# Comments and Sticky Notes Course: [PDF](https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/pdf) · Section: Annotations Source: https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/pdf/annotations/comments-and-sticky-notes > Review a PDF with comments: add sticky notes, reply to other reviewers, set a status, and edit and delete comments in the Comments panel. When someone asks you to "review" a PDF, they want your feedback **on** the document, not a new version of it. PDF comments let you do that: you stick notes on the page, reply to other reviewers, and mark each point as done, while the original text stays exactly as it was. In this lesson, you'll read, add, edit, reply to, and delete comments and sticky notes, and track them in the Comments panel. You'll practise on a draft of the **Riverton Community News**. The editor, Priya, and a colleague, Sam, have already left some comments. ## What is a comment? A **comment** (also called an **annotation**) is something added **on top of** a PDF page. It doesn't change the page's text; it sits above it, like a sticky note on paper. Every comment records: - **Who** wrote it (the author's name). - **When** it was written (date and time). - **What** it says (the comment text), plus any **replies**. - Its **status**, such as Accepted or Completed. Comments travel with the file: when you download the PDF and send it on, the next person sees every comment and can reply. In the sandbox, your comments are signed **Guest**. In Adobe Acrobat Reader and other apps, they show the name you set in the app's preferences, so set it before you review a document for work. The simplest comment to start with is the sticky note. ## Sticky notes A **sticky note** is the simplest comment: a small speech-bubble icon on the page with your text inside it. Use it for a remark about a place on the page: "Add a photo here", "This table is out of date". Here is how to add one: ### Add a sticky note 1. Click **Add Comments** (the speech bubble in the main toolbar). 2. Click on the page where the note belongs. A yellow note icon appears. 3. **Double-click** the icon. The **Comments** panel opens on the right with an empty box: **Add a comment..**. 4. Type your comment and click **Post**. Put the note **next to** the thing you're commenting on, so readers know what it's about. Once you have more than one or two comments, the panel that lists them all becomes your main tool. ## The Comments panel The **Comments** panel lists every comment in the document, grouped by page, with its author, date, and text. It lets you see all the feedback in one place instead of searching the pages for comment icons. - **Open it**: click **Edit Annotation** (the pen-and-page button in the toolbar), then **Comment Panel** at the right end of the second toolbar, or press **Ctrl + Alt + 0**. Double-clicking any comment on the page opens it too. - **Go to a comment**: click it in the panel, and the viewer jumps to it on the page. - The panel lists **markup** (highlights, underlines) and **drawings** too, each with its own icon. You'll add those in the next two lessons. When the comments aren't yours, the panel is also where you read them and answer them. ## Review notes: read and reply When someone else has commented, read each comment and respond: 1. Click the comment in the Comments panel. 2. Click **Add a reply** under it, type your answer, and click **Post**. Your reply appears under the original comment, with your name. A conversation in one place is much clearer than a separate email that says "about the third comment on page 2...". Once a point is settled, the **⋮** menu can mark it as done: ## Set a status Each comment's **⋮** (more options) menu has **Set Status**: | Status | Meaning | |---|---| | **Accepted** | I agree; the change will be made | | **Rejected** | I disagree; no change | | **Cancelled** | The comment no longer applies | | **Completed** | The change has been made | | **None** | No status yet | Statuses let everyone see at a glance which points are dealt with and which are still open. Answer **every** comment, even if it's just "Done" or a status. An unanswered comment leaves the writer wondering whether you saw it. Comments aren't set in stone: you can change your own, and take back mistakes. ## Edit and delete comments - **Edit** your own comment: click **⋮** on it in the Comments panel, choose **Edit**, change the text, and click **Post**. - **Delete** a comment: click **⋮** and choose **Delete**. Or click the note icon on the page and press the **Delete** key. Deleting a comment removes it for everyone who gets the file afterwards. Delete your own mistakes freely, but think twice before deleting someone else's comment: it's usually better to reply and set a status. Made a mistake? **Undo** (**Ctrl + Z**, or the curved arrow in the toolbar) brings back a deleted comment or removes one you just added. ## Common mistakes | Mistake | What happens | How to fix it | |---|---|---| | Typing the comment but not clicking **Post** | The note is empty | Double-click the note, type again, and click **Post** | | Clicking the page with Add Comments still active | Extra empty notes appear | Delete the extras; click the arrow tool when you're done | | Vague comments | The writer doesn't know what to change | Say what and why: "18:00 should be 19:00 (Sam)" | | Sending a reviewed file without downloading it | Your comments are lost | **Download** the PDF after commenting | | Deleting instead of replying | Others can't see the discussion | Reply, then set a status | ## Exercise Here is your chance to run a review yourself. Click **Open the practice PDF** below. It opens the **Riverton Community News** draft, with comments from Priya and Sam already on it. Then do each task and press **Check**. ## What to remember - Comments sit **on top of** the page; they never change the text. - **Add Comments** + click the page places a **sticky note**; double-click it to type, then **Post**. - The **Comments panel** (Edit Annotation > Comment Panel, or **Ctrl + Alt + 0**) lists every comment by page. - **Add a reply** to answer a comment; **⋮** > **Set Status** marks it Accepted, Completed, and so on. - **⋮** > **Edit** changes your comment; **⋮** > **Delete** (or the Delete key) removes it; **Ctrl + Z** undoes. - **Download** the PDF to keep and share your comments. In the next lesson, you'll mark up the text itself: highlight, underline, and strike out.