[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"chrome-reviews:carousel:en:12:true":3,"blog-article-en-chrome-pdf-annotation-tool":64,"chrome-reviews:banner:en":183},[4,9,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49,54,59],{"reviewer":5,"reviewText":8},{"name":6,"avatarURL":7},"Mary Trisha Joie Quiddam","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjW4DXKAC5hjEBkSVsldpYZ3LrgmeCsBxF2nODbcO1__N3JQe5s=s32","Very useful so I don't have to save the page as pdf and save on my ipad just to annotate.",{"reviewer":10,"reviewText":13},{"name":11,"avatarURL":12},"Yonda rass","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa\u002FACg8ocKc4IXT46ayRTtzMtSRfgC34A4Ip2CY6qTefY525Q-ClGR5BA=s32-mo","Saves me so much time! Highlighting web content and PDFs with Web Highlights is a breeze.",{"reviewer":15,"reviewText":18},{"name":16,"avatarURL":17},"Shariff Muhammad","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjXyRpeGFwg9hftTjz3m235ntV0pkFyVHOUIJy66JB-DxGqGNw4=s32","Highlighting key sections and adding notes directly on web articles\u002FPDFs is seamless.",{"reviewer":20,"reviewText":23},{"name":21,"avatarURL":22},"Aniki","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa\u002FACg8ocLCTYyCH1zT3VgVs6yCjZfaFrpmYkXVfszQTUVZHnl4m7poxSg=s32-mo","Exactly what I wanted. Easy to highlight and read your highlighted notes.",{"reviewer":25,"reviewText":28},{"name":26,"avatarURL":27},"Abdullah Yahya","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjV1uE5X-HaCZUntEH54L4UPFwMPwyk5ajrM_49uZoGHLg=s32","Good, Just wish free version had a feature to sync or export highlights.",{"reviewer":30,"reviewText":33},{"name":31,"avatarURL":32},"Dipo O","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa\u002FACg8ocJsrxOmCWFWyQj6J2KT7ElJCvFmXKcvqas4ddlYbFeAkcQanw=s32-mo","This app is a life saver for the course I am studying for. Couldn't recommend this more. Bravo.",{"reviewer":35,"reviewText":38},{"name":36,"avatarURL":37},"Oscar Amaya","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjX-3QX8PeguZOp58h812Uo1VIc65XPWHqhk7BYcQFdDiyWucSM=s32","Great extension! I especially love the taking-notes and adding-tags functions!",{"reviewer":40,"reviewText":43},{"name":41,"avatarURL":42},"Julia Breviglieri","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjWSRh_UlKyQ27ImmEtIn1yjlPiHWzduqqf9FrkHcKx7skvOlYI=s32","I use this extension almost everyday to study and highlight researches! Love it, 10\u002F10",{"reviewer":45,"reviewText":48},{"name":46,"avatarURL":47},"thet hmue","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjXJkG_ev_LzL8Xjm2tQ83m0dzHgCnBYc3br8fjmD0Uj19pMLYY=s32","nice and I love it. It really help me when i read research books , notes .Love it",{"reviewer":50,"reviewText":53},{"name":51,"avatarURL":52},"Vlad","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa\u002FACg8ocKYOOaBUFJl9Dc51_JsK-7h0_ieoQrXuV0mEa1bTAowfa6yYw=s32-mo","Probably the best tool to store notes and highlight things you read on internet.",{"reviewer":55,"reviewText":58},{"name":56,"avatarURL":57},"Mariah Kenney","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjU-7sAAz6hEiFqDwssKkaTtN2v7_BgRJQiwSw77-PrZ3oc=s32","Great tool for studying. I like that you can add notes to highlighted sections.",{"reviewer":60,"reviewText":63},{"name":61,"avatarURL":62},"Vivaan Jain","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjV1dExK7-JYkzMu9UnUlfz8xaBlq6eKUR7dKeGMBfKgjoXD208=s32","Best highlighting tool I've tried. Highly recommend and I love the variety of colors readily available :)",{"meta":65,"html":105,"authorName":106,"authorFacebookUrl":107,"authorProfileImage":108,"authorWebsite":109,"authorJobTitle":110,"authorTwitterUrl":111,"wordCount":112,"recommended":113},{"id":66,"slug":67,"type":68,"title":69,"excerpt":70,"metaTitle":71,"metaDescription":71,"canonicalUrl":71,"canonicalHost":71,"featureImage":72,"publishedAt":77,"createdAt":77,"updatedAt":77,"contentUpdatedAt":71,"featured":78,"readingTime":79,"tags":80,"author":87,"recommendedSlugs":88,"faq":92},"0441538b7eab19615fc55b69","chrome-pdf-annotation-tool","post","Chrome Now Annotates PDFs. Do You Still Need a PDF Highlighter?","Chrome's PDF viewer can now highlight, draw, add text and sign. Here's what it does well, what's missing, and when a real PDF highlighter is worth it.",null,{"url":73,"alt":74,"caption":71,"width":75,"height":76},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F11\u002Fchrome-pdf-annotation-tool.jpg","Headline reading Chrome Now Annotates PDFs next to a screenshot of a PDF highlighted in three colors in Chrome's viewer",1200,630,"2026-11-04T10:00:00.000Z",false,7,[81,84],{"name":82,"slug":83},"PDF","pdf",{"name":85,"slug":86},"Chrome Extension","chrome-extension","marius-bongarts",[89,90,91],"how-to-highlight-pdfs-using-web-highlights","annotate-a-pdf-in-chrome","free-online-pdf-highlighter-highlight-any-pdf-no-install",[93,96,99,102],{"question":94,"answer":95},"Why don't I see the Draw button in Chrome's PDF viewer?","First update Chrome, because the tool arrived with Chrome 145. On a work or school computer, an admin can switch it off with the PdfAnnotationsEnabled policy. Also check that the PDF is open in Chrome's own viewer and not in