Hi everyone,
If you need to delete all comments from a PDF in Adobe Acrobat, you can use Sanitize document in Acrobat Pro to selectively remove comments and other hidden information before sharing the PDF.
This guide also brings together key annotation and commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat, including how to delete individual comments, highlight text, use drawing and shape tools, format text boxes, recover comments after an unexpected shutdown, work with shared reviews, and change comment author names.
Use the sections below to find the feature or issue that matches what you are trying to do and follow the corresponding steps.
What this guide covers
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Delete all comments from a PDF at once
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Delete an individual comment or print a PDF without comments
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Use Line, Arrow, Rectangle, Circle, and other drawing tools
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Change text box font, size, and default formatting
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Fix common highlighting issues, including scanned PDFs, highlight color, opacity, and markup properties
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Recover comments after Acrobat closes unexpectedly
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Work with shared reviews, including Reader commenting rights and internal server reviews
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Change the author name displayed on comments
1. Delete all comments from a PDF at once
Quick answer
In Acrobat Pro, use Sanitize document > Selectively remove when you want to remove comments and choose which other types of hidden information to preserve.
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Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro.
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Select All tools > Redact a PDF.
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In the left pane, select Sanitize document.
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Select Selectively remove.
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In the Hidden Information panel, select the items you want to remove.
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Select Remove.
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Save the PDF to permanently remove the selected content.
Important: Review the items selected in the Hidden Information panel before removing them. Use Selectively remove when you need to preserve some types of information while removing others. Save the PDF as a new file if you need to preserve the original.
Adobe Help: Sanitize PDFs in Acrobat Pro
1A. Remove all hidden and potentially sensitive information
Use Remove all when you are preparing a PDF for distribution and want to remove hidden and potentially sensitive information from the document.
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Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro.
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Select All tools > Redact a PDF.
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In the left pane, select Sanitize document.
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Select Remove all.
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Specify a filename and location for the sanitized PDF.
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Select Save.
Important: Remove all removes hidden and potentially sensitive information from the PDF, which can include metadata, comments, file attachments, hidden layers, and other hidden content. Save the sanitized PDF as a new file if you need to preserve the original document and its content.
Adobe Help: Sanitize PDFs in Acrobat Pro
2. Delete an individual comment or print a PDF without comments
2A. Delete an individual comment
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Open the PDF.
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Select Comment from the right panel.
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Select the comment you want to remove from the Comments pane.
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Open the comment's Options menu.
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Select Delete.
If you cannot edit or delete a comment, check its properties. A comment with the Locked property enabled cannot be edited or deleted until it is unlocked.
Adobe Help: Delete comments from PDFs in Acrobat | Set comment properties
2B. Print a PDF without comments
Use this workflow when you want a printed copy without comments rather than permanently removing comments from the PDF.
Windows
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Select Menu > Print.
macOS
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Select File > Print.
Then:
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Open the Comments & Forms dropdown.
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Select Document.
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Select Print.
The available Comments & Forms options include:
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Document: prints the document contents and form fields, but not comments.
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Document and Markups: prints document contents, form fields, and comments.
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Document and Stamps: prints the document, form fields, and stamps, but no other markups.
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Form fields only: prints interactive form fields without the document contents.
To print a separate comment summary, select Summarize Comments, then select Yes.
Note: Pop-up notes and some other annotations do not print by default. To print them, enable Print Notes and Pop-ups under Preferences > Commenting.
Adobe Help: Print comments
3. Use Line, Arrow, Rectangle, Circle, and other drawing tools
Quick answer
Use the drawing tools in Acrobat to add lines, arrows, rectangles, circles, polygons, clouds, and freeform drawings to a PDF.
3A. Add a line, arrow, rectangle, circle, or drawing
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Select Draw freehand from the Quick action toolbar.
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Choose the drawing tool you need.
Available tools include:
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Line
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Arrow
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Rectangle
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Circle
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Cloud
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Polygon
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Connected lines
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Draw
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Draw the markup on the PDF.
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To edit or resize the markup, select it and drag a corner handle.
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To add a note to the markup, select it and choose Add a comment from the Quick action toolbar.
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To remove a drawing markup, select it and press Delete.
Adobe Help: Add shapes, lines, and freeform drawings
3B. Change the appearance of a drawing or shape
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Right-click the comment or drawing markup.
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Select Properties.
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Open the Appearance options.
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Change the available properties as needed.
Depending on the markup type, available properties can include settings such as color and opacity.
To use the same appearance for new comments or markups of that type, select Make Current Properties Default, where available.
Adobe Help: Set comment properties
3C. A drawing tool is not working as expected
If a Line, Arrow, Rectangle, Circle, or another drawing tool does not behave as expected:
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Test the same tool in another PDF.
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Check whether the issue occurs with one PDF or every PDF.
