticky notes for detailed feedback.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
Comments and Annotations in Adobe Acrobat are tools that let you add notes, highlights, and drawings to a PDF document without changing its original content. They matter because they help you give feedback, ask questions, or remember important points directly on the document. This makes reviewing and collaborating on documents much clearer and more efficient, as all feedback is in one place.
Yes, if you add comments to a PDF, they will typically be visible to anyone who opens the file in a PDF viewer like Adobe Acrobat. Comments are part of the document's data. If you don't want them to be seen, you must remove them using the 'Sanitize' feature before sharing the document. This ensures your private notes don't leak out.
| Feature | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Comments | To add text-based notes or reactions. | Sticky notes, text boxes, reaction emojis, text highlights. |
| Drawing Markup | To visually mark or highlight areas with shapes or lines. | Circles, arrows, lines, freehand drawing, strikethrough. |
It is important to flatten or sanitize a PDF with comments before sharing a 'final' version because comments and markups are often stored as a separate, editable layer. If you don't remove them, reviewers might still be able to see your internal notes, suggestions, or even private conversations. Sanitzing ensures that all hidden data, including comments, is permanently removed, protecting your privacy and presenting a clean, finished document without any unintended 'leaks' of information.