PDFs were designed to preserve documents exactly as intended — which makes them excellent for sharing but historically frustrating to modify. Today, a good online editor removes that frustration entirely. You can annotate, add text, draw, highlight and insert links without touching the original application that created the file.
MakeitPDF's Edit PDF tool gives you a full annotation toolkit. You can add text anywhere on the page, highlight passages, draw freehand, insert shapes and links, and download a finished PDF with all your changes embedded permanently.
Key takeaways
- Add text, highlights, shapes, freehand drawings and hyperlinks.
- Choose font, size, colour and alignment for any text you add.
- All edits are flattened into the downloaded PDF — no editable layers left behind.
- Undo/redo support lets you experiment freely without risk.
Table of contents
What you can edit in a PDF
It is worth being clear about what "editing a PDF" means in practice. There are two distinct categories:
- Annotation-based editing — adding new content on top of the existing document: text boxes, highlights, drawings, shapes, stamps and links. This is what most people need and what MakeitPDF's editor does.
- Content editing — modifying the original text or images already embedded in the PDF. This requires the full Pro or Business plan and is available through the AI-powered text editing feature.
For most everyday needs — correcting a date, adding a comment, filling in a blank field, annotating a contract — annotation-based editing is exactly what you need.
How to edit a PDF with MakeitPDF
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1
Open the Edit PDF tool and upload your file.
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2
The document opens in the editor. Use the toolbar at the top to select a tool: text, highlight, shape, draw or link.
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3
Click on the page where you want to add your edit. A text box, shape or highlight appears, which you can resize and reposition.
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4
Adjust font, colour, size and other properties in the sub-toolbar. Use Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z to undo any change.
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5
When you're done, click Apply Changes to download the edited PDF with all annotations embedded.
Adding and formatting text
The text tool lets you click anywhere on the page and start typing. You can choose from several fonts, set the size, pick a colour, and apply bold, italic or underline formatting. Text boxes resize automatically as you type.
This is useful for filling in fields that are not interactive form fields — for example, a scanned application form where you want to type your answers onto the appropriate lines.
If your PDF does have interactive form fields, Fill & Sign PDF is better suited — it detects and fills those fields directly.
Highlights, shapes and drawings
Beyond text, the editor includes:
- Highlighter — draw coloured translucent bands over text passages to mark them for review.
- Shapes — insert rectangles, circles and arrows to call out specific areas of the document.
- Freehand drawing — sketch directly on the page for diagrams or informal markup.
- Links — attach a URL to any region of the page so readers can click through to a website.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit the original text of a PDF?
Modifying existing text that's embedded in a PDF is possible with the Pro/Business plan. For free users, the best workaround is to place a white rectangle over the text you want to replace, then add a new text box on top. Alternatively, convert the PDF to Word with PDF to Word, edit there, and convert back.
Can I delete or cover sensitive content?
If you need to permanently remove sensitive information, use the Redact PDF tool instead of the editor. The editor's shapes only cover content visually — redaction removes it from the file entirely.
Are my edits saved if I close the browser?
No — changes exist only within your active session. Download the PDF before closing the tab to preserve your work.
Can I edit a scanned PDF?
Yes — you can annotate a scanned PDF just like any other. If you also need the text in the scan to be selectable and searchable, run it through the OCR PDF tool first, then open it in the editor.
