Participating Frequently

Question

Export highlights from a PDF file

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
April 10, 2023
5 replies
9789 views

Is there really no way to export or extract highlighted annotations of a PDF file as a simple text file? I find it absolutely ridiculous that there is no simple way to do this despite PDFs being around for decades! I am using Acrobat Pro and still no easy way to do this.

A

aliç15575092

Participant

It was like a nightmare for me to extract highlighted texts from pdf files.. I tried making it with code but later on discovered readoku.com where you can export highlights into word, excel, json and csv file formats. In case anyone still searching a time saving way..

V

Vire27515460684s

Participant

I had the same problem and this helped me so much. Thank you!

Joel Geraci

Community Expert

What exactly would you want to be in this simple text file? Can you give an example of what it might look like?

G

Grasshopper_nzAuthor

Participating Frequently

If I highlight three different sentences in the text of the PDF (as a comment or annotation), I just want to export this comment/annotation so I could use it have it saved elsewhere as study-notes instead of having to open every single PDF file looking for the highlighted components.

Joel Geraci

Community Expert

Can you elaborate? Are you asking to have the text under the highlight exported or the content of the annotation? Do you need page numbers? Your request isn't clear enough to take action.

try67

Community Expert

It can be done using a script, like this (paid-for) tool I've developed many years ago, exactly for this purpose: http://try67.blogspot.com/2008/11/acrobat-create-comments-summary-txt-pdf.html

G

Grasshopper_nzAuthor

Participating Frequently

Cheers for that.

To be honest, after obtaining the professional Adobe Acrobat DC version I am not really inclined to pay more. This is a very simple function I'd expect that Adobe provided to its clients - literrally tens of thousands of people (e.g., all in academia) will benefit from this function.

bebarth

Community Expert

Hi,

Last year, I wrote a script that you might be interested in!

Change the .txt extesion of the attached file in .js then place this file into the JavaScript folder of your Acrobat then restat the application.

You will get a new "* b2Tools *" item in your "Edit" menu.

Select "Comments Summary"...

Choose what you want, then "OK".

Try it and let me know...
@+

G

Grasshopper_nzAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thank you heaps but sorry, I just don't understand where or how should I run this script.

bebarth

Community Expert

Hi,

After changing the file extension from .txt to .js (from b2T-Comments report.txt to b2T-Comments report.js), you must place this file into the JavaScript folder of your Acrobat application.

If you don't know where is this folder, you can use the attached "Show_me_the_path.pdf" file which will help you to find it.

Then you will have to restart your Acrobat application then follow previous indication which should answer to your need.