Automatically collect everyone's comments in a single PDF file. Track progress and consolidate comments.
Note:
Adobe is testing a new PDF sharing experience in Acrobat DC. If the steps listed in this document don't match your version of Acrobat, see Starting a PDF review | New experience.
Use the Adobe Document Cloud review service to easily share PDF files for review from Acrobat DC desktop application, the Document Cloud web, or Acrobat Reader mobile app. When reviewers click the URL in the email invitation from their computer, they can easily provide their feedback in a browser without having to sign in or install any additional software.
You can use the service to share PDF files for review in one of the following ways:
Send personalized invitations using the Document Cloud Share option
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Click the Share button in the upper-right corner when a PDF document is open in Acrobat. Alternatively, choose Tools > Share, and then browse and select the PDF. The sharing options are displayed in the right pane.
Note:
- The computer must be connected to the Internet to start a shared review in Acrobat.
- You can also start a shared review directly from other applications that use PDFMaker, such as Microsoft Word. Choose Acrobat > Create And Send For Review.
The reviewers receive an email invitation with a link to the review PDF. When they click the link or the Review button in the invitation, the PDF opens in a web browser. They can use the commenting tools to add comments to the PDF. They can also use Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC desktop applications to add comments.
For more information, see Participating in a PDF review.
Send an anonymous or public link in an email
An anonymous or public link makes the files accessible to anyone who clicks the link. Follow the steps below to create a review link, and share it using your email client.
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Click the Share button in the upper-right corner when a PDF document is open in Acrobat. Alternatively, choose Tools > Share, and then browse and select the PDF. The sharing options are displayed in the right pane.
Note:
- The computer must be connected to the Internet to start a shared review in Acrobat.
- You can also start a shared review directly from other applications that use PDFMaker, such as Microsoft Word. Choose Acrobat > Create And Send For Review.
The reviewers receive an email invitation with a link to the review PDF. When they click the link or the Review button in the invitation, the PDF opens in a web browser. They can use the commenting tools to add comments to the PDF. They can also use Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC desktop applications to add comments.
For more information, see Participating in a PDF review.
For information on tracking the reviewers' activity on the document, see Tracking and managing PDF reviews.
Share a PDF for review by hosting it on Sharepoint, WebDAV server, or a network folder
Available in: Acrobat DC, Acrobat 2017, and Acrobat DC 2015 (Classic)
Steps to send a PDF for review
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If you're using Acrobat 2017 or Acrobat DC 2015 (Classic), skip to the next step. If you're using Acrobat DC, do the following before you initiate the review:
- Go to Edit > Preferences. The Preferences dialog box is displayed.
- In the left pane, click Reviewing. Under the Shared Review Options section, deselect the Share For Review Using Adobe Document Cloud check box, and then click OK.
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Choose Tools > Send For Review. The Send for Comments toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
Note:
You can also start a shared review directly from other applications that use PDFMaker, such as Microsoft Word. Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Send For Shared Commenting. For Office 2010 applications, choose Acrobat > Create And Send For Shared Commenting.
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- Network folders: If all recipients are within a local area network, network folders and SharePoint servers are the best choices for a comment server. Network folders are generally the cheapest and most reliable.
- SharePoint/Office 365 subsites: If your recipients work behind a firewall and all have access to a common server, you can use your own internal server location, such as a Microsoft SharePoint site. For more information, see Hosting shared reviews on SharePoint/Office 365 sites.
- WebDAV servers: WebDAV servers (web servers that use the WebDAV protocol) are best used only if your reviewers are outside a firewall or a local area network. For more information on how to configure Acrobat to use a WebDAV service, see Hosting a Shared Review: An Alternative to Acrobat.com.
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Delivery Method
Click to specify a different delivery and collection method from the one that is currently selected.
To, Cc
Enter the email addresses of your reviewers. Insert a semicolon or a return after each address. Click the To or Cc button to select email addresses from your email application address book.
Subject, Message
Preview and edit the email subject and message as needed. Acrobat saves any changes you make and displays them the next time you send a document for review. To use the default email message, click Reset Default Message.
Review Deadline
Click to specify a different date or no deadline. After the review deadline expires, reviewers cannot publish comments.
Note:
If the review deadline expires while a reviewer has the document open in Acrobat, then the reviewer can publish comments before closing the document.
When you start an email-based review, you send out a tracked copy of the PDF, enabling you to easily merge comments that you receive. (Form fields in a PDF aren’t fillable during the review.) After initiating a shared review, you can also start an email-based review with the same PDF.
Before you start an email-based review, make sure that your email application or webmail account is configured to work with Acrobat.
Steps to start an email-based review
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If you're using Acrobat 2017 or Acrobat DC 2015 (Classic), skip to the next step. If you're using Acrobat DC, do the following before you initiate the review:
- Go to Edit > Preferences. The Preferences dialog box is displayed.
- In the left pane, click Reviewing. Under the Shared Review Options section, deselect the Share For Review Using The Adobe Document Cloud check box, and then click OK.
Steps to merge comments
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After a reviewer sends you comments, open the attached file in your email application. If the email application can’t find the original version of the PDF, it prompts you to browse for it.
Note:
It’s possible to forward comments to the initiator if you didn’t initiate the review. First merge these comments into your copy of the PDF. Then send the comments; see Send comments in email. If you’ve sent your comments already, the initiator receives only new comments. Merged comments retain the original author name.
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If you initiated the review, the Merge Comments dialog box appears. Select one of the following options:
Yes
Opens the master copy of the PDF and merges all comments into it. After comments are merged, save the master PDF.
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