a PDF extension.",{"question":97,"answer":98},"How do I add comments to a PDF in Chrome?","Chrome has no comments as such. The closest thing is Add text, which places a text box on the page. If you want a note tied to a passage, Web Highlights attaches it to the highlight, and a PDF downloaded from its viewer carries those notes as real comments.",{"question":100,"answer":101},"Does Chrome save PDF annotations automatically?","No. Your marks are gone unless you save a copy, either with Download and With your changes, or with Save to Google Drive. Chrome warns you if you try to leave with unsaved edits.",{"question":103,"answer":104},"Can you annotate a PDF in Chrome on Android?","Yes, with fewer tools. Open the PDF in Chrome and tap Edit, and it opens in Google Drive with a pen, a highlighter and an eraser. Google says this needs Android 12 or newer. Its help page doesn't mention adding text or signing on Android.","\u003Cp>Frankly, Chrome’s PDF tool could cost me users.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  I build \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002F\">Web Highlights\u003C\u002Fa>, a PDF and web highlighter with 300,000+ users. Since\n  February, Chrome’s own PDF viewer has a Draw button with a pen, a highlighter and an eraser, no extension needed.\n  Anyone searching for a way to highlight a PDF may now stop right there.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them should. Here’s what Chrome’s annotation tool can do, where it stops, and how to tell whether it’s enough for you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"key-takeaways\">Key Takeaways\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n  \u003Cli>\n    \u003Cstrong>Chrome’s built-in PDF viewer now annotates.\u003C\u002Fstrong> You can highlight, draw, add text and hand-draw a\n    signature, for free and without an extension.\n  \u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\n    \u003Cstrong>That’s enough for quick jobs.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Signing a form or marking up one report doesn’t need anything else.\n  \u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\n    \u003Cstrong>Your marks stay inside one file.\u003C\u002Fstrong> There’s no list of your highlights, no note attached to a\n    highlight, no tags and no search across PDFs.\n  \u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\n    \u003Cstrong>Web Highlights is for what you want to find again.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It collects highlights from PDFs, websites and\n    YouTube videos in one searchable place. It’s free to use, and syncing between devices is paid after a 7-day trial.\n  \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-chromes-pdf-annotation-tool\">What Is Chrome’s New PDF Annotation Tool?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\n  It’s a set of markup tools inside the PDF viewer Chrome already opens your PDFs with. There’s nothing to install and\n  nothing to switch on.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.google\u002Fproducts-and-platforms\u002Fproducts\u002Fchrome\u002Fchrome-productivity-improvements\u002F\" rel=\"nofollow\">Google announced it on February 19, 2026\u003C\u002Fa\n  >, calling annotations “your most-requested feature”. It came with\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwinbuzzer.com\u002F2026\u002F02\u002F20\u002Fgoogle-chrome-145-split-view-pdf-annotation-drive-save-xcxwbn\u002F\" rel=\"nofollow\">Chrome 145\u003C\u002Fa\n  >\n  on desktop. So it’s not brand new, but it’s easy to miss: two months later,\n  \u003Ca\n    href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tomsguide.com\u002Fcomputing\u002Fgoogle-chrome-has-a-secret-pdf-tool-that-everyone-should-use-heres-how-it-works\"\n    rel=\"nofollow\"\n    >Tom’s Guide\u003C\u002Fa\n  >\n  was still calling it a “secret” tool.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  Google’s\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsupport.google.com\u002Fchrome\u002Fanswer\u002F16215622?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop\" rel=\"nofollow\">help page\u003C\u002Fa\n  >\n  explains the steps but says little about the limits. So let’s go through each tool, and what’s missing from it.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"how-do-you-annotate-a-pdf-in-chrome\">How Do You Annotate a PDF in Chrome?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\n  Open any PDF in Chrome, either online or dragged in from your computer, and click the squiggly\n  \u003Cstrong>Draw\u003C\u002Fstrong> icon in the toolbar.