Guides
How to Edit a PDF Online for Free
September 24, 20263 min read
Most of the time, "editing a PDF" means adding something to it: writing your details into a form that wasn't built to be fillable, dropping a note next to a paragraph, or circling the figure someone needs to look at. None of that needs a paid desktop editor.
What you can add
- Text boxes, for filling in forms or adding comments.
- Shapes, for highlighting or boxing off part of a page.
- Annotations, for marking up a draft or pointing out a change.
How to edit a PDF
- Open the Edit PDF tool and upload your file.
- Add text, shapes, or annotations where you need them.
- Download the edited PDF.
Your edits are saved into a standard PDF, so whoever you send it to can open it in any PDF reader. They don't need special software.
What this kind of editing doesn't do
The tool adds new text and annotations on top of the page. It doesn't rewrite text that's already in the PDF. To change the existing wording of a document, convert it with PDF to Word, edit it there, and convert it back to PDF.
Related tasks
- To sign a document rather than annotate it, use Sign PDF.
- To permanently remove sensitive text rather than cover it up, use Redact PDF. A shape drawn over text hides it on screen, but it doesn't delete it.
More guides
- How to Add Page Numbers to a PDFPage numbers make long documents easier to navigate, reference, and reassemble. Here's how to add them to any PDF.
- How to Redact a PDF (and Why a Black Box Isn't Enough)A black rectangle over a name hides it on screen, but the text is often still in the file. Here's how to remove it for real.
- How to Merge PDF Files Online for FreeCombining a stack of PDFs into one document shouldn't need an account or a desktop app. Here's the fastest way to do it.