Over the past 18 comps I’ve shared externally, two contained unnecessary personal identifiers. Trace the common causes…
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.
It is important to sanitize a PDF because comments and markups are saved in a separate layer. If you do not sanitize, these notes can still be seen by others, even if you think the file is final. Sanitizing removes all hidden data, like review notes, to prevent accidental information leaks when you share the document.
| Action | Effect on Comments | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Flattening | Comments become part of the document content; they are no longer editable or separate. | To make comments permanent and prevent editing, but they are still visible. |
| Sanitizing | Comments are permanently removed and cannot be recovered. | To remove all hidden data, including comments, for privacy and security before sharing. |
Yes, drawing markups are also a type of annotation. Like sticky notes or highlights, they are part of the separate comment layer. To ensure no review notes, including drawings, are visible to others, you must use the 'Protect > Sanitize' feature before sharing your PDF.