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\n  \u003Cimg\n    src=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F11\u002Fchrome-pdf-draw-button.webp\"\n    class=\"kg-image\"\n    alt=\"The Draw icon in the toolbar of Chrome’s PDF viewer, marked with a red arrow\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    width=\"1168\"\n    height=\"408\"\n  \u002F>\n  \u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap\">The Draw icon sits in the middle of the PDF toolbar\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>A panel opens on the right with three tools: pen, highlighter and eraser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"pen\">Pen: Write Anywhere on the Page\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>The pen is the default. Pick one of 5 sizes and 20 colors, then drag to write, underline or circle something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\n  \u003Cimg\n    src=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F11\u002Fchrome-pdf-pen-mode.webp\"\n    class=\"kg-image\"\n    alt=\"Handwriting in black and red on a sample PDF in Chrome, with the pen’s sizes and colors in the side panel\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    width=\"1600\"\n    height=\"896\"\n  \u002F>\n  \u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap\">Pen mode: 5 sizes and 20 colors\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>\n  This is also how you sign. Google’s advice is to choose the pen, zoom in for precision and sign by dragging your mouse\n  or touchpad. Just keep in mind that it’s a drawing of your signature. If a contract asks for a certified e-signature,\n  you’ll need a dedicated tool.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s missing? Your handwriting is ink, not text, so you can’t search for what you wrote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"highlighter\">Highlighter: The Part That Competes With Me\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>This is the closest thing to what Web Highlights does, and it works well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  You get 5 sizes and 10 colors. Start your drag on a line of text and the highlight snaps to that text, even if your\n  hand wobbles. Start in empty space and you get a freehand stroke instead. You can also highlight with the keyboard by\n  selecting text while Draw is on.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\n  \u003Cimg\n    src=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F11\u002Fchrome-pdf-highlighter-mode.webp\"\n    class=\"kg-image\"\n    alt=\"Three passages highlighted in red, yellow and green on a sample PDF in Chrome, with the highlighter’s sizes and colors in the side panel\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    width=\"1600\"\n    height=\"716\"\n  \u002F>\n  \u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap\">Highlighter mode: 5 sizes and 10 colors\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>\n  \u003Cstrong>But a highlight here is only paint.\u003C\u002Fstrong> You can’t attach a note to it, you can’t tag it, and those 10\n  colors are all you get. Once it’s on the page, the only thing left to do with it is erase it.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"eraser\">Eraser: Remove Ink and Highlights\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  The eraser removes whatever you drag it over, even a single line from the middle of a longer highlight. Compare the\n  green block below with the one above: two lines are gone. Undo and redo sit in the toolbar, right next to the Draw\n  icon.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\n  \u003Cimg\n    src=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F11\u002Fchrome-pdf-eraser-mode.webp\"\n    class=\"kg-image\"\n    alt=\"The same PDF in Chrome with two lines erased from the middle of the green highlight\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    width=\"1600\"\n    height=\"660\"\n  \u002F>\n  \u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap\">The eraser also works on parts of a highlight\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"add-text\">Add Text: Type on the Page\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Next to Draw, there’s a \u003Cstrong>T\u003C\u002Fstrong> icon. Choose a font, style and color, then click where the text should go.\n  This is what Google means when it says you can “add notes”.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  It’s handy for filling a blank line on a form. But it’s a text box on the page, not a note that belongs to a\n  highlight.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"save-pdf-annotations-chrome\">Saving: Don’t Skip This Step\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Nothing is kept until you save it. Click \u003Cstrong>Download\u003C\u002Fstrong> and choose \u003Cstrong>With your changes\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\n  Chrome warns you if you try to leave with unsaved edits. You can also click the\n  \u003Cstrong>Save to Google Drive\u003C\u002Fstrong> icon, which puts a copy in a folder called “Saved from Chrome”. That one doesn’t\n  work in Incognito or Guest mode.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  One thing to watch for: if you annotate a PDF from a website, your marks live only in your saved copy. Open the same\n  link next month and you’re looking at a clean PDF again.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"what-does-chrome-write-into-the-pdf\">What Does Chrome Actually Write Into the PDF?