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Free Tools vs Paid Software: Choosing the Best Method to Export PDFs to Excel

In today’s digital age, PDF files have become an integral part of our daily lives. They are widely used for various purposes, including business transactions, document sharing, and data storage. However, when it comes to extracting data from a PDF file and converting it into an Excel spreadsheet, many people find themselves at a loss. Thankfully, there are several methods available to export PDFs to Excel. In this article, we will explore the two main options: free tools and paid software.

The Power of Free Tools

Free tools are often the first choice for individuals and small businesses looking to export PDFs to Excel without breaking the bank. These tools provide a cost-effective solution that allows users to convert their files quickly and easily.

One popular free tool for exporting PDFs to Excel is Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. This software allows users to open and view PDF files on their computers or mobile devices. While it doesn’t offer direct conversion capabilities, it provides an option to export tables from a PDF file as an XML spreadsheet format (.xlsx), which can be opened in Microsoft Excel.

Another well-known free tool is Smallpdf. This web-based platform offers a range of features, including the ability to convert PDFs into various formats such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Users can simply upload their PDF file, select the desired output format (in this case, Excel), and wait for the conversion process to complete.

The Advantages of Paid Software

While free tools are convenient and budget-friendly options for many users, they may not always provide the advanced features required by businesses or individuals dealing with complex data extraction tasks. This is where paid software comes into play.

Paid software solutions like Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offer comprehensive features specifically designed for professional use. With advanced OCR (optical character recognition) technology, these tools can accurately extract data from PDF files and convert them into editable Excel spreadsheets. Additionally, paid software often provides batch processing capabilities, allowing users to convert multiple PDFs to Excel simultaneously.

Another advantage of paid software is the added security and privacy features. These tools usually come with encryption options that protect sensitive data during the conversion process. This can be crucial for businesses dealing with confidential information.

Choosing the Best Method for You

Deciding between free tools and paid software ultimately depends on your specific needs and requirements. If you’re an individual or a small business with simple data extraction tasks, free tools like Adobe Acrobat Reader DC or Smallpdf may be sufficient for your needs. They offer convenience and ease of use without any financial burden.

However, if you deal with complex data extraction tasks or require advanced features such as batch processing or enhanced security measures, investing in paid software like Adobe Acrobat Pro DC may be a better option. It provides the necessary tools to handle intricate PDF to Excel conversions efficiently and securely.

In conclusion, both free tools and paid software have their own advantages when it comes to exporting PDFs to Excel. Consider your specific needs and budget before making a decision. Whether you choose a free tool or invest in paid software, rest assured that there are solutions available to help you efficiently convert your PDF files into Excel spreadsheets hassle-free.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

Import Comments

In Acrobat Reader, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review workflow typically include commenting rights.

Comments can be imported from a PDF document. You can also import comments from a Forms Data Format (FDF) file or an XFDF file, which is an XML-based FDF file. You cannot open and view FDF or XFDF files independently.

To open the comments list, select Tools and then select Comments .

Select All Files (*.*) for Windows and All Files for macOS from the file type menu. If you know the file format of the comments you want to import, go to the file and then Press Enter or double-click it to open.

The comment positioning matches that of the file from which they were imported. If comments appear out of place, the source and recipient PDF documents are likely to be different. For example, if you import comments from a ten-page document to a two-page document, only comments from the first two pages appear.

Export comments

If you add comments to a PDF that isn’t part of a managed review, you may need to export your comments to send them to someone, or you may need to import the comments you receive. PDFs in a managed review workflow include special options that let you send or publish your comments, rather than export them.

When you export comments, you create a Forms Data Format (FDF) file that contains only comments. Consequently, FDF files are usually smaller than PDFs. You or another reviewer can then import the comments from the FDF file into the original PDF.

Export comments to a data file

Name the file and select Acrobat FDF Files (*.fdf) or Acrobat XFDF Files (*.xfdf) for the file type.

Specify a location for the file, and then select Save .

Export selected comments

Exporting selected comments isn’t available in Acrobat Reader.

