Annotations float above the page: highlights, sticky notes, stamps, ink and form comments. Removing them is not the same as redacting content underneath. The first cleans collaboration marks; the second destroys sensitive text.
Step by step
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1
Upload your PDF
Drag your PDF onto the box or click Choose file. It is sent over an encrypted connection and only used for this task.
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2
Set the options
Adjust annotation types to remove (comma separated; blank = all) and only from specific pages. Every field has a sensible default, so you can usually run the tool straight away.
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3
Run it and download
Press Remove Annotations and the page shows progress while it works. When it finishes you get a download link — nothing is emailed and nothing is stored longer than it needs to be.
Know what is being removed
Highlights and strikeouts are markup over text. Comments and reply threads live in annotation objects. Form fields are not annotations and should be flattened or cleared separately. List the annotation types when you want to keep one kind and remove another; leave the field blank to remove all annotations on the chosen pages.
Pages and scope
Remove annotations from all pages for a clean outgoing copy, or list only the pages where review marks live. Check the page count afterwards: removing an annotation should not remove a page, but a malformed PDF can surprise you.
Annotations vs redaction
Deleting a highlight does not delete the highlighted text. Deleting a sticky note removes the note, not the sentence it referred to. If the goal is to remove sensitive content rather than review marks, use Redact PDF and verify the exported words are gone.
Good habits for Remove Annotations
- The preview updates as you type, so you can judge spacing before running it.
- Leave a page range blank to apply to every page.
- Colours accept a hex value, so you can match an existing brand colour exactly.
Common questions
Is this tool free?
Yes. Every tool on this site is free to use, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily task limit.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The tools run in your browser and are processed by this server.
What happens to my files?
They are stored under an unguessable id and swept automatically after a couple of hours. Nothing is shared or indexed.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The page pickers and editors are built for touch, so dragging, rotating and selecting pages all work without a mouse.
What does Remove Annotations do exactly?
Batch remove highlights, strikeouts or any other annotations from a PDF document.
Does removing annotations delete the text underneath?
No. Annotations are overlays; the page text remains. Redaction is the tool that removes content.
Can I remove only comments and keep highlights?
Yes. Enter the annotation types to remove and leave the others out, or process a copy and compare the result.
Are form fields removed?
No. Flatten the form or clear its fields separately; annotations and form fields are different objects.