Add sticky notes, text boxes, and comments to any PDF page. Perfect for feedback and review.
Last Updated: August 2026·Written by Ayaz Dilawar
Drop your PDF here
or click to browse
Choose File
Page 1 of 1
Click "Add Sticky Note" then click anywhere on the page to place it. Drag to reposition.
Annotations Saved!
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Annotate PDF
Annotate PDF online for free. Add notes, comments, sticky notes, and text boxes to any PDF page. Stays 100% on your device — no upload.
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Stays in your browser
Processing runs on your own device. Your files are not uploaded to a server, so private documents stay private.
Mark up a PDF with sticky notes, text boxes and comments for reviews and feedback. Annotations are added on top of the original page in the standard PDF comment format, so layout, fonts and page order stay as they were. Some older readers may show them differently, and Flatten PDF can lock them in afterward.
Good to know
Use different colors consistently — e.g. yellow for questions, red for corrections — so reviewers can scan annotations quickly.
Keep comments short; long notes are easier to read as a separate summary page or email.
Flatten the PDF afterward with Flatten PDF if you need to guarantee annotations can't be moved or deleted by the next person.
Annotations follow the standard PDF comment format — some older readers may display them differently or not at all.
Not built for full-page mark-up/redlining workflows with track-changes style comparison; use Compare PDF for that.
Very dense annotation (dozens of overlapping notes) can get visually cluttered on smaller screens.
Troubleshooting
The note isn't collapsible/expandable like a normal PDF comment: Notes are drawn directly onto the page as a permanent colored box with text, not as an interactive PDF comment — they'll always be visible and can't be toggled open/closed in a PDF reader.
"Add some annotations first": Click "Add sticky note" and then click on the page to place one before saving — an empty session has nothing to save.
A note I added isn't in the saved file: Check you're on the correct page — notes are tracked per page, and empty notes with no text are still saved as a small box, so double-check placement before downloading.
"Failed to save annotations": The source PDF may be corrupted or password-protected. Try Unlock PDF or Repair PDF first.
Frequently asked questions
Scanned PDFs are image-based, so selectable text may not be available. You can still place annotations on the page, but text-specific highlighting depends on the PDF having selectable text.
No. Annotations are added on top of the original PDF without changing its layout, fonts, or page order.
Yes, as long as you're still working in the editor before downloading. After saving, further edits depend on whether the PDF software you open it in supports editing existing annotations.
Some password-protected or DRM-restricted PDFs can't be modified. If editing permissions are disabled, you'll need an unrestricted copy before adding annotations.