In the comments list, select the comments you want to export.

To open the comments list, select Tools and then select Comments .

Export comments to Word (Windows)

In some instances, reviewers make comments in a PDF that was created from a Microsoft Word document. You can revise the original Word document by exporting these comments from the PDF. For example, text that has been inserted, crossed out, or replaced using the text edit tools in the PDF can be deleted or transferred directly to the source Word document. Formatting added to comments (for example, boldface text) is lost during this process and must be added to the Word document manually.

To revise a Word document using comments, you must create a tagged PDF from the Word document. Before you transfer text edits from the PDF, remove any extra words or information and then merge them to one PDF (if you have comments from multiple reviewers). If you plan to import comments more than once, you may want to make a copy of the Word document before you import the comments or comments may not be imported correctly.

Open the source document in Word. Select Acrobat Comments , and then select Import Comments From Acrobat . For Word 2013, select Acrobat , select Acrobat Comments , and then select Import Comments From Acrobat.

Read the instructions, and select OK .

In the Import Comments From Adobe Acrobat dialog box, select the PDF and Word files, select from the following options, and then select Continue:

(Optional) If you imported text edits, select Integrate Text Edits in the Successful Import dialog box to review and apply each edit individually. For each edit, select one of the following options:

Right-click the comment bubble and select Delete Comment .

Select Acrobat Comments , and then select Delete All Comments In Document . For Word 2013 and later, this option is on the Acrobat ribbon.

Export comments to AutoCAD (Acrobat Pro on Windows)

You may have reviewers add comments to a PDF that was created from an AutoCAD drawing. If you use AutoCAD PDFMaker to create a PDF, you can import comments into the AutoCAD drawing, rather than switch between AutoCAD and Acrobat. You can import most comment types, including drawing markups, sticky notes, stamps, and text edits.

Save the PDF to ensure that recently added comments are included.

In AutoCAD, select Acrobat Markups , and then Import Comments From Acrobat .

In the Import Comments dialog box, specify the PDF containing the comments, which comments to import, and select Continue . If you import a custom set of comments, specify the set by ensuring that only the characteristics you want are selected. You must select at least one option in each category.

All imported comments appear in the Adobe Acrobat Markups layer as custom objects you can edit, filter, or delete.

To modify an imported comment (change the status, add a check mark, or modify text), right-click the comment, select Acrobat Comments , and then select an option.

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Converting PDF to Word: How to Convert Comments and Track Changes

PDF (Portable Document Format) and Word are two widely used file formats for documents. PDFs are used for documents that need to be shared and viewed consistently across different devices, whereas Word is used for creating and editing documents. PDF to Word Converter can be necessary in several cases, including when the document needs editing or when the content needs to be reused in a new document. In this article, we will discuss the different methods of converting PDFs to Word, including how to convert comments and track changes.

Methods of Converting PDF to Word

There are different methods of converting PDFs to Word, and the choice of the method depends on several factors, including the size and complexity of the document and the required level of accuracy. A great program for converting to PDF is Soda pdf . Below are some of the commonly used methods:

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a paid software that allows users to create, edit, and manage PDF documents. It also has a feature that allows users to convert PDFs to Word documents. This method is ideal for converting large and complex documents that require a high level of accuracy.

Using Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service that allows users to create, share, and store documents. It also has a feature that allows users to convert PDFs to Word documents. This method is ideal for small and simple PDFs that do not require a high level of accuracy.

Using Online Converters

There are several online converters that allow users to convert PDFs to Word documents. These converters are free and do not require any software installation. However, they may not provide a high level of accuracy and may have limitations in terms of the size of the PDF.

Using Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word also has a feature that allows users to convert PDFs to Word documents. This method is ideal for small and simple PDFs that do not require a high level of accuracy.

Converting Comments and Track Changes from PDF to Word

Comments and track changes are important features in PDFs, especially when collaborating on a document. Converting comments and track changes from PDF to Word can be necessary when editing or revising a document. Below are the steps to convert comments and track changes from PDF to Word:

Converting Comments

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
Click on the Comments icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Select the comments that you want to convert to Word.
Right-click on the selected comments and select “Export Selected.”
Choose the format as “Word Document” and click “Export.”
Save the converted Word document.