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Make sure you are using the current version of Acrobat.
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Restart Acrobat and test the tool again.
If the issue continues, provide your Acrobat version, operating system, the drawing tool you are using, and whether the issue occurs with every PDF or only a specific file.
Adobe Help: Add shapes, lines, and freeform drawings
4. Change text box font, size, and default formatting
4A. Change the formatting of an existing text box comment
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Select the Select text tool from the Quick action toolbar.
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Double-click the text box comment.
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Select the text you want to format.
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Select Set or change properties for the selected text.
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Change the available text properties as needed.
To resize the text box itself, select it with the Select text tool and drag an edge.
Adobe Help: Set or change text box properties
4B. Set default properties for new comments of the same type
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Select the comment.
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Right-click it and select Properties.
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Set the available properties as needed.
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Select Make Properties Default or Make Current Properties Default, depending on the comment type and dialog.
The default applies to new comments of that type. Existing comments are not changed.
Adobe Help: Set comment properties
4C. Set the default font for Edit PDF > Add Text
The default font used by Edit PDF > Add Text is controlled separately from comment text boxes.
Windows
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Select Menu > Preferences.
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Select Content Editing.
macOS
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Select Acrobat > Preferences.
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Select Content Editing.
Then:
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Choose a font under Default font for Add Text.
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Choose a size under Font Size.
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If needed, choose a Fallback font for Editing.
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Select OK.
To restore Acrobat's default font behavior, select Let Acrobat choose.
Adobe Help: Set default fonts in Acrobat
5. Fix common highlighting issues
5A. Highlight text in a PDF
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Select the Select text tool from the Quick action toolbar.
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Select the text you want to mark.
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Select Highlight text from the floating toolbar.
You can also use the available text markup tools to underline or strikethrough selected text.
Adobe Help: Add markups
5B. You cannot select text in a scanned PDF
A scanned PDF can contain image data instead of selectable text. Use OCR to convert image text into searchable and selectable text.
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Open the scanned PDF.
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Select All tools > Scan & OCR.
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Under Recognize Text, select In this file.
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Choose the page range and document language.
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Adjust Settings if needed.
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Select Recognize Text.
Acrobat creates a searchable text layer in the PDF.
After OCR is complete, review the recognized text for accuracy. If needed, correct recognition errors or run OCR again with adjusted settings.
Important: Save a backup copy of the original scanned PDF before editing or processing it if you need to preserve the original file.
Adobe Help: Recognize text in scanned PDFs
5C. Change the color of a highlight
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Select the highlight using the Select text tool.
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Select Choose a color for highlight from the floating bar.
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Choose the required color.
Adobe Help: Change markup colors
5D. Change the appearance of comments and markups
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Right-click the comment or markup.
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Select Properties.
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Open the Appearance options.
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Change the available properties, such as color or opacity.
The available properties vary depending on the type of comment or markup.
To apply the current appearance to new comments of the same type, select Make Properties Default or Make Current Properties Default, where available.
Adobe Help: Set comment properties
6. Recover comments after Acrobat closes unexpectedly
Quick answer
Autosave can help recover changes after Acrobat closes unexpectedly. Autosave is enabled by default.
6A. Recover changes from an autosave file
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Restart Acrobat or reopen the file you were working on.
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If Acrobat prompts you to open an autosave file, select Yes.
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If multiple files were open, Acrobat can reopen the available autosave files.
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Save the recovered file or files.
The autosave file contains changes made since the previous automatic save. The amount of work that can be recovered depends on the configured autosave interval.
6B. Change the Autosave interval
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Open Preferences.
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Select Documents.
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Locate Automatically Save Document Changes To Temporary File Every xx Minutes.
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Set the required interval.
Autosave does not apply in every situation. For example, it may not be available for documents whose security settings have changed, certain documents that have not yet been saved, or documents displayed in a web browser or OLE container.
Adobe Help: Saving PDFs in Adobe Acrobat and Reader
7. Work with shared PDF reviews
7A. Rejoin a PDF review and check for new comments
If you previously joined a review and need to return to it:
Windows
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Select Menu > View > Tracker.
macOS
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Select View > Tracker.
Then:
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Double-click the PDF you want to rejoin.
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Use the commenting tools from the Quick action toolbar as needed.
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To check for new comments, select Comment from the right panel.
Adobe Help: Join PDF reviews in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader
7B. Enable commenting for Acrobat Reader users
Commenting rights are automatically enabled when you start a managed review.
For a PDF shared outside a managed review, such as by email, you can enable commenting rights using Acrobat Pro.
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Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro.
Windows
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Select Menu > Save as other > Reader extended PDF > Enable Commenting & Measuring.
macOS
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Select File > Save as other > Reader extended PDF > Enable Commenting & Measuring.
Then:
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Select OK in the dialog that opens.
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Save the PDF.