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\n  This one isn’t in Google’s guide. We saved an annotated copy of a sample PDF in Chrome 157 and inspected the file: it\n  contained \u003Cstrong>zero PDF annotations\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Highlights and pen strokes are drawn directly into the page as shapes,\n  which matches\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fchromium\u002Fchromium\u002Fblob\u002Fmain\u002Fpdf\u002Fpdfium\u002Fpdfium_ink_writer.cc\" rel=\"nofollow\">Chromium’s source code\u003C\u002Fa\n  >. The text underneath stays selectable.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  So other PDF apps show your marks, but as part of the page. They aren’t annotation objects, so they won’t appear as\n  comments in Acrobat, and nobody can click one to change it. It also means our own\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhighlight-pdfs\u002Fimport-pdf-annotations\">annotation import\u003C\u002Fa> can’t\n  pick them up.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  Web Highlights goes the other way. When you\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhighlight-pdfs\u002Fdownload-print-pdf-with-highlights\">download a PDF from our viewer\u003C\u002Fa\n  >, every highlight becomes a real PDF annotation in its own color, and your notes become comments. You can still edit\n  them in Acrobat or Preview.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"what-cant-chromes-pdf-annotator-do\">What Can’t Chrome’s PDF Annotator Do?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\n  Chrome works one file at a time. It doesn’t know what you highlighted in your last PDF, so there’s nothing to browse\n  or search later.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  Here’s the full comparison. I’m obviously biased, so I’ve kept the rows where Chrome wins. Chrome’s column comes from\n  Google’s help pages and from using the tool on a sample PDF.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ctable>\n  \u003Cthead>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Cth>\u003C\u002Fth>\n      \u003Cth>Chrome’s PDF viewer\u003C\u002Fth>\n      \u003Cth>Web Highlights\u003C\u002Fth>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n  \u003C\u002Fthead>\n  \u003Ctbody>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Highlight text in a PDF\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes, 10 colors\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes, plus your own custom colors\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Note attached to a highlight\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No, only text boxes on the page\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes, with formatting\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Tags\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>One page with all your highlights\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Search across all your PDFs\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No, only inside the open file\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Highlights return when you reopen an online PDF\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No, only in your saved copy\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Websites, YouTube videos, your own text\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Flashcards from your highlights\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Downloaded PDF\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Marks drawn into the page\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Real, editable annotations\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Pen and hand-drawn signature\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Type text onto the page\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Scanned PDFs\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Yes, with on-device text recognition\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>No, the PDF needs selectable text\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Phones and tablets\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Android: pen, highlighter and eraser through Google Drive (Android 12+)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Android app, web app on iPhone and iPad\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Setup\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>None, it’s built in\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>A browser extension\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n    \u003Ctr>\n      \u003Ctd>Price\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Free\u003C\u002Ftd>\n      \u003Ctd>Free to use, sync between devices is paid after a 7-day trial\u003C\u002Ftd>\n    \u003C\u002Ftr>\n  \u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"what-does-web-highlights-do-differently\">What Does Web Highlights Do Differently?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\n  The biggest difference: \u003Cstrong>your highlights don’t stay in the file.\u003C\u002Fstrong> They land on one central page,\n  together with everything else you’ve ever highlighted.