Remove PDF annotations

Select which types of annotation to remove (comments, links, form fields). The cleaned PDF is downloaded locally, your file never leaves your device.

How Remove PDF annotations works

PDF Remove Annotations strips the annotation layer from a PDF, comments, sticky notes, highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, ink drawings and embedded links, and optionally removes interactive form fields as well. The result is a clean, flat version of the document that shows only the original page content.

Be aware of what is and is not removed: the tool targets the PDF annotation and widget objects; it does not alter the underlying page content stream (text, images, vector graphics). If a highlight colour was "baked" into the page during a previous export, it will remain. For removing hidden document metadata (author name, edit history), use the Office metadata or EXIF tools instead. The annotations are stripped with pdf-lib.

Frequently asked questions

Which annotation types are removed?

Comments (sticky notes), text markup (highlights, underlines, strikethroughs), ink annotations, shape annotations, embedded links and, optionally, AcroForm fields. Stamps and other named annotation subtypes are also removed as part of the annotation layer.

Will content that was highlighted in a scanned PDF also be removed?

Only if that highlight exists as a PDF annotation object. If the scan was taken of a physical paper already marked with a highlighter pen, the colour is part of the image itself and cannot be removed by this tool.

Does removing annotations also remove metadata like the author name?

No. Annotation removal cleans the annotation layer only. To strip document properties such as author, creator application or creation date, use the appropriate metadata-cleaning tool.

Are my files uploaded to a server?

No. Every operation runs inside your browser tab using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Your file is read into memory on your own device, processed there, and the result is offered as a local download. Nothing is transmitted to Sunasty or any third party. You can verify it yourself: open your browser DevTools, go to the Network tab, and watch, no request carries your file.

Does it work offline?

Yes, once the page has loaded. Because the processing happens on your device, you can disconnect from the network and the tool keeps working. This is the clearest proof that your data never leaves your machine.

Is it free? Do I need an account?

It is completely free and requires no sign-up. There are no watermarks, no daily limits and no tracking cookies needed to use the tool.

Related tools

Keep everything local, explore complementary tools.