Can you disable commenting, but still view existing comments?

[Kit_work_acc]

I have a lot of people who need to check and comment on PDFs within the company. Once everyone is done, I then make the amends etc. But then some people need to compare comments made, with the new version. I need to stop any new comments being added to the first PDF, so that they're not added by mistake later. Is there a way to disable new comments but still show existing ones?

[Bernd Alheit]

Protect the file.

[Kit_work_acc]

How? I don't see any options either in Acrobat app or online, to protect it.. Or are you thinking to download the file, and then share a new copy with comments disabled?

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

You can protect in Adobe Acrobat

[Kit_work_acc]

Yes, I know of that, but that's before it's shared? I can't change any of these settings after the fact

[try67]

If the file is already shared there's nothing you can do about it.

[sana33937566b4ao]

Thanks for sharing!

[Tariq Ahmad Dar]

Hi @Kit_work_acc, 

Thanks for reaching out.

Could you tell us how the file is shared with your colleagues within your company? If it is shared through the "Send for Comments" feature, you can unshare the file, and people won't be able to comment. Let us know if you have further questions. 

~Tariq

[Kit_work_acc]

Thanks for the reply/time.

I'm sharing via the 'Share' button at the top right of the window, then sending out the link via Teams and email. If I 'unshare' the file, then they cannot view the PDF at all, until I reshare, but then I would need to send a new link for them and some colleages are easily confused! I would like to just be able to stop any new comments, but still allow people to see the current comments on a PDF, so that they can be referred back to at a later date.

[Tariq Ahmad Dar]

Thank you for your response, @Kit_work_acc!

Let me check this internally and get back to you on this. 

~Tariq