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  It takes one extra click. Open a PDF in Chrome, click \u003Cstrong>Highlight this PDF\u003C\u002Fstrong> in the top right corner, and\n  it opens in our own viewer. Then select any text and pick a color. For PDFs on your computer, you have to\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhighlight-pdfs\u002Fhighlight-local-pdfs\">allow access to file URLs\u003C\u002Fa>\n  once.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\n  \u003Ca\n    class=\"kg-bookmark-container\"\n    href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fchromewebstore.google.com\u002Fdetail\u002Fweb-highlights-pdf-web-hi\u002Fhldjnlbobkdkghfidgoecgmklcemanhm\"\n  >\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\n      \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Web Highlights: PDF & Web Highlighter + Notes\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n      \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">\n        Highlight PDFs and web pages, take notes on your highlights and find everything again in one place.\n      \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n      \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\n        \u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002Ficon\u002Ficon-512x512-9.webp\" alt=\"\" \u002F>\n        \u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Chrome Web Store\u003C\u002Fspan>\n      \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\n      \u003Cimg\n        src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fimages\u002Fscreenshots\u002Fcypress\u002Fextension\u002Fpdf-with-highlight.png\"\n        alt=\"\"\n        onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\"\n      \u002F>\n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Fa>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"all-your-highlights-in-one-place\">All Your Highlights in One Place\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  This is the part Chrome doesn’t try to do. The\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapp.web-highlights.com\">web app\u003C\u002Fa> shows every highlight you’ve made, from any PDF or page.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\n  \u003Cimg\n    src=\"\u002Fimages\u002Fscreenshots\u002Fcypress\u002Fweb-app\u002Fhighlights-masonry-view.png\"\n    class=\"kg-image\"\n    alt=\"The Web Highlights web app showing highlights from different sources as cards on one page\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    width=\"2400\"\n    height=\"1440\"\n  \u002F>\n  \u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap\">Every highlight, from every source, on one page\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"notes-that-stay-with-the-highlight\">Notes That Stay With the Highlight\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Click a highlight and write down what you think about it. The\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fnotes\">note\u003C\u002Fa> stays attached to that passage, supports formatting\n  and shows up in the sidebar next to your PDF. Chrome’s text box just sits on the page.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\n  \u003Cimg\n    src=\"\u002Fimages\u002Fscreenshots\u002Fcypress\u002Fextension\u002Fpdf-with-highlight.png\"\n    class=\"kg-image\"\n    alt=\"A PDF highlighted in several colors with the Web Highlights sidebar listing the highlights and a note\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    width=\"2400\"\n    height=\"1440\"\n  \u002F>\n  \u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap\">Highlights and notes in the sidebar, right next to the PDF\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"tags-collections-and-any-color\">Tags, Collections and Any Color You Want\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Chrome gives you 10 highlighter colors. Here, you can\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhighlight-webpages\u002Fmultiple-color-highlighting\">add your own from a color wheel\u003C\u002Fa\n  >\n  and give each color a meaning, like green for evidence and red for questions. On top of that, you can\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Ftags-and-organization\">tag your highlights\u003C\u002Fa> by topic and sort\n  saved pages into \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fcollections\">collections\u003C\u002Fa>, which work like\n  folders.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"search-everything-you-highlighted\">Search Everything You Highlighted\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Remember a sentence but not the PDF it came from? In Chrome, you’d have to open files one by one.\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fsearch\">Search\u003C\u002Fa> in Web Highlights looks through your highlights,\n  your notes and your page titles at once.