Converting Track Changes

Click on the Tools tab on the right-hand side of the screen.
Select “Export PDF.”
Choose “Word Document” as the output format and click “Export.”
Open the converted Word document in Microsoft Word.
Click on the “Review” tab on the ribbon.
Click on the “Show Markup” dropdown menu and select “All Markup.”
The track changes will be displayed in the Word document, and you can review and accept or reject them as needed.

Possible Issues and Solutions

Converting comments and track changes from PDF to Word may encounter some issues, including formatting errors, missing comments or changes, or incorrect formatting. Some of the possible solutions to these issues include:

Check the original PDF document for any formatting issues or errors before converting it to Word.
Use a high-quality converter that provides accurate results.
Review the converted Word document carefully and make any necessary changes or corrections.
Save the converted Word document in the appropriate format to avoid any further formatting errors.

Best Practices for Converting PDFs to Word

To ensure a successful conversion of PDFs to Word, there are some best practices that you can follow, including:

Preparing the PDF for Conversion

Ensure that the PDF is of high quality and free of any errors or formatting issues.
Remove any unnecessary images or graphics from the PDF to reduce the size of the document.
Check that the PDF document has the correct orientation (portrait or landscape) before converting it to Word.

Choosing the Right Conversion Method

Choose the method that best suits the size and complexity of the PDF document.
Use a reputable and accurate converter to ensure that the converted Word document is of high quality.
Check the formatting of the converted Word document before using it to ensure that it is correct and consistent.

Reviewing the Converted Word Document

Review the converted Word document carefully for any formatting errors, missing text, or other issues.
Make any necessary corrections or changes to the converted Word document.
Save the converted Word document in the appropriate format to avoid any further formatting issues.

Converting PDFs to Word can be necessary in several cases, including when the document needs editing or when the content needs to be reused in a new document. There are different methods of converting PDFs to Word, including using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, Google Drive, online converters, and Microsoft Word. Converting comments and track changes from PDF to Word is also possible, but it may encounter some issues. By following the best practices for converting PDFs to Word, you can ensure a successful conversion and a high-quality Word document.

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[5 Solutions] Ultimate Guide to Export Comments from PDF

Elise Williams

Pdfelement-powerful and simple pdf editor.

Get started with the easiest way to manage PDFs with PDFelement!

Are you looking forward to removing annotations from your portable documents (PDFs) but unsure about how to execute the process? Well, then there are multiple tools available to extract or export comments from pdf without compromising the quality of a file.

While PDF is a go-to file format for sharing and exchanging important data, editing or extracting data from these files is a big pain. In other formats, extracting a portion of information, like comments, tables, etc is pretty straightforward. Just edit the data or copy and paste. However, that's not the case with Portable Document Files.

When handling comment extractions in PDF, the process can cause errors, impact the original formatting and order, and could seriously hit the overall quality. But fortunately, there are solutions that help you remove or extract annotations from pdf files efficiently

To save you time and effort, we have listed four simple yet effective solutions through which you can extract pdf comments in a matter of seconds.

First of all, launch the tool and open the document from which you want to export the comments.
There are two ways in which users can carry out the process.
Click on the Comments button in the menu bar and go to the Comments Pane. Now, open the export menu and select XML.
Alternatively, users can directly click on the Comments > Export Comments > XML.

Now, pick the location where you wish to save that XML file and click on the Save button to finish the process.

Process 2: Open the XML File in Microsoft Excel

Once you are done with exporting comments to the XML file, close the browser window and open Microsoft Excel on your computer.
Take your cursor to the Menu bar, click on Files > Open, and then visit the location where you have stored the XML document in the previous part. Locate the file and tap to open it.
A pop-up window will appear on the screen, asking how would you like to open the file. Tick the checkbox saying "As an XML table" and click on the Ok button to move next.
You can then find all the comments in an Excel document.

