Is my data secure when I upload documents?

Every file transfer is encrypted using TLS 1.3, the same security protocol used by banks. Once uploaded, files are stored encrypted and automatically deleted from our servers within 2 hours of processing, regardless of whether you download the result. We do not read, analyse, or share your documents with any third party.

What highlight colors are available?

PDFHaul supports multiple highlight colors including yellow, green, blue, pink, and orange. You can switch between colors freely while working through a document, making it straightforward to color-code sections by importance, topic, or reviewer.

Do highlights get permanently saved into the PDF?

Yes. When you download the highlighted PDF, all highlights are embedded directly into the file as standard PDF annotations. They are visible in any PDF viewer — Adobe Reader, Preview, and browser-based viewers — without any special software. The recipient does not need PDFHaul to see your highlights.

Can I highlight PDFs on my phone?

Yes. The PDFHaul web app works on any modern browser on desktop, tablet, and mobile. On mobile, select the text you want to highlight and apply the color with a tap. The PDFHaul iOS and Android apps give you a faster native highlighting experience including access from your share sheet.

What's the file size limit?

You can upload PDFs up to 5MB on the free tier. If you need to highlight larger documents, contact us — bulk processing for larger jobs is available.

Do I need to install software or create an account?

No installation and no signup required. PDFHaul runs entirely in your browser. You can highlight PDFs immediately without creating an account or providing an email address. If you want to save your processing history or access highlighted files across devices, you can optionally sign in with Google.

Highlight PDF Online Free

Mark important text in any PDF using multiple highlight colors. Color-code sections, mark key passages, and share a highlighted PDF that looks the same in any viewer. No software needed, no account required.

Drop your PDF here

or click to browse

Select PDF

Up to 10 MB

Enterprise-grade security

Files auto-delete

Free to get started

How to Highlight PDF

1
Upload your PDF
Click the upload area or drag and drop your PDF. Any PDF version is supported.
2
Choose a color and highlight text
Select a highlight color from the toolbar and drag to select the text you want to mark. Switch colors at any time to organize sections by category or importance.
3
Download your highlighted PDF
Download the PDF with all highlights permanently embedded — visible in any PDF reader without plugins.

Why use PDFHaul
to highlight PDFs?

Multiple highlight colors

Yellow, green, blue, pink, and orange — switch between colors freely. Color-code sections by topic, reviewer, or importance across an entire document.

Highlights embedded permanently

Highlights are baked into the PDF on download — visible in Adobe Reader, Preview, and any browser-based PDF viewer without special software or PDFHaul.

Works across all pages

Highlight text on any page in the document without limitations. Navigate between pages and keep adding highlights until you have marked everything you need.

Files deleted in 2 hours

Your documents are automatically purged from our servers within 2 hours. Not stored, not analysed, not sold.

Who highlights
PDFs?

Highlighting is one of the most universal document tasks — used for studying, reviewing, compliance, and collaborative work.

Students and researchers

Mark key passages in journal articles, textbooks, and lecture notes. Use different colors to separate definitions, evidence, and arguments. Study from a pre-highlighted document rather than re-reading everything from scratch.

Contract and legal review

Highlight key obligations, payment terms, termination clauses, and liability caps in a contract before a meeting or negotiation. Share a pre-highlighted draft to draw attention to the sections that need discussion.

Compliance and audit

Mark the relevant clauses and sections of a regulatory document or policy framework during a compliance review. Color-code by risk level, status, or responsible team for easy reference during an audit.

Document review and editing

Highlight sections that need rewriting, sections that are approved, and sections that need a second opinion. A color-coded markup is faster to discuss than a list of page references in an email.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about highlighting PDFs online

Yes, completely free. You can highlight text in unlimited PDF documents at no cost, with no watermarks on the output. No subscription required. PDFHaul is free for anyone who needs to mark up PDFs without paying for Adobe Acrobat.

More PDF tools

After highlighting, annotate or sign in the PDFHaul viewer. No re-uploading needed.

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