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\n  \u003Cimg\n    src=\"\u002Fimages\u002Fscreenshots\u002Fcypress\u002Fweb-app\u002Fsearch-results.png\"\n    class=\"kg-image\"\n    alt=\"Search results in the Web Highlights web app across saved highlights and pages\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    width=\"2400\"\n    height=\"1440\"\n  \u002F>\n  \u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap\">One search across your whole library\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"not-just-pdfs\">Not Just PDFs\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Chrome’s tool only exists inside the PDF viewer. Web Highlights works the same way on\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhighlight-webpages\">websites\u003C\u002Fa>, on\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fyoutube-highlighting\">YouTube video transcripts\u003C\u002Fa> and even on\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fadd-content\">your own text\u003C\u002Fa>, which you can paste into your\n  library and highlight like any other page. So a paper, the article that cited it and the lecture about it can all sit\n  under the same tag.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"on-your-phone-and-tablet\">On Your Phone and Tablet\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Chrome’s desktop marks stay in the file you saved. Web Highlights has a native\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fplay.google.com\u002Fstore\u002Fapps\u002Fdetails?id=com.webhighlights.app\">Android app\u003C\u002Fa>: share a PDF into it from\n  any app, then highlight, take notes and add tags right there. iPhone and iPad don’t have an app yet, so you use the\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Fintroduction\u002Fmobile#iphone-ipad\">web app\u003C\u002Fa> in your browser.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  To be clear about the price: the extension and the web app are free to use, but syncing between devices is the paid\n  part. You get it free for a 7-day trial, with no credit card. After that, your highlights stay where they are and only\n  the syncing stops.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"do-something-with-your-highlights\">Do Something With Your Highlights\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>\n  Once your highlights are in one place, you can use them. Turn them into\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Ffeatures\u002Fspaced-repetition-learning\">flashcards with spaced repetition\u003C\u002Fa>,\n  copy them as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Fintegrations\u002Fmarkdown-export\">Markdown\u003C\u002Fa> or send them to\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fdocs\u002Fintegrations\u002Fnotion-export\">Notion\u003C\u002Fa>. If you’d like the full walkthrough,\n  here’s my \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-highlight-pdfs-using-web-highlights\u002F\">guide to highlighting PDFs\u003C\u002Fa>, or watch the\n  video:\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\n  \u003Ciframe\n    width=\"560\"\n    height=\"315\"\n    src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube-nocookie.com\u002Fembed\u002FKvHje0IcMq0\"\n    frameborder=\"0\"\n    loading=\"lazy\"\n    allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\"\n    referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"\n    allowfullscreen=\"\"\n    title=\"How to Highlight a PDF in Chrome for Free\"\n  >\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"should-you-use-chrome-or-web-highlights\">Should You Use Chrome or Web Highlights?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Stick with Chrome if\u003C\u002Fstrong> you:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n  \u003Cli>sign a form or fill in a few blanks\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>mark up one document and send it to someone\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>want to draw or write by hand\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>don’t plan to come back to your marks\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Try Web Highlights if\u003C\u002Fstrong> you:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n  \u003Cli>read PDFs for studying, research or work, and want to find things again\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>want notes attached to the passages they’re about\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>collect knowledge from websites and YouTube as well as PDFs\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>move between a computer and a phone or tablet\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>\n  You can also use both. Nothing stops you from signing a form in Chrome’s viewer and reading your papers in Web\n  Highlights.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"final-thoughts\">Final Thoughts\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\n  Chrome shipped a well-thought-out, minimal tool for annotating PDFs. I mean that. It can be enough for many people,\n  and if you’re one of them, save yourself the install.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  If you want a real knowledge tool, one that brings all your highlights together, syncs your notes and lets you\n  highlight PDFs on your phone and tablet too, Web Highlights might be worth a look. I think it’s the best PDF\n  highlighter out there for combining PDFs, websites, YouTube videos and your own notes in one place. But I’m the one\n  who built it, so try it and decide for yourself.