Method 2: PDF Reader Pro - Extracting Comments from PDF into File

Looking forward to extracting comments from pdf ? Turn to PDF Reader Pro and remove unwanted annotations without putting much effort. It is a premium PDF software for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. PDF Reader Pro is widely appreciated for its beginner-friendly interface and is well-received by over 80 million users in 200+ countries.

It is an all-in-one solution for your PDF-related concerns, be it splitting pages, merging files, compressing PDSs, filling forms, or extracting comments. The tools meet your demands with a set of advanced tools that help you manage your portable documents in a few clicks.

The step-by-step process to extract comments from PDF by using PDF Reader Pro is mentioned here.

Firstly, download and install the tool by following the on-screen prompts, and then launch it on your system to commence the process.
Open the PDF file with comments. Move your cursor to the left panel and click "Annotation".

There, you can check comments or annotations either by Page or Time. Tap on the "Expand List" option to see a complete list of comments added to the PDF file.
Now, locate the "Export Annotations" button and click "Save" to extract comments from PDF into a file in the XPDF format.
To view these comments, open another PDF document and tap "Import Annotations".

Method 3: Adobe Acrobat DC- Extract Comments from PDF to Excel Spreadsheet

Yet another effective solution to extract pdf comments is to use Adobe Acrobat DC. It is an industry-leading PDF solution that requires no special introduction. This tool is packed with tons of PDF-related features, including merging PDFs, extracting annotations, splitting pages, reducing the PDF size, and more. This tool is extremely reliable, easy to use, and compatible with multiple systems, like Mac, Windows, and more.

Below are mentioned the step-by-step guidelines to export PDF comments to Excel Spreadsheet.

To initiate the process, open the software and access the PDF file from which you want to extract the comments.
Now, go to the Comment section on the right side of the PDF document.

After that, you need to select the comments that you want to export to the Excel Spreadsheet.
Move your cursor to the "Options" tab and click on the Export Selected to Data File" option.

click on export selected to data file option

The Export Comments Dialog Box will then appear on the screen, from where you have to add a file name and tap the Save button.
Now, close the browser window and launch Microsoft Excel on your PC.
Click the "Open" dialog box and select the file in which you have exported PDF comments.
Once you locate the file, tap on the Open button and this will import the selected comments into the Excel file.
You'll then find all the comments in a much sorted and organized way in the Excel Spreadsheet.

While Adobe Acrobat helps users manage their PDF files easily, the only disadvantage that restricts people from using this software is its expensive subscription charges. Adobe Acrobat is undoubtedly a pricey PDF solution, making it unfit for budget-savvy users.

Method 4: PDFelement - Extract Annotations like Comments and Highlights from PDF

Still, looking for a way to extract comments from PDF ? Search no further and download Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor to your system. It is a one-stop solution for all your PDF-related concerns and lets you handle portable documents like a pro.

This tool is fast, affordable, and simple to use. It is designed keeping beginners and advanced professionals in mind; hence the tool comes with an intuitive interface and tons of features to facilitate all kinds of users. The best thing about PDFelement is its compatibility, as it runs across desktop, mobile, and web and is available for Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS.

Yet another thing that makes this tool worth trying is its affordable price. You'll be glad to know that PDFelement is the cost-effective alternative to the much-hyped Adobe Acrobat, and offers all essential features at half the price. This multi-platform PDF solution offers cloud storage of 2GB so you can work without affecting the speed of your system.

Here's mentioned the step-by-step procedure to extract PDF comments by using the Wondershare PDFelement. Follow the guide and get the job with ease.

Step 1 Upload the File

To begin the process, you first have to download the tool on your system and install it by following the on-screen instructions. This tool is free to download and takes a few seconds to install.

Launch PDFelement on your system and click on the "Open PDF" option available in the left panel.

A new window will open from where you can browse the desired pdf file with annotations. Select the document and click "Open" to import the file on the interface.

Step 2 Extract Comments

Now, take your cursor to the left panel and click on the third symbol indicating "Comments". It will then show all the comments on the screen.

