Enable commenting for Reader users in Acrobat Pro

Last updated on Aug 16, 2025

Learn how to enable commenting rights in a PDF so users can access commenting tools in Reader.

Users with Reader 8 or later can add comments and participate in reviews when commenting rights are enabled in a PDF. In Reader, a document message bar and commenting tools become available only when commenting rights are enabled.

Commenting rights are automatically enabled when you start a managed review. You can manually allow commenting rights if you share a PDF outside a managed review, such as via email.

Open the PDF you want to enable the commenting rights for.

Note

If you enable commenting for Reader in a digitally signed document, the signature is invalidated.

Select Menu Save as other > Reader extended PDF > Enable Commenting & Measuring.

In the dialog box that opens, select OK.