How to Export Acrobat PDF Comments to an Excel Spreadsheet
Question details
The user needs to produce a structured Excel-style summary of PDF comments that includes the file name, author, comment type, page number, date, and comment text.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Consolidating feedback and annotations from a reviewed PDF document into a spreadsheet for easier tracking and reporting.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat Pro 2017 does not natively feature the built-in Excel comment-summary export that was available in earlier versions like Acrobat XI.
Before running any custom data extraction scripts, save a backup copy of your annotated PDF to prevent accidental modification of your original document.
Use a Custom Acrobat JavaScript Tool
Since Acrobat Pro 2017 lacks a native Excel export for comments, using a custom JavaScript is the most effective way to extract specific properties (author, date, page) directly to a CSV or Excel file.
Third-party developers often create custom scripts to bridge the gap left by removed features. Scripts designed specifically for Acrobat can loop through all document annotations and write their properties into a structured format.
Find and download an Acrobat JavaScript tool designed for exporting comment properties to CSV or Excel (such as those provided by trusted Adobe forum contributors).
Copy the downloaded .js file into the Acrobat JavaScripts folder on your computer's local drive and restart Acrobat Pro 2017.
Open your annotated PDF, navigate to the newly added script option (typically located under the 'Tools' or 'Edit' menu), and click to run the extraction.
Locate the generated CSV output file and open it in Microsoft Excel or WPS Spreadsheet to view and organize your summarized comments.
Export Comments to Word and Convert to Excel
If you cannot use third-party scripts, you can utilize Acrobat's built-in feature to create a Word-based comment summary and manually transfer the data into Excel.
Manage PDF Comments and Conversions with WPS Office
If you frequently need to review documents and move data between PDFs and spreadsheets, WPS Office provides a seamless, integrated suite. With robust PDF annotation tools and direct PDF-to-Excel conversion features, consolidating feedback becomes much simpler.
- 1. Open Your PDF in WPS: Launch WPS Office and open your annotated PDF document using the built-in PDF reader.
- 2. Review Annotations: Click on the 'Comment' tab to display the comment pane, where you can easily view, filter, and manage all authors' feedback.
- 3. Convert PDF to Spreadsheet: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab and select 'PDF to Excel' to convert structured lists and document text directly into a spreadsheet format.
- 4. Copy Data Natively: Because WPS Office includes both a PDF reader and a Spreadsheet tool in one interface, you can seamlessly copy comment text from the PDF panel and paste it directly into an active WPS Spreadsheet tab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Acrobat remove the built-in Excel comment summary feature?
Adobe updated its comment handling features in versions subsequent to Acrobat XI. While traditional PDF and Word summaries are still supported, direct Excel or CSV summaries were phased out, requiring users to rely on custom JavaScript or third-party plugins for structured spreadsheet exports.
What formats can Acrobat natively export comments into?
Acrobat natively exports comments into data formats like FDF (Forms Data Format) and XFDF. These formats are designed to be imported back into other PDF documents rather than for tabular data analysis in spreadsheet applications.
Is there a way to extract highlighted text from a PDF into Excel?
Yes, if the highlights are saved as comments. You can adjust your PDF reader settings to automatically copy highlighted text into comment pop-ups. Once saved as comments, you can use an extraction script or export them to a Word summary, and then paste that text into Excel.