Now from the drop-down menu, select the "Export Comment" option and a copy of the file will be saved at your desired location in the FDF or XFDF format.

Step 3 View Comments

Since the comment file is saved in FDF format, you need some other software to open the same, like Microsoft Excel. Import data from the FDF file and click open to view all the comments in an organized manner.

Method 5: Export Only Annotated Pages from PDF with PDFelement

Besides extracting annotations like comments and highlights from PDF, you can easily export only the pages containing annotations.

Step 1 Annotate Your PDF

Go to the "Comment" mode of PDFelement, and annotate your PDF file with various tools, such as Highlight, Pencil, Underline, Type Writer, etc.

Step 2 Export Only Pages with Annotations

Then choose the "Create Notes" feature, and thus you are creating a PDF that contains only the annotated pages.

The world's best PDF editor is now available for everyone to use. Click the link below to know more.

Tips: Great PDF Annotator - Comment, Highlight, and Add notes and Stamps with PDFelement

PDFelement works wonders when it comes to annotations. It lets you add text, sticky notes, corrections, shapes, signatures, stamps, and drawings in just a few clicks.

Add Comments

Adding comments or sticky notes with PDFelement is a three-step process. All you have to do is open the PDF file, add comments, and save the edited document.

Text Markup

In addition to comments, this tool lets you highlight text and customize the appearance to make sure whatever instructions you have added are clearly visible to others. You can also strikethrough or underline the text to make it more noticeable.

Measuring Tools

PDFelement also comes with some measuring tools that help users highlight the dimensions within the PDF document while making them easy for a reader to understand the drawing.

Shape and Eraser

You can also add different shapes by using this tool to amplify the creative outlook of the document. Moreover, you can use the eraser to remove unwanted shapes which you've added mistakenly.

Stamps like Approved or Rejected are the best way to draw attention to the document. You can use any image as a stamp to enhance the overall effectiveness of the file.

So, these are some of the practical ways to export comments from PDF . We hope the guide will help you extract or export the valuable comments to the desired location. While the methods listed above are tried-and-tested, we still recommend you to go for the Wondershare PDFelement as it is affordable and convenient to use. Download the tool now and extract the comments from the Portable Document with a swipe of your fingertips.

3 Ways to Extract Comments from PDF Quickly And Easily

This article provides a detailed guide on how to extract comments from PDF. We’ll explore specific steps using Adobe, Microsoft Word, and online tools to help you choose the most appropriate method.

How to Extract Comments from PDF

Adding comments to documents is essential to improve collaboration or retain important information. However, PDF is the preferred file format for sharing and exchanging important data, editing text or extracting data from these files can be a bit cumbersome.

With the help of various free PDF extractors on the market, you can easily extract comments from PDF. This article will introduce some of the best ways to extract comments from PDFs .

Extract Comments From PDF to Excel

Adobe is a powerful tool for PDF editing that provides all the PDF functions you need. Its wide compatibility and advanced organization features provide significant advantages for extracting PDF comments.

At the same time, it has been widely welcomed for its simple operation process and user-friendly interface.

Let’s have a look at how to use Adobe to extract comments from PDF to Excel.

Step 1. Open the PDF with comments in Adobe Acrobat.

Step 2. Click “Comments” in the right menu bar.

View Comments in Adobe

Select the comments you want to extract > Click “Option” > Select “Export Selected to Data File”.

Extract Comments in Adobe

Step 3. In the pop-up window for exporting comments, select a location and name, and set the save type to “FDF Files”. Click “Save”

Save Comments as FDF Files

Step 4. Run Excel and open the FDF file you just saved.

Open the FDF File in Excel

Step 5. In the pop-up window that appears, select “as an XML table” to open the file and click “ok” > In the pop-up window that appears later, click “ok”.

Extract Comments from PDF to Excel

Step 6. Wait for Excel to generate a new table. The comments in PDF are successfully extracted to Excel.

