Add comments to a PDF
Select an area, write a comment, and keep a threaded discussion attached to that exact spot in the document.
Drop a PDF hereLet go to start
or paste with Ctrl/⌘+V
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What it does
Add comments to PDF, explained
To add a comment to a PDF, choose the comment tool, select the area you are talking about, and type; the comment is anchored to that region and others can reply beneath it. PDFBetter opens with the comment tool active and shows all threads in a side panel by page.
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Comments are for conversation: “Is this date right?”, “Legal needs to approve this clause”, “Use the 2026 figures here”. Each comment records who wrote it and when, replies stay in the same thread, and a thread can be marked resolved once it is handled, so the open list shrinks as the review progresses.
This differs from a sticky note, which is a single note pinned to a point with no replies, and from markup, which draws on the page. Use comments when more than one person is reviewing or when you expect an answer.
Export behavior is explicit. Download with comments included and unflattened, and they arrive as standard PDF comment annotations other readers can open. Flatten, and they are drawn into the page. Turn comments off, and you get a clean copy with no review traces — useful for the final version.
How to do it
Add comments to a PDF in 4 steps
1Your PDF
2Mark it up
3Notes on the page
- 1
Upload the PDF
The comment tool is selected when the editor opens.
- 2
Select an area and write
Drag over the text, figure or table you mean, then type your comment.
- 3
Reply and resolve
Reviewers reply in the same thread; resolve a thread when the issue is fixed.
- 4
Share or download
Share a link with comment permission for others to join, or download with or without comments.
Example
Before and after
A 9-page draft services agreement circulating between an agency and a client, with questions about payment terms and scope.
Five comment threads anchored to clauses 3.2, 4.1 and the fee schedule, each with replies from both sides; three marked resolved, and a clean copy downloaded with comments excluded for signing.
Settings & formats
What you can control
- Include comments on download
- Keep comments as PDF annotations, or leave them out for a clean copy.
- Flatten
- Draw comments into the page so they appear the same everywhere but can no longer be replied to.
- Resolved
- Mark a thread handled; resolved threads are hidden from the open list.
Input
Output
Good to know before you start
- Comment authors are shown by the name on the account or share session that wrote them; PDFBetter does not verify identity beyond that.
- Replies from other PDF apps are not synced back. If someone replies in a desktop reader, upload their file to see their replies.
- Flattened comments can no longer be replied to or resolved in any reader.
Add comments to PDF: questions people ask
Can other people reply to my comments?
Yes. Share the document with comment permission; reviewers reply in the same threads and each reply shows its author and time.
What is the difference between a comment and a sticky note?
A comment is anchored to an area and supports replies and resolving. A sticky note is a single note pinned to a point.
Do comments stay in the downloaded PDF?
Only if you choose to include them. They are saved as standard PDF annotations, or drawn into the page if you flatten.
Can I download a version without any comments?
Yes. Turn off comments in the download options to get a clean copy without changing the working document.
Will comments from Acrobat or Preview show up?
Comments already in an uploaded PDF are displayed with the page. To discuss them in threads, add your reply as a new PDFBetter comment.
Does a reviewer need an account?
Viewing and commenting through a share link follows the link's permission; downloading the edited file is what needs an account.