Can't select / delete interactive text within PDF using Acrobat Pro

[Vance33641843hnyj]

Hello all,

I have a set of PDFs that have interactive "next page" buttons, and url and email text in the footer. The text in the footer needs to change but I can't select it for removal. Also tried the bandaid solution of covering with a replacement image ... but the old incorrect text always appears on top of the replacement. (original work files are who-knows-where so updating the PDFs should be the easiest option 😕 )

Any insight?

[Bernd Alheit]

Try the redaction tool.

[Vance33641843hnyj]

Yeah no luck there either. 😕

[try67]

A redaction would remove anything, even if it's a field.

[MikelKlink]

Also tried the bandaid solution of covering with a replacement image ... but the old incorrect text always appears on top of the replacement.

Have you checked whether the text in question is in an annotation? Annotations are drawn above all the static page contents, and your covering sounds like you try to cover in the static content.

[Vance33641843hnyj]

These bits of text are interactive (from InDesign), maybe they are treated as annotations?

[Vance33641843hnyj]

UPDATE - not sure if it is the * proper * way of dealing with the issue, but if I chose EDIT / PREPARE A FORM, I'm able to access all interactive elements, including the text in the footer. Text can be deleted from there without disturbing other elements and I can carry on. 

[Tezcnst51]

For what and what happened

[MikelKlink · Accepted solution]

if I chose EDIT / PREPARE A FORM, I'm able to access all interactive elements, including the text in the footer.

Ah. That seems to indicate that your texts of interest are stored as form fields and that their visualizations are form field widget annotations. 

Anyways, great that you now do have a way to manipulate the texts in question.