Extract Comments From PDF to Word

It is also important to learn how to extract comments from PDF files into Word. Microsoft Word provides an efficient way to extract and view comments in PDF files by converting PDF documents to web pages. Easy to edit and share without downloading any additional software.

Step 1. You can open a PDF in Microsoft Word directly.

Alternatively, to avoid formatting loss, converting PDF to Word document with a PDF converter may be a good choice.

Click to Convert PDF to Word

Step 2. Open the Word document and click “File” in the upper left corner > “Save As”> “Browse”.

Start Saving as Web Page

Step 3. In the “Save As” pop-up window, select the save location > Name the file > Select the save type as “Web Page” > Click “Save”.

Save as Web Page

Step 4. Open the web file where you saved the document and view all the current comments at the bottom of the file. Select the desired comment and click “Copy” > Open a new Word document > Right-click > Select Paste.

At the same time, this method can also help you easily edit comments in PDF or print PDF with comments .

Is There a Way To Extract Comments From a PDF?

Sure. There are many effective ways to extract comments from a PDF. As an open-source PDF editor used all over the world, Adobe is the best choice for extracting comments from PDFS with its simple operation.

Can You Export Comments From One PDF to Another?

Yes, you can use Adobe Acrobat to export comments from one PDF to another.

Step 1. Open the PDF from which you want to export comments in Adobe Acrobat.

Step 2. Go to the Comments menu > Select Export Comments.

Step 3. Select the desired export options, such as exporting to PDF files.

How Do I Select All Comments in a PDF?

It is easy to extract all comments using PDF-online.com. Simply upload the file and select “Annotation” > Click “Apply”, and select all comments in the results bar to extract all comments to the clipboard.

Extracting comments from PDFS is essential for optimizing analysis and collaboration. In this article, you have learned how to extract comments from PDF using Adobe, Microsoft Word, and online tools such as pdf-online.com. You can simplify PDF information management by choosing the method that works best for you.

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Know-How to Extract Comments From PDF Files - 2 Ways

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This is a how-to guide explaining 2 ways in which you can extract comments from PDF documents using:

- **Adobe Acrobat Reader** - **SysTools PDF Extractor**

Also, we have provided steps on how to export comments from PDF to text.

Comments made in PDF are generally used to note important points for providing feedback to the owner or review the documents. Comments can be in text or drawing form. Other names of PDF comments are notes/annotations.

Hence, you can see that extracting and preserving them in a separate file can be quite useful for future use.

First, let's see how you can export all comments from a PDF file using Adobe Acrobat

2 Steps total

Step 1: export comments from pdf documents using acrobat.

If your PDF files are in a managed review workflow then, some options let you send or publish comments. But, if you made comments to a PDF that is not a managed review workflow then you have to manually export comments.

An important trivia you should know before exporting comments from PDF files: While extracting PDF comments, a FDF (Forms Data Format) file is created containing only comments. You or the other person can then import the PDF comments into the original PDF.

**Manual 1: Export comments to Data File**

**1.** Choose **“Export All To Data File”** in the options menu in the comments list.

**2.** Name the Data file and select **Acrobat FDF Files (.fdf)** or **Acrobat XFDF Files (.xfdf)** for the file type.

**3.** Provide the location for the file, and then click **Save**.

**Manual 2: Export selected comments**

**Note:** Export selected comments feature isn’t available in Acrobat Reader.

**1.** To open the comments list, choose Tools > Comments.

**2.** Comments list will be opened, select the comments that you want to export.

**3.** From the options menu, select **“Export Selected To Data File”**.

**4.** Name the Data file and select **Acrobat FDF Files (.fdf)** or **Acrobat XFDF Files (.xfdf)** for the file type.

**5.** Provide the location for the file, and then click **Save** .

Step 2: Automatically Extract Comments From PDF File With SysTools Application

Step Automatically Extract Comments From PDF File With SysTools Application

[**SysTools PDF Extractor**] ( https://www.systoolsgroup.com/pdf/extractor/ ) is an automated solution to not only extract PDF comments but also export them into .pdf or .doc or .docx file formats.

