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To add a comment in Adobe Acrobat Reader on desktop, open the PDF, choose Add a comment from the Quick action toolbar, then choose whether to leave a page note, attach feedback to selected text, or mark up wording. These are annotations and proposed edits; they do not directly change the PDF’s underlying text.
Add a general comment or note on desktop
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Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Select Add a comment in the Quick action toolbar.
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For a general note, click the location on the page where it belongs, enter your comment in the pop-up, and post or close the note as prompted.
Use a page note when the feedback applies broadly or does not need to point to a particular word or passage.
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Attach a comment to selected text
Select the relevant wording with Select text, then choose Highlight text, Strikethrough text, or Underline text from the markup controls. This anchors the markup to a specific passage; it does not rewrite that passage in the PDF.
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Suggest replacement wording
Choose Insert text, type the suggested wording in the pop-up, and select Post. This records a proposed insertion as an annotation rather than changing the document’s source text.
Place a text box on the page
Choose Add text comment, drag a rectangle where the note should appear, and type inside it. Click outside the box to apply the annotation.
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- Create and edit PDFs. Collaborate with ease. E-sign documents and collect signatures. Get everything done in one app, wherever you go.
- Edit text and images without jumping to another app.
- E-sign documents or request e-signatures on any device. Recipients don’t need to log in to e-sign.
- Convert PDFs to editable Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents.
- Share PDFs for collaboration. Commenting features make it easy for reviewers to comment, mark up, and annotate.
Add or manage comments in Acrobat on the web
The web workflow uses different controls from desktop Reader. Open the PDF from Documents. To comment on wording, select the text to show its context menu; for a general note, use Quick Actions. In the Comments pane, you can edit, delete, or reply to comments. Adobe says changes made in this web review workflow save automatically. Adobe’s instructions for reviewing PDFs on the web were updated September 9, 2026.
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Why comment tools may be missing
Reader’s available commenting controls depend on the PDF’s permissions. Adobe says Reader 8 or later can comment when the document has the appropriate rights enabled. The PDF’s author can enable commenting in Acrobat Pro. Adobe cautions that enabling commenting on a digitally signed document invalidates its signature. See Adobe’s instructions for enabling commenting for Reader users (updated September 23, 2025).
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If you cannot use a tool, check whether the PDF permits commenting and ask its author to provide a version with commenting rights enabled. Do not assume every PDF exposes every annotation tool.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to expect on mobile
Adobe confirms that Reader’s commenting tools are also available in its mobile app. The exact taps and labels can vary by operating system and app version, so desktop toolbar directions should not be treated as mobile instructions. Adobe describes Reader as free desktop software in its Adobe Acrobat Reader FAQs (updated June 21, 2026).
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