Highlights are trapped inside individual files
Each PDF stores its annotations locally, inside its own file. There is no native view across documents, so reviewing what you marked means reopening every PDF and scrolling through it again.
The problem
Why it is hard to organize PDF highlights today
If you read and highlight many PDFs - case files, papers, course readings - you run into the same problems every time.
Highlights are visual marks, not extracted text
A highlight in most PDF readers is an annotation layer on top of the page. Getting the underlying text into a document, outline, or spreadsheet often turns into manual copy-paste, file by file.
No metadata or structure
A yellow mark does not say why you highlighted it. Without tags, categories, or notes attached, you end up rereading everything later just to reconstruct your own reasoning.
No way to synthesize across sources
The goal is rarely just to have highlighted PDFs. You are usually building a brief, literature review, outline, or argument, which means pulling themes together across documents instead of organizing by file.
How it works
The workflow, in three steps
Read inside PDF Highlights App or in the reader you already use. Either way, the app extracts the text, attaches source and page, turns colors into tags, and gives you one view across every document.
Highlight in the app or anywhere else
Drop in clean PDFs and mark them up inside the app, or import files you already highlighted in Preview, Acrobat, or another reader.
Every highlight becomes a card
Each highlight is extracted as a card with verbatim text, source file, page number, and a link back to the exact spot. Colors can become tags.
Arrange and export
Drag cards into groups or outlines, then copy organized notes or export to Markdown, CSV, or JSON with citations and context attached.
The workspace
Every highlight becomes a card in one view
Each card carries the verbatim text, source file, page number, a link back to the exact spot in the PDF, and a tag. Filter by tag, search the full text of everything you marked, or group cards by theme.
Filter:
“A party may not invoke the doctrine where its own delay caused the prejudice it now asserts.”
Key pointSmith v. Alden · p. 14
“Attention is drawn to the finding that replication rates fell below 40% in the original cohort.”
Quote-worthyOkafor 2024 · p. 7
“The dissent would hold that reliance alone, without notice, is sufficient to bar the claim.”
CounterargumentSmith v. Alden · p. 22
“Mitochondrial density in the treated group increased threefold relative to control.”
Key pointChen et al. 2023 · p. 11
“The statute of limitations begins to run upon discovery, not upon injury.”
Key pointTorts outline · p. 3
“Earlier work attributes the effect entirely to selection bias in sampling.”
CounterargumentVasquez 2021 · p. 4
Six highlights from four different files, shown in a single view. In the app, every card links back to its exact location in the source PDF.
Use cases
Turn scattered PDF highlights into cited, searchable material for briefs, literature reviews, study outlines, and other document-heavy work.
Lawyers
Turn marked exhibits into cited summaries and briefs without rebuilding the record from memory.
- record review
- deposition summaries
- brief writing
Researchers
Compare findings across papers by theme, then export notes with citations intact.
- literature reviews
- grant writing
- peer review
Students
Reorganize semester readings by topic so every concept becomes a study-ready outline.
- study guides
- essay prep
- exam outlines
Pricing
Simple pricing. Choose what works for you.
Every plan includes the complete app and a 7-day free trial.
Monthly
$10per month
A flexible option for your current project.
Yearly
$60per year
Save 50% compared with paying monthly.
Lifetime
$150one-time
Pay once, own it forever. Free updates for the current major version.
Your license key arrives by email after checkout.
FAQ
Questions. Answered.
Does this work with highlights made in Zotero, Adobe, or Preview?
Yes, when the highlights are saved inside the PDF. Preview and Adobe usually save them directly. Zotero users should choose File → Export PDF… (or Save As… in the reader). In Mendeley Reference Manager, open Info → Files, use the file’s … menu, and choose Export PDF with annotations.
Does it read comments too, or only highlighted text?
Both. Highlighted passages and their attached comments come into the same workspace, along with other markups saved inside the PDF such as underlines, strikeouts, and notes.
Is my data sent anywhere?
Your PDFs, highlights, comments, and projects stay on your computer. The app contacts PDF Highlights App’s license service for activation and GitHub for app updates.
What do I get after importing?
A project workspace with your highlights and comments inside the app. You can organize them on a board, browse them by PDF or color, and keep the source page close by as you write.
How do I activate the app after buying?
Download the app and start your 7-day trial immediately—no card or license key is required. After buying through Stripe, enter the key from your license email in the app or in Settings.
What happens when my trial or subscription ends?
Your library remains available in read-only mode. You can keep viewing, searching, backing up, and exporting your PDFs and highlights. A valid license is required to import or change your library.
What happens to my license if I switch computers?
Each license activates one computer at a time. Deactivate it in Settings on your old computer, then activate it on the new one with the same key.
Does it work on Windows and Mac?
Yes. Downloads are available for macOS on Apple silicon and for Windows 10 or 11 on x64 PCs.
Where do I download the app?
The latest app release is available from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/Accellsoft/pdfhighlightsapp-releases/releases
Make your annotated PDFs usable.
Create a local project, bring in the PDFs you already marked up, and organize the notes you need for the work ahead.