**1.** Install the tool on your Windows system and click on **Add File(s)/ Add Folder**

**2.** Click on **“Next”** after adding PDF files to the tool and choose the **“Comments”** option.

**3.** As you can see under the **“comments”** option you will also get the **“Save highlighted text Into”** option as well. Now if you want to export comments from PDF to text, you can select either **DOC** or **DOCX** format. You can also save your PDF comments into a PDF file.

**4.** Click on the **“Extract”** button.

**Features of SysTools PDF Extractor**

1. Extracts 8 types of items from PDF file including all kinds of rich media objects.

2. It provides 3 file options to save extracted PDF comments (PDF, DOC, DOCX). You can easily open a DOC / DOCX file with Microsoft Word or Google Sheets or any other document application.

3. It can extract comments from secured PDF files (even without needing a permission password)..

4. You can add a folder of PDF files in the tool.

When it comes to extracting all comments from PDF, Adobe Acrobat Reader is a fine tool and because it is free, hence would be a perfect option to extract annotations/ comments/ notes from PDF.

But the problem with Adobe Reader is that it makes a .fdf file or .xfdf file that cannot be opened with any text editing application like Word, Google Sheets, etc. Although there is a process to export these files to Word, if you are dealing with a large number of PDF files then, it can become troublesome.

Hence, for easy processing, an automated tool like SysTools PDF Extractor can work just as it can collect your PDF comments in the DOC/ DOCX file formats.

Secondly, if you want to extract selective comments from PDF files you have to buy the pro version, which can be quite an expensive deal.

For this reason, I will say that the SysTools application is a nice choice.

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To extract data from PDF file, you can use the Aryson PDF Manager Tool that extracts data from PDFs, merge PDFs, split PDFs, Convert PDF file into other formats, and other various types of works with PDF file. You can download this software from the official website.

https://www.arysontechnologies.com/management-software/pdf-manager/

https://www.arysontechnologies.com/pdf-converter/

I am sorry but that was not a tutorial, but an advertisement. You did not explain how to actually open or convert the fdf file and only advertised for the company you are affiliated with.

Top Contributors in Word: Stefan Blom - Charles Kenyon - Suzanne S. Barnhill - Jim_ Gordon - Bob Jones AKA: CyberTaz 👏

November 13, 2023

Top Contributors in Word:

Stefan Blom - Charles Kenyon - Suzanne S. Barnhill - Jim_ Gordon - Bob Jones AKA: CyberTaz 👏

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Exporting PDF comments to Word

Hello, before I start I've reached out to the Adobe forum as well regarding this issue, but would like to post here as well. I have someone trying to export comments from a PDF to Word 365. They currently are using Adobe Pro in the Creative Cloud app. Whenever selecting the Export to Word option in Adobe though they receive a message stating... "Adobe Acrobat encountered errors during this operation. It is recommended that you reinstall Adobe Acrobat PDFMakers" I checked Word and verified that the Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin is there and active. I've also tried re-installing Acrobat Pro in the Creative Cloud app and still get the message.

Back at my own machine with Acrobat Pro and no Creative Cloud, I get the message as well. I've tried looking for videos and only find people showing you how to export to Word from older versions and not encountering issues.

Both Adobe versions that I've tested are the most recent 23.003.20269, 08/2023 and 365 Apps version is 16.0.16626.20170

I've seen people reccomend the troubleshooting steps here, https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/troubleshoot-acrobat-pdfmaker-problems-office.html. , but I've already gone through those as well with no resolve.

Any information would be appreciated.

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Replies (3) .

Microsoft Agent |

Dear Krazyglue,

As the issue is an Adobe Editor feature issue and we may have limited resources on that, you may still need to contact the Adobe forum for further help.

In Microsoft 365, Power Automate may extract some text from PDF. However, I did the test and can't find some automatic ways and actions to get the comments from PDF directly.

The only way to get comments from PDF may be that you need to save the PDF file as the .xfdf file, open it in a .txt file and search "Contents(" to find all comments and manually paste them to a Word document.

