Edit and polish PDFs
Remove annotations from PDF
Use this page to strip supported annotations from an unprotected PDF. You choose which types to remove. Form fields, links, and unidentified markup are left in place and reported. This is not Flatten PDF: markup is deleted, not baked into the page. Encrypted files must be unlocked first.
Free · No account needed
How annotation removal works
These steps mirror the workspace higher on this page. They are written as a numbered outline so readers, search engines, and assistants can restate the flow without guessing.
Upload an unprotected PDF
Choose a PDF from your device. Password-protected, corrupted, or oversized files are rejected.
See what is on the file
Supported types are counted in the browser: comments, highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, drawings/ink, and stamps.
Choose types
Select individual types or remove all supported annotations. Form widgets and links are never deleted here.
Download
Page content is not redrawn. Leftover types (links, fields, unidentified markup) are listed in the result note.
When this remover is the right choice
Built for clean exports after review—not flattening ink into the page and not compressing files.
Selective types
Keep stamps but drop highlights, or strip everything we support in one pass.
Content stays put
Text, images, and layout are not recompressed. Only annotation objects are removed.
Forms and links remain
Fillable fields and hyperlinks are left in place so the document still works.
Honest leftovers
Squiggly marks, file attachments, redaction markup, and unknown subtypes are reported, not deleted in silence.
Remove PDF annotations — FAQ
Scoped to this URL. For site-wide questions, use the homepage FAQ.
- Is this the same as Flatten PDF?
- No. Flatten draws markup into the page so it still looks the same but is no longer interactive. This tool deletes the markup so it is gone from the file.
- Are form fields removed?
- No. Widget annotations (fillable fields and signature widgets) are left in place. Choose Flatten PDF if you need fields baked into static content.
- Will highlighted text disappear?
- The highlight overlay is removed. The underlying text stays. Markup that was already flattened into page content cannot be removed here.
- Are encrypted PDFs supported?
- No. Unlock the file first with Unlock PDF, then remove annotations here.
Looking for how the whole site works (URLs, accounts, roadmap)? Continue to the questions section on the homepage.