What is Annotate PDF and how does it work?

Annotate PDF is a free online tool from HuntPDF. Add a text note to any page of your PDF. You upload a file, the work happens on our servers, and you download the result. There is nothing to install and no account to create.

How do I use Annotate PDF online?

Upload your file using the box above — drag it in, browse for it, or bring it in from your cloud storage. A preview appears so you can check you've picked the right file. Run Annotate PDF, then download the result. You can rename it before you save it.

Is my file secure when I use Annotate PDF?

Yes. The file you send to Annotate PDF travels over an encrypted HTTPS connection and is processed automatically on our servers. It is never made public, never shared with anyone, and nobody reads it.

Does HuntPDF store my files after Annotate PDF has run?

No. Your upload is deleted the moment Annotate PDF finishes with it, and the file it produces is removed as soon as you have downloaded it, or when you upload another file, or when you close the page. Nothing is kept, and nothing is used to train anything.

Will the original quality and formatting be maintained?

Yes. Annotate PDF is built to leave your content exactly as it is — only the change you asked for is applied. Nothing else about the file is altered or re-compressed.

Can I use Annotate PDF on mobile?

Yes. Annotate PDF works in any modern browser on phones and tablets — iPhone, iPad or Android — with nothing to install. You can upload straight from your device or from your cloud storage.

Can I rename my file before downloading it from Annotate PDF?

Yes. The file Annotate PDF gives you back keeps the name of the file you uploaded by default. If you'd rather call it something else, edit the name in the field next to the download button before you save it.

Do I need to install any software to use Annotate PDF?

No. There is nothing to download, install or sign up for — Annotate PDF is used from your browser and does the work on our servers, so it behaves the same on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

How long does Annotate PDF take?

Most files are finished in a few seconds. A large or page-heavy file takes a little longer, because Annotate PDF runs on our servers rather than on your device — but you won't be waiting around. You can upload files up to 250MB.

Is Annotate PDF free to use?

Yes. Annotate PDF is free, with no signup, no watermark on the result and no daily limit for normal use.

What does Annotate PDF do?

It opens your PDF in an editor where you can highlight text, draw, type notes and add shapes, then save everything into a new PDF.

What annotation tools are there?

A highlighter, freehand drawing, text boxes, rectangles, ellipses, lines and arrows, plus whiteout to cover something up.

Can I change the colour of highlights and shapes?

Yes. Select a mark and pick a colour from the small toolbar that appears next to it.

Can I annotate a PDF on my phone?

Yes. The editor works with touch, so you can highlight and draw with a finger or stylus.

Can the other person edit my annotations?

In some PDF readers they can. To fix them into the page, open the file in Flatten PDF with 'Continue with this file'.

Is Annotate PDF free?

Yes. You can annotate and download the PDF without paying or adding a watermark.

Annotate PDF Online – Free, No Watermark, No Signup

Drop your file on the target

Several files · up to 260 MB each · deleted after processing

Drop your file here

Choose file

Edit the PDF's own text
Fill forms & sign
Draw, highlight, shapes, redact
Organise pages

PDF and image tools that run over an encrypted HTTPS connection. Files are auto-deleted after processing and never stored or shared.

Annotate PDF lets you highlight, draw, type notes and add shapes on a PDF, then save the marked-up copy to send back. The highlighter is already switched on when the page opens, so you can start marking straight away.

How to annotate a PDF online

Drop your PDF on the page, or choose it from Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive. It opens in the editor with the highlighter ready: drag across text to highlight it. Switch to Draw for freehand marks, Text to type a comment on the page, or Shapes for boxes, circles, lines and arrows. When you're done, save and download the annotated PDF, or send it on WhatsApp.

Who uses Annotate PDF

A teacher marks a student's essay with circles and short notes in the margin. An editor highlights sentences in a draft and types questions beside them. A buyer puts arrows on a supplier's drawing to show which dimension needs changing. A tenant highlights the clauses in a tenancy agreement she wants to ask about.

Tips to annotate PDF files clearly

Use one colour for questions and another for changes, so the reader can tell them apart at a glance. Keep typed notes short and put them next to the text they refer to. If the recipient must not change your marks, run the saved file through Flatten PDF before sending it.

Frequently asked questions

What does Annotate PDF do?: It opens your PDF in an editor where you can highlight text, draw, type notes and add shapes, then save everything into a new PDF.
What annotation tools are there?: A highlighter, freehand drawing, text boxes, rectangles, ellipses, lines and arrows, plus whiteout to cover something up.
Can I change the colour of highlights and shapes?: Yes. Select a mark and pick a colour from the small toolbar that appears next to it.
Can I annotate a PDF on my phone?: Yes. The editor works with touch, so you can highlight and draw with a finger or stylus.
Can the other person edit my annotations?: In some PDF readers they can. To fix them into the page, open the file in Flatten PDF with 'Continue with this file'.
Is Annotate PDF free?: Yes. You can annotate and download the PDF without paying or adding a watermark.