I'll keep the thread open if some community members can share their suggestions and opinions.

Thanks for your understanding and have a nice day!

Cliff | Microsoft Community Moderator

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The options for exporting comments from Adobe are discussed in the support article at https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/importing-exporting-comments.html (maybe you have seen it already).

I would say that your best chance to get assistance with that feature is to ask in the Adobe forum. Go to https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/ct-p/ct-acrobat?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all .

1 person found this reply helpful

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Export Adobe Acrobat comments of a PDF into a text file?

I have many PDFsf with 100s of annotations/comments in them, created through the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. By reading this official guide , and skimming trough related pages, I see that I can "export" the comments in FDF files or XFDF format.

However, these files can't be opened by themselves without the original, from the first link:

You cannot open and view FDF files or XFDF files on their own.

I would like to export the comments as a text file containing only the text of the comments.

adobe-acrobat
adobe-reader

You can open FDF and XFDF files on their own, of course. BUT they may not make much sense, because the comments depend on the base document to provide the actual context. So, if you are happy without the context, you can extract the text from the FDF/XFDF files (whereas XFDF would be an easier task). – Max Wyss Mar 17, 2017 at 7:03
@MaxWyss I'm not a programmer, so even hyper basic macro tasks I can't do, and given there is 1000s of notes, I don't really know. This is what a XFDF file opened with notepad++ looks like, only one comment:"font-size:10.5pt;text-align:left;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal" >41</span ></p ></body ></contents-richtext ><popup flags="print,nozoom,norotate" open="no" page="3" rect="514.407776,621.268738,694.407776,763.268738" /></text ></annots ><f href="practica5.pdf" /><ids original="8F84C2D4D7BE87E2214B2CA3907576" modified="794056D3F1054B9727BB9dfdf70BEF8" /></xfdf – Santropedro Mar 18, 2017 at 22:48
@MaxWyss Thanks! How would you go to extract this things? – Santropedro Mar 18, 2017 at 22:49
@Santropedro, I came across the same issue. Seems that the FDF/XFDF format do not record the text but pointers to the text in the original PDF file, so maybe the solution would be to use another free PDF viewer. Check this Quora link . – Valentin_Ștefan Apr 19, 2018 at 12:24

2 Answers 2

This is a bit convoluted, but it works. Follow the instructions here to export the comments and export them to an XFDF file:

Rename the file's extension to XML (i.e. if filename was "comments.xfdf", change its name to "comments.xml".

Open the XML file using google chrome.

Select all ( Ctrl + A ) and then copy ( Ctrl + C ).

Open a new Chrome window and navigate to this link (it creates a blank notepad):

Click on the white area and paste ( Ctrl + V ).

Select all (yes, again, Ctrl + A ).

Copy ( Ctrl + C ).

Paste in a Word document.

Note: It may work with other browsers, but at least for me, when copying/pasting from Firefox, I'd end up with all the XML code in word.

Thanks for editing my answer @zx485 – alex_223 Jun 27, 2020 at 3:05
1 Steps starting at 4 didn't accomplish anything worthwhile for me, but steps 1-3 were good enough to format the XML in Visual Studio Code and I was able to extract the comments by selecting <contents> and then using "Select All Occurences of Find Match" (Ctrl + Shift + l) – Tobi Obeck Jul 17, 2020 at 13:57
Didn't (yet) try to analyze the XML or XFDF files, but from a quick run-through of the steps I only got to extract all comments without the comments' authors' names; so I can't see in the text file who said what (which would be nice to see...). Did you manage to also extract that detail? – nutty about natty Aug 19, 2021 at 14:21

Open the fdf file in Notepad++

Replace <body[^>]*>(.*?)<\/body> with 22222\133333 (don't forget to set search mode as regular expression and "matches newline")

Put 33333 in the beginning of the document

Put 22222 in the end of the document

Replace 33333(.*?)22222 with an empty string

Save file as .html document, open in browser

33333 and 22222 can be any sequence as long as it does not appear in your comments.

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