What Is PDF Annotator?
PDF Annotator lets you add highlights, text notes, shapes, and freehand drawings to any PDF document. It’s built for designers reviewing mockups, students marking up readings, and professionals commenting on contracts — all without installing desktop software.
How to Use This Tool
Open or drag a PDF into the tool, then use the toolbar to highlight text, draw shapes, add sticky notes, or write freehand annotations. Navigate between pages with the page controls, and when you’re finished, export the annotated PDF directly to your device. Everything runs in your browser — your documents are never uploaded to a server.
Why Use PDF Annotator?
Desktop PDF editors like Adobe Acrobat charge monthly subscriptions for annotation features. This tool provides the same core functionality for free, with zero signups and full privacy since your files never leave your device. For a detailed walkthrough, see our step-by-step guide.
See also: Beyond highlights and comments, the PDF Editor edits text content, replaces images, and re-orders pages in a single interface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this true annotation or does it permanently alter the PDF?+
The annotations are visual — they are drawn on top of each page as non-destructive shapes and text. The underlying document content is preserved. If you want to permanently remove text (like redaction), use the PDF Redactor tool instead.
Are my documents uploaded anywhere?+
No. Every annotation is created and saved in your browser. The PDF never leaves your device.
Will the annotations be editable later?+
No. The exported file has your marks drawn into the pages, which opens the same in any reader but cannot be edited as markup. The original pages are untouched underneath, so their text stays selectable and searchable, and the words you typed in text marks and sticky notes are searchable too.
Can I annotate multiple pages?+
Yes. Use the page navigation to move between pages. Your annotations are preserved on each page when you switch.
What annotation types are supported?+
Highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, sticky-note comments, free-text callouts, shape drawings (rectangle, circle, arrow), and freehand ink. All annotations are saved as standard PDF annotation objects readable by Adobe Reader, Preview, and any compliant viewer.
Are annotations editable after I save?+
Not as annotations. Export draws your marks onto the original pages as ordinary PDF content: highlights as see-through colour, pen strokes and rectangles as vector lines, and text and sticky notes as real text. They look the same in every reader but cannot be moved or deleted afterwards, so keep the original PDF if you may need to change the markup.
Can I assign comments to different authors?+
No. The annotator has no author field: highlights, drawings, text and notes are drawn onto the page without a name attached. For named review comments, use a PDF reader with a comments panel, or add the reviewer's initials in a text note.
Do annotations work with form fields?+
Annotations sit on top of the page; form fields are interactive elements underneath. They coexist without conflict, so you can annotate around forms freely.
Built by Derek Giordano · Part of Ultimate Design Tools
Privacy Policy · Terms of Service
While you work, your marks sit on top of the page and can be moved or deleted one by one; your original file is never changed. Export adds the marks to the original pages as PDF content, drawn in vector form, so the pages keep their text, quality and size, and the result opens the same in every reader. Text that the standard PDF font cannot show (emoji, Chinese, Japanese and similar) is placed as a small image instead. There is no layered export: the marks cannot be edited after saving. Works well for contract markup and design feedback rounds.