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\n  \u003Ca\n    class=\"kg-bookmark-container\"\n    href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fchromewebstore.google.com\u002Fdetail\u002Fweb-highlights-pdf-web-hi\u002Fhldjnlbobkdkghfidgoecgmklcemanhm\"\n  >\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\n      \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Install Web Highlights for Chrome\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n      \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">\n        Free PDF and web highlighter used by 300,000+ people. Works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Brave.\n      \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n      \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\n        \u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002Ficon\u002Ficon-512x512-9.webp\" alt=\"\" \u002F>\n        \u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Chrome Web Store\u003C\u002Fspan>\n      \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\n      \u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fimages\u002Flanding-webapp.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\" \u002F>\n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Fa>\n\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>\n  Don’t want to install anything? Our\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Ftools\u002Fpdf-highlighter\">free online PDF highlighter\u003C\u002Fa> lets you upload a PDF,\n  highlight it and download it with your highlights, without an account.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\n  I’m happy to answer questions, and I’m open to criticism 😊. You can find me on\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fmarius-bongarts-6b3638171\u002F\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn\u003C\u002Fa> and\n  \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FMariusBongarts\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n","Marius Bongarts","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FMariusBongartsWeb","\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2022\u002F08\u002FIMG_7861_Square.jpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fmarius-bongarts.de\u002F","Founder & Software Engineer","https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FMariusBongarts",1948,[114,145,167],{"id":115,"slug":89,"title":116,"description":117,"url":118,"publishedAt":119,"createdAt":120,"updatedAt":121,"featured":78,"readingTime":122,"tags":123,"imageUrl":126,"imageAlt":127,"faviconUrl":128,"publishedAtString":119,"category":129,"readTimeString":144},"6311d47fdd1b4f6c7a6f9fa0","How to Highlight PDFs in Your Chrome Browser","Easily highlight local and online PDFs in Chrome, Edge, and Brave using Web Highlights. Add notes and tags, download with your highlights, and keep your research organized.","https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-highlight-pdfs-using-web-highlights\u002F","2022-09-02T10:08:36.000+00:00","2022-09-02T10:01:35.000+00:00","2026-11-04T02:51:27.000+00:00",9,[124,82,125],"FAQ, Tutorials, and Help","Tutorial","https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F07\u002Fhow-to-highlight-pdfs-using-web-highlights.jpg","Thumbnail showing Macbook, Cup of Coffee and a Tablet with the overlay saying: How to Highlight PDFs in Your Chrome Browser","https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Ffavicon.ico",[130,137],{"type":131,"title":132,"shortTitle":133,"icon":134,"description":135,"excerpt":136},"highlighting","Highlight Websites & PDFs in Chrome","Highlighting","mark-icon","From PDF highlighters to Chrome extensions—see how Web Highlights makes highlighting fast, colorful, and organized across the sites you read every day.","Highlighting should feel as natural as a physical marker, but with superpowers: multi-color marks, notes, tags, and sync. Web Highlights is built for both web pages and PDFs, so you can keep one workflow instead of juggling separate “PDF only” or “website only” tools.",{"type":138,"title":139,"shortTitle":140,"icon":141,"description":142,"excerpt":143},"learn-more","Popular Web Highlights Guides","Learn More","book-open","Web Highlights offers tons of features. Here are some of the most popular articles to make the most of it.","Start here for our most-read tutorials: PDF and web highlighting, exports, reader mode, and study workflows. Each guide shows how Web Highlights fits into real daily reading and research so you can get value in minutes—not hours of setup.","9 min read",{"id":146,"slug":90,"title":147,"description":148,"url":149,"publishedAt":150,"createdAt":151,"updatedAt":152,"featured":78,"readingTime":153,"tags":154,"imageUrl":155,"imageAlt":156,"faviconUrl":128,"publishedAtString":150,"category":157,"readTimeString":166},"68494c3c28233a0a428e5b6b","How to Annotate a PDF in Chrome","Learn how to annotate a PDF in Chrome using Web Highlights. Highlight text, add notes, tag content, and export to different platforms. No extra tools needed.","https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fblog\u002Fannotate-a-pdf-in-chrome\u002F","2025-06-13T08:14:44.000+00:00","2025-06-11T09:28:28.000+00:00","2026-07-01T09:41:40.000+00:00",10,[],"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F07\u002Fannotate-a-pdf-in-chrome.jpg","Two