Remove comments and annotations from a PDF

Annotations are the layer on top of the page: review comments, highlights, sticky notes, stamps, shapes and freehand drawings. Remove all of them at once and send a clean final version.

How it works

  1. Drop one or more PDF files.
  2. All annotations are removed; links and form fields are kept.
  3. Download the PDF without annotations.

Works well for

  • Contracts and drafts after a review round, before they go to the client.
  • Documents with comments that show the reviewers’ names and the discussion behind a decision.
  • Many comments at once – there is no need to delete them one by one in a PDF viewer.
  • Printing: stamps, highlights and notes do not show up on paper any more.

Limitations

  • Highlights or text that were printed into the page itself (e.g. in a scan or a flattened file) are page content and stay.
  • Links and form fields are technically annotations too, but this tool keeps them – Clean PDF removes them in the same step.
  • Password-protected (encrypted) PDFs are refused – remove the password first.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an annotation in a PDF?

Everything added on top of the page: comments and sticky notes, highlights, underlines and strikeouts, text boxes, stamps, lines, shapes, freehand drawings and file attachment icons. Each annotation can store its author and date.

Are links and form fields removed too?

No. They are special kinds of annotations and this tool keeps them. To remove them as well, use Clean PDF, where you tick several parts at once.

Does the page change?

No. Only the annotation layer is removed; text and images of the page are not touched or re-rendered.

Is the PDF uploaded?

No. The file is processed in your browser and stays on your device. Pro users can run the same operation through the paid HTTP API.