Edit and finish PDFs

Add page numbers, watermarks, text, annotations, headers, form values or signatures, then compress the finished PDF for sharing.

8 tools

Separate visible additions from changes to the underlying document

Reviewed . How we check our guidance

A PDF can look changed while its original text remains underneath. Decide whether you need a visible note, an existing field value, a repeated label or a smaller sharing copy. Keep an editable source before any step that turns the pages into images.

Choose between nearby tools

Add a note or fill an existing field?

Edit PDF adds text overlays; it does not rewrite the original text objects. Annotate PDF adds review marks. Fill PDF forms changes supported existing form fields. Drawing a white rectangle or covering words with new text is not secure redaction.

A repeated page label or a visible signature?

Page numbers and headers or footers repeat labels across pages. Watermark adds a visible mark. Sign PDF places a supplied signature image; it is not certificate-backed digital signing or identity verification.

Smaller bytes or an editable document?

Compress PDF can return an already-small source unchanged. Otherwise it creates a rasterised copy while searching for the target, which removes selectable text and interactive structure. Decide whether that trade-off suits the recipient before processing.

Finish a numbered review copy for sharing

Set the page sequence first. Add review information to a copy, then decide whether its delivery size justifies compression. This sequence is not suitable when the recipient requires an unchanged signed original.

  1. Mark the relevant passage

    Add the required highlight or annotation. Reopen the download in a viewer that supports the relevant appearances and check the intended page.

  2. Add the review reference

    Choose a short label and inspect its expanded form on the first and last pages. Check margins so the added line does not cover existing content.

  3. Make a smaller copy only if needed

    Compare the original size with the delivery ceiling. If a rasterised output is produced, inspect small text and confirm that losing search, fields and other structure is acceptable.

Download and check each stage, then select that copy in the next tool. Retain the pre-compression version; adding OCR later can provide a new text layer but cannot restore the original editable structure.

Check the output before using it

  • Check the target pages and the unmodified pages. Confirm added text fits its area, repeated labels do not collide with content, and nothing appears on the wrong page.
  • For form work, reopen the saved PDF and verify actual field values. A thumbnail that omits widget appearances is not a reliable form-value check.
  • For compression, compare actual bytes, Target status and fine detail. Open the result and test search or form interaction if those capabilities are required.

Limits and recovery

The edit covers the wrong area or a label is cut off
Return to the prior copy, shorten or reposition the addition, and regenerate. Page rotation and crowded margins deserve a full-size check rather than a thumbnail-only review.
Compression meets the byte target but damages usefulness
Use the preserved original or a less aggressive target. If editable text or forms must remain intact, consider reducing images in the source application instead of accepting a rasterised sharing copy.

Samples and supporting references