Remove PDF Annotations
Remove PDF comments, highlights and supported review markup locally. Keep links, form fields and unapplied redaction marks.
This tool processes its input contents in your browser instead of sending them to a processing service. Page, asset and fixed usage-measurement requests are described on the Privacy page.
Remove PDF Annotations removes supported review markup from a PDF copy, keeps links, form widgets and unapplied redaction marks, and reports the number of entries removed.
How to use it
- 1Choose one local PDF.
- 2Check the number and types of annotations removed.
- 3Download the edited PDF when there are supported marks to remove.
Example
- Input
- The built-in one-page sample with a sticky note, a highlight and an internal link.
- Output
- Two review annotations removed from one page. The link and the original page content remain.
The edited PDF is a separate download.
What happens to your data
The PDF is read and edited in your browser. The document, filename and annotation contents are not sent to a processing server.
Last updated November 2026
Create a clean reading copy of a reviewed PDF by removing supported review annotations in one pass. Choose a file, check the count of removed and retained entries, and download the edited copy. The original file stays unchanged.
The tool targets sticky notes, text comments, highlights, underlines, squiggles, strikeouts, stamps, ink and supported shape marks. It removes popups attached to targeted review annotations. It keeps links, form widgets, unapplied redaction annotations and other annotation types outside the review list.
How it works
PDF review marks can be separate objects listed in a page’s annotation array. The tool opens the file in the browser, finds supported review entries in those arrays and removes them. It writes a new PDF without rendering pages to images or replacing page content. The count measures annotation entries listed on pages, so a popup and its parent may each contribute to the count. When no supported review entry is present there is no edited copy to download.
Some visually similar marks are already baked into page text, graphics or a flattened appearance. Those marks remain. This is a review-cleanup tool. For confidential content use a dedicated redaction and sanitization workflow. Existing attachments, scripts, document metadata and hidden content are outside the cleanup scope. Signed, certified, encrypted and XFA files are refused. A review annotation with retained structural references can also cause the tool to stop.
The editor accepts one PDF of at most 15 MiB and 100 pages, with additional caps on internal objects, annotation count and decoded structural streams. A local worker stops after 12 seconds. The edited PDF is capped at 25 MiB. Linked structures and file compatibility vary across documents, so inspect the downloaded copy in your usual reader before sharing.
Worked example: Remove two review marks and retain one link
- Input
- The built-in one-page sample with a sticky note, a highlight and an internal link.
- Result
- Two review annotations removed from one page. The link and the original page content remain.
The edited PDF is a separate download.
Common use cases
- Clear PDF highlights after a review round
- Create a reading copy without editorial stamps
- Remove supported margin comments before reading a document
- Keep internal links and form widgets while removing review markup
Frequently asked questions
Can it remove sticky notes and highlights together?＋
Yes. One pass removes supported review types, including notes, highlights, underlines, strikeouts, stamps, ink and certain drawing annotations. The result lists the types and counts it removed.
Will it remove links, form fields or unapplied redactions?＋
The removal list excludes links, widget annotations and redaction annotations. It keeps these objects or refuses the edit if retained structures reference the targeted annotation.
Why does a mark remain after annotation removal?＋
It may already be part of the page text, graphics or a flattened appearance. It may also belong to an annotation type that is outside the removal list.
Can I use this to redact a PDF?＋
Use a dedicated redaction and sanitization workflow for sensitive material. This tool clears supported review objects from pages and leaves other content, attachments and document metadata in place.
Standards and limitations
Related tools
Flatten PDF Form
Turn supported filled AcroForm fields into fixed PDF page content, with an appearance audit.
PDF Compare
Compare PDF pages visually and export heatmaps with a difference report. No document upload.
Extract Text from PDF
Extract chosen PDF pages as text with page boundaries, blank-page warnings, TXT and JSON exports.
PDF Poster Maker
Tile one PDF page across printable sheets with overlap, trim guides and an assembly map.