Export highlights from readers

How to export Adobe Acrobat PDF highlights

Acrobat saves highlights as PDF comments and annotations. Save the annotated PDF for extraction; use comment-data exports for review workflows that require them.

Save the annotated PDF for extraction

For PDF Highlights App, the normal Acrobat workflow is simple: highlight and comment in Acrobat, then save the PDF. The saved PDF should contain the highlight annotations and attached comments.

Shared reviews, downloaded attachments, and cloud documents call for a local saved copy before import. That copy becomes the record of the final annotations.

Acrobat
Illustrated workflow
Review copy.pdfSave a copy
Confirm the point in section 4.
Finish the review, sync its comments, and save a local annotated PDF before importing it.

Use Acrobat comment export when needed

Acrobat's comments list can export all comments or a selection to data files such as FDF or XFDF. Those files suit review workflows and are separate from the annotated PDF.

Import the saved annotated PDF into PDF Highlights App. Reserve Acrobat's comment-data formats for workflows that require FDF or XFDF.

  • Open the PDF in Acrobat.
  • Add highlights, sticky notes, and other comments.
  • Save a local annotated PDF copy.
  • Open the copy in another reader to confirm the annotations appear.
  • Import the annotated PDF into PDF Highlights App.

Watch for review and cloud workflows

Acrobat is often used for shared review. Sync or import the review comments, then save a local PDF after the review closes.

Open that saved PDF in a second reader or on another device. Visible highlights and comments confirm that the file is ready to import.

Keep comments with highlighted text

Acrobat comments often record your interpretation alongside the quoted passage. Keep them with the highlighted text so an export carries both the quote and the note.

That context matters in legal research, due diligence, and literature reviews, where the note explains the relevance of a passage.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Should I export FDF or XFDF files for PDF Highlights App?

No. Import the annotated PDF itself. FDF and XFDF are Acrobat comment-data formats; PDF Highlights App works from PDF files.

Do Acrobat comments count as PDF annotations?

Yes. Acrobat highlights, sticky notes, and many markup tools are PDF comments/annotations when saved into the file.

How do I recover comments from a shared review?

Return to Acrobat, make sure review comments are synced or imported into the document, then save a new local copy and test it before importing.