Will it work on a phone?

Yes. The layout adapts to a small screen and the processing runs in the mobile browser, so a photo or a downloaded document can be handled on the device it arrived on.

Do I need to pay or register?

No. Every tool on this site is free, with no account, no email and nothing to install.

Which file types does Highlight PDF Text accept?

The drop area takes PDF. Files are read from your device in the browser, so the format has to be one a browser can decode — that is why the accepted list on this page is finite and honest rather than "everything".

Highlight PDF Text

Beta

Add visual highlights over existing text.

Highlights are drawn as overlay annotations — they look like real highlights in any viewer but are not PDF 'TextMarkup' annotation objects.

Drag & drop the PDF you want to edit

One document at a time — edits are flattened into the pages on save

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About Highlight PDF Text

Highlight PDF Text is here for changing what is on the page: add visual highlights over existing text. It takes PDF and produces PDF. What it does today: highlights are drawn as overlay annotations — they look like real highlights in any viewer but are not PDF 'TextMarkup' annotation objects.

The slow route to changing what is on the page is installing something, making an account and uploading the file; this is the fast route.

How to use Highlight PDF Text in 3 steps

Drop the file on the page — PDF, one file up to 100 MB.
Set the text selection to highlight, in the colour you pick.
Press Apply edits and download the PDF result.

What you get with Highlight PDF Text

Honest scope: highlights are drawn as overlay annotations — they look like real highlights in any viewer but are not PDF 'TextMarkup' annotation objects.
Runs in your browser — the file is never uploaded
Free to use, with no signup and no account
No watermark or logo added to your output
Works on desktop and mobile, no install

Highlight PDF Text: questions

Will it work on a phone?: Yes. The layout adapts to a small screen and the processing runs in the mobile browser, so a photo or a downloaded document can be handled on the device it arrived on.
Do I need to pay or register?: No. Every tool on this site is free, with no account, no email and nothing to install.
What can't Highlight PDF Text do?: Highlights are drawn as overlay annotations — they look like real highlights in any viewer but are not PDF 'TextMarkup' annotation objects. That limit is stated on the page and in the alert above the tool, not buried in a footnote.
Which file types does Highlight PDF Text accept?: The drop area takes PDF. Files are read from your device in the browser, so the format has to be one a browser can decode — that is why the accepted list on this page is finite and honest rather than "everything".