How to use
- Choose or drop a PDF. The page shows how many annotations, links and form fields it contains.
- Choose Flatten or Remove. For Remove, check the types to delete.
- Click the button; the new PDF downloads when it is done.
Options explained
- Annotations
- Highlights, underlines, strikeouts, sticky notes, text boxes, shapes such as rectangles and arrows, ink drawings, stamps and other review markups. Their pop-up note windows are removed with them.
- Links
- Clickable web addresses and jumps to other pages. Not removed unless you check them.
- Form fields
- Fillable text boxes, checkboxes and drop-down lists. Removing them also removes what was typed in; to keep the filled-in values, use Flatten.
- Flatten
- Uses qpdf to draw annotations and form fields into the page content. They look the same but can no longer be edited, moved or deleted; annotations marked hidden are not drawn. Annotations without an appearance (most links) are kept as they are, so links stay clickable.
Which one to use
| You want to | Choose | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Strip a colleague’s highlights and comments before sending to a client | Remove, with Annotations checked | No annotations on the pages, and their text is gone from the file |
| Submit a filled-in application form that should not be changed | Flatten | The filled-in values stay on the page and can no longer be edited |
| Fix annotations that are missing or misplaced when printing | Flatten | Annotations become part of the page and print the same everywhere |
| Remove every clickable link from the document | Remove, with only Links checked | The link text stays; it just isn’t clickable |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between flattening and removing?
Flattened annotations are still visible but become part of the page, which suits filled-in forms and stamped documents. Removed annotations disappear from the file and the page looks as it did before anyone marked it up, which suits cleaning up review marks.
After removing annotations, can the comment text still be found in the file?
No. The annotation objects and anything only they used are deleted from the file, not just hidden. With Flatten, though, the annotation text is drawn into the page and stays visible.
Why are there still annotations after flattening?
Only annotations with an appearance can be drawn into the page. Most links and some sticky notes have none and are kept as they are; the tool tells you how many remain. To get rid of them, run Remove as well.
Does flattening stop people from editing the PDF?
It stops anyone from changing the form fields and annotations in a PDF reader, but someone with a PDF editor can still change the page content. To guard against changes, also set permissions with Protect PDF or use a digital signature.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Counting, removing and flattening all happen in your browser and the file never leaves your device.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files and text are processed on your device and are never uploaded to our servers.