people collaborating at a laptop, with one person pointing at the screen.",[158,165],{"type":159,"title":160,"shortTitle":161,"icon":162,"description":163,"excerpt":164},"annotating","Annotate the Web & PDFs with Web Highlights","Annotating","feather-edit-3","Annotating long texts is challenging. Learn techniques for better annotations and how Web Highlights helps you mark up articles and PDFs in the browser.","Annotation turns passive scrolling into real understanding. Whether you need marginal notes for research, structured tags for coursework, or quick highlights for newsletters, Web Highlights keeps every mark anchored to the source—so you can review, search, and export without losing context.",{"type":131,"title":132,"shortTitle":133,"icon":134,"description":135,"excerpt":136},"10 min read",{"id":168,"slug":91,"title":169,"description":170,"url":171,"publishedAt":172,"createdAt":173,"updatedAt":174,"featured":78,"readingTime":175,"tags":176,"imageUrl":177,"imageAlt":178,"faviconUrl":128,"publishedAtString":172,"category":179,"readTimeString":182},"6a44e3e8909b7209ced49a7e","Free Online PDF Highlighter — Highlight Any PDF, No Install","Highlighting a PDF in Chrome got easier this year, but it still stops at the basics. Chrome's built-in viewer can now mark up a PDF, but you can't attach a note to a highlight or keep your highlights together anywhere.\n\nI built a PDF highlighter tool, so I hear about this one a lot. My usual answer was: install my browser extension, or install something like Acrobat. Fine advice — unless you've got a single PDF to mark up and no interest in installing anything for it.\n\nSo I built a version that skips all that. It's a web page: open it, drop in a PDF, and highlight away. ","https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fblog\u002Ffree-online-pdf-highlighter-highlight-any-pdf-no-install\u002F","2026-07-01T10:01:26.000+00:00","2026-07-01T09:54:48.000+00:00","2026-11-04T10:00:00.000+00:00",5,[],"https:\u002F\u002Fweb-highlights.com\u002Fblog\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F07\u002Fpdf-upload-thumbnail.png","Free Online PDF Highlighter that works without installing any software right in your browser",[180,181],{"type":131,"title":132,"shortTitle":133,"icon":134,"description":135,"excerpt":136},{"type":159,"title":160,"shortTitle":161,"icon":162,"description":163,"excerpt":164},"5 min read",[184,189,194,199,204,209],{"reviewer":185,"reviewText":188},{"name":186,"avatarURL":187},"Maria Mills","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa\u002FACg8ocKhTUz6aTHCJj3pErsWdRnTKqWmbnWhlQzCMPG0RM3O0EpC9A=s32-mo","As someone who has struggled with both ADHD and dyslexia, I can say with absolute certainty that Web Highlights has been a true game-changer in my life. It has had a profound impact on my ability to manage the challenges associated with my disabilities. …",{"reviewer":190,"reviewText":193},{"name":191,"avatarURL":192},"Ian Schnee","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjVm-Xwq3SExdsSuzvKDBdzjtDtJLXZmFsCC5YHSmNrnu2E=s32","Amazing Chrome extension--has my vote for one of the best things on the internet that's still free. If you want the added features of a paid account, like synching and backups, the cost is reasonable. …",{"reviewer":195,"reviewText":198},{"name":196,"avatarURL":197},"Syed Azhar Hussain Shah","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjXNpiQz6OeNK_-V8nQIKkEp86eyaHynjjD5IUsL7Pqhd2QOdcxxKA=s32","Excellent extension. I needed a program that I could use to highlight passages from different news articles for my research project. Web Highlighter became a life saver. There were other highlighter extensions, but only this had the options to save passages and add tags to them. …",{"reviewer":200,"reviewText":203},{"name":201,"avatarURL":202},"Isabella Frias","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjU7y1PlNcZWfyuKKbdN6l6NcK1naQflzJOdefq4yGLn7HM=s32","LOVE LOVE LOVE! I'm a college student and most professors assign readings that are available online now. I also have ADHD and highlighting (and color coding) are a must, so I make sure I understood what I read. …",{"reviewer":205,"reviewText":208},{"name":206,"avatarURL":207},"Zee Dean","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjV6NDfSVpshcj33Eo93zydENYioYz9rA1mTd2BYebSVxynoP1jRWg=s32","The PDF & Web Highlighter app is incredibly helpful and useful, especially for anyone who frequently works with online or PDF content. I use it regularly to highlight key information across various documents and websites, which makes reviewing and organizing important points …",{"reviewer":210,"reviewText":213},{"name":211,"avatarURL":212},"Inan","https:\u002F\u002Flh3.googleusercontent.com\u002Fa-\u002FALV-UjW_Sy77Shq2iJXYyrkkUM36Cf5n96hkT5p7-9Zhd9ySwRWOmqeP=s32","I've been using Web Highlights PDF & Web Hi for a while now, and it's become an essential tool for my research workflow. Highlighting key points on websites and PDFs is a breeze, and the ability to take notes and save them alongside the highlighted content is incredibly useful. …"]