Important: Enabling commenting rights in a digitally signed document invalidates the signature.
Adobe Help: Enable commenting for Reader users in Acrobat Pro
7C. Host a shared review on an internal server
You can host a shared review using a network folder, SharePoint subsite, or web server folder instead of Adobe cloud storage.
First, enable the legacy file-sharing experience:
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Open Preferences.
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Select Reviewing.
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Clear Share for review using Adobe's cloud storage.
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Select OK.
Then:
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Open the PDF.
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Select All tools > Send for comments > Send for shared commenting.
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Choose how you want to collect comments and select Next.
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Choose the required server option:
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Network folder
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SharePoint subsite
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Web server folder
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Enter the required server location and continue through the setup.
Reviewers need access to the shared location and the appropriate read and write permissions.
Adobe Help: Send PDFs for review using internal servers
8. Change the author name displayed on comments
8A. Change the comment author name
Windows
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Select Menu > Preferences.
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Select Commenting.
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Clear Always use Log-in Name for Author name.
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Select OK.
macOS
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Select Acrobat > Preferences.
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Select Commenting.
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Clear Always use Log-in Name for Author name.
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Select OK.
To change the author name on a comment:
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Select Comment from the right panel.
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Right-click the comment and select Properties.
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Select General.
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Change the name in the Author field.
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To use that author name as the default for new comments, select Make Properties Default.
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Select OK.
Adobe Help: Change comment author name in Acrobat
Frequently asked questions
1. How do I delete all comments from a PDF at once?
- In Acrobat Pro, open the PDF and select All tools > Redact a PDF > Sanitize document > Selectively remove. In the Hidden Information panel, select the information you want to remove, select Remove, and save the PDF.
- Use Selectively remove when you want to control which types of hidden information are removed.
2. What is the difference between Remove all and Selectively remove?
- Remove all removes hidden and potentially sensitive information from the PDF before you share it.
- Selectively remove opens the Hidden Information panel so you can choose which detected categories of information to remove.
- Use Selectively remove when you need more control over what is removed.
3. Can I print a PDF without comments without deleting them?
- Yes. Select Print, open Comments & Forms, and select Document.
- This prints the document contents and form fields without printing comments.
4. Why can't I select text to highlight it?
- If the PDF is a scan, it can contain image data instead of selectable text.
- Select All tools > Scan & OCR > Recognize Text > In this file to create searchable and selectable text. After OCR is complete, review the recognized text for accuracy and try highlighting the text again.
5. How do I change the color of highlighted text?
- Select the existing highlight using the Select text tool. Then select Choose a color for highlight from the floating bar and choose the required color.
6. How do I change the default appearance of comments or markups?
- Right-click the comment or markup and select Properties. Configure the available appearance settings, then select Make Properties Default or Make Current Properties Default, where available.
- The available properties depend on the type of comment or markup.
7. Why do my comments show my login name?
- The Always use Log-in Name for Author name preference controls whether Acrobat uses your login name as the comment author.
- Open Preferences > Commenting and clear Always use Log-in Name for Author name. You can then change the Author field under Properties > General and make that author name the default for new comments.
8. Can Acrobat recover comments after an unexpected shutdown?
- Autosave can help recover changes made before Acrobat closed unexpectedly.
- Restart Acrobat or reopen the file. If an autosave file is available, accept the prompt to open it, then save the recovered document.
- The amount of work that can be recovered depends on the Autosave interval, and Autosave does not apply in every situation.
9. Can Acrobat Reader users add comments?
- Yes. Reader users can add comments when the PDF has the required commenting rights.
- Commenting rights are automatically enabled for managed reviews. For a PDF shared outside a managed review, use Acrobat Pro > Save as other > Reader extended PDF > Enable Commenting & Measuring to enable commenting rights.
10. Can I host a shared review on my organization's server instead of Adobe cloud storage?
- Yes. You can host a shared review using a network folder, SharePoint subsite, or web server folder.
- Reviewers need access to the shared location and the appropriate read and write permissions.
11. Can I process multiple PDFs using an Acrobat action?
- Yes. Acrobat Pro includes Guided Actions that can run a defined sequence of commands on multiple documents, folders, or other supported file sources.
- Go to All tools > Use guided actions to view available actions or create a custom action.
- The commands available depend on the tasks supported in Guided Actions. Test a custom action on copies of your PDFs before applying it to production files.
Adobe Help: Use guided actions in Acrobat Pro
Still not resolved?
Reply with:
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Your Acrobat edition and build
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Your operating system and version
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The annotation or commenting tool you are using
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The section above that most closely matches the issue
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Whether the PDF is stored locally or is part of a shared review
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Whether the issue occurs with every PDF or only specific files
These details will help identify whether the issue is related to a specific PDF, Acrobat configuration, or workflow.
Regards,
^BV
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