PDF Annotation Export

Extract existing annotations (highlights, comments, stamps, links, markup) from a PDF into JSON

Reads annotations already embedded in a PDF and exports them as a structured JSON string shown directly in the output area (no file download). Markup (Highlight/Underline/StrikeOut), notes (Text/FreeText), stamps, links and shape annotations are all supported. Pure-JS via pdf-lib.

Example Results

1 examples

Export highlights and comments to JSON

Extracts all markup / note annotations from a reviewed PDF and returns a structured JSON string.

{
  "sourceFile": "pdf-annotation-export-sample.pdf",
  "count": 2,
  "subtypes": {
    "Highlight": 1,
    "Text": 1
  },
  "annotations": [
    {
      "page": 1,
      "subtype": "Highlight",
      "author": "Alice",
      "text": "important claim",
      "color": "#ffff00"
    },
    {
      "page": 1,
      "subtype": "Text",
      "author": "Bob",
      "text": "Please review this section.",
      "color": "#ffcc00"
    }
  ]
}
View input parameters
{ "pdfFile": "/public/samples/pdf/pdf-annotation-export-sample.pdf", "includePageNumbers": true }

Click to upload file or drag and drop file here

Maximum file size: 100MB Supported formats: application/pdf

Key Facts

Category
Documents & PDF
Input Types
file, checkbox
Output Type
text
Sample Coverage
4
API Ready
Yes

Overview

The PDF Annotation Export tool allows you to quickly extract embedded annotations—including highlights, underlines, strike-outs, text notes, stamps, links, and shape markups—from any PDF file. It processes the document entirely in your browser and outputs a structured JSON string directly to the screen for easy copying and integration.

When to Use

  • •When you need to compile editorial feedback and comments from a reviewed PDF document.
  • •When you want to extract highlighted text and research notes from academic papers or reports.
  • •When you need to audit or verify embedded links, stamps, and markups across a multi-page PDF.

How It Works

  • •Upload your PDF file containing the embedded annotations.
  • •Choose whether to include page numbers in the final output metadata.
  • •The tool parses the PDF structure locally using client-side JavaScript.
  • •The extracted annotations are instantly displayed in the output area as a structured JSON string.

Use Cases

Consolidating peer-review comments and highlights from a draft manuscript into a single JSON file.
Extracting highlighted quotes and citations from digital textbooks for study guides.
Auditing corporate documents to verify that all approval stamps and external links are present and correct.

Examples

1. Extracting Editorial Feedback from a Manuscript

Book Editor
Background
An editor received a reviewed manuscript PDF containing highlights and text comments from a proofreader.
Problem
Manually copying dozens of comments and highlighted sentences into a tracking sheet is slow and error-prone.
How to Use
Upload the reviewed PDF file and ensure the 'Include Page Numbers' option is checked.
Example Config
pdfFile: manuscript_review.pdf, includePageNumbers: true
Outcome
A JSON array containing all highlights and text comments mapped to their respective pages, ready for import into a tracking spreadsheet.

2. Auditing Document Links and Stamps

Compliance Officer
Background
A compliance officer needs to verify all external links and approval stamps embedded in a corporate policy PDF.
Problem
Clicking every link and checking every stamp manually across a 50-page document takes too much time.
How to Use
Upload the policy PDF to the tool to extract all embedded link and stamp annotations.
Example Config
pdfFile: policy_v2.pdf, includePageNumbers: true
Outcome
A structured JSON list detailing the page location, subtype, and content of every link and stamp in the document.

Try with Samples

json, pdf, file
PDF Samples
Generated PDF samples from tools dated 2026-02-01 to 2026-02-10
title token pdf
pdf
Markdown Slide Deck Samples
Remark/Marp style Markdown slide decks for testing PDF export layouts
preferred input family pdf
pdf
Distributed Tracing Samples
Comprehensive distributed tracing examples using Jaeger, OpenTelemetry, and other modern observability tools for microservices architecture
matched family json
json
ELK Stack Log Analysis Samples
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matched family json
json

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FAQ

What types of PDF annotations can this tool extract?

It extracts markups like highlights, underlines, and strike-outs, notes like text and free text, stamps, links, and shape annotations.

Does this tool upload my PDF files to a server?

No, all processing is performed locally in your web browser using client-side JavaScript, ensuring your document data remains private.

Can I download the output as a JSON file?

The tool displays the structured JSON directly in the output text area, allowing you to copy it to your clipboard.

Does the export include the page numbers of the annotations?

Yes, you can enable the page numbers option to map each extracted annotation to its corresponding page in the PDF.

Can this tool extract regular text that has not been annotated?

No, this tool is specifically designed to extract embedded annotations and markups, not the standard body text of the PDF.

API Documentation

Request Endpoint

POST /en/api/tools/pdf-annotation-export

Request Parameters

Parameter Name Type Required Description
pdfFile file (Upload required) Yes -
includePageNumbers checkbox No -

File type parameters need to be uploaded first via POST /upload/pdf-annotation-export to get filePath, then pass filePath to the corresponding file field.

Response Format

{
  "result": "Processed text content",
  "error": "Error message (optional)",
  "message": "Notification message (optional)",
  "metadata": {
    "key": "value"
  }
}
Text: Text

AI MCP Documentation

Add this tool to your MCP server configuration: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elysiatools-pdf-annotation-export": {
      "name": "pdf-annotation-export",
      "description": "Extract existing annotations (highlights, comments, stamps, links, markup) from a PDF into JSON",
      "baseUrl": "https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=pdf-annotation-export",
      "command": "",
      "args": [],
      "env": {},
      "isActive": true,
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

You can chain multiple tools, e.g.: `https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=png-to-webp,jpg-to-webp,gif-to-webp`, max 20 tools.

Supports URL file links or Base64 encoding for file parameters.

If you encounter any issues, please contact us at [email protected]