Will the recipient see my annotations?

Yes — annotations are saved into the PDF file in standard formats and appear in any modern PDF viewer when the file is opened. Highlights, sticky notes, shapes, and text comments all display correctly for recipients.

Can I remove annotations from a PDF someone sent me?

Yes, in any PDF annotator. Open the file, select the annotation (or use the Comments panel to see all of them), and delete. If you can't remove them, the document may have been flattened, which bakes annotations into the page content permanently.

Do annotations preserve when emailing a PDF?

Yes. Annotations are stored in the PDF file, not as separate data, so emailing an annotated PDF sends the annotations along with it. No special "export annotations" step is needed.

Can I annotate a password-protected PDF?

Usually not directly. Password-protected PDFs typically disable modification, including annotation. Use the PDF unlock tool to remove the password (on documents you have the right to unlock), annotate, then re-protect if needed.

What's the difference between a comment and a sticky note?

Sticky notes are icon-based — an icon on the page that reveals comment text when clicked. Regular comments (text annotations) place the text directly on the page where it's visible without clicking. Use sticky notes for longer feedback, text annotations for brief inline remarks.

How to Annotate a PDF Free (2026)

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