PDF reader
Read PDFs with a fast viewer, outline, search, highlights, and comments.
Drop a PDF here or choose one
Works with PDF files up to 100MB
A practical guide to PDF reader
PDF Reader provides page navigation, thumbnails, outline, search, highlights, and local comments for focused reading. Notes are tied to document locations and should be exported or preserved deliberately.
Example: review a long policy document
Use the outline to jump between sections, search defined terms, add page-linked notes, and verify saved annotations before closing.
Task-specific steps
- 1
Open the PDF and use thumbnails or the outline to understand its page and section structure.
- 2
Search key terms, zoom for comfortable reading, and add highlights or comments with enough context.
- 3
Review the notes list, confirm each reference opens the intended passage, and save any required output.
Options that affect the result
- Outline and thumbnails support structural navigation while search finds text occurrences.
- Highlights and comments create a review layer without changing the source wording.
Limitations to know first
- Search depends on a usable text layer and will not find words inside image-only scans without OCR.
- Browser-local notes can be lost if site data is cleared or a different device is used.
Questions specific to this task
Why can I see words that PDF search cannot find?
The page may be an image or use broken character mapping. OCR can create a searchable layer for scans.
Where are reader notes stored?
They are stored locally for the document workflow. Export or preserve them before clearing browser data or switching devices.