NoteMods

How to export PDF comments and replies to Markdown in Obsidian

As of October 2026, Obsidian documents PDF page embeds, which keep a PDF visible inside a note. To turn native comments into Markdown, PDF Reply Export creates a separate review note. Acrobat also exports comment data for transfer between PDFs.

Updated · 3 ways compared · 2 sources

Background

A document review can contain replies to replies, missing authors and broken parent references. PDF Reply Export keeps supported comment text with source page links and marks incomplete relationships.

3 ways to do it

  1. Keep the PDF embedded in your note

    Embed the PDF in your note, or add a page parameter to show a particular page. This keeps the source document beside your written notes.

    limits
    An embed displays the PDF rather than creating a Markdown transcript of its comments.

  2. Export comment data from Acrobat

    Acrobat documents exporting comments to a data file and importing them into another PDF. Choose this route when you need to transfer annotations between documents.

    limits
    The documented FDF and XFDF files are comment data rather than Markdown review notes.

  3. PDF Reply Export from this site

    Open a local PDF, preview its supported native comments, then write a new Markdown note beside it. Replies retain their parent groups and source page links.

    limits
    The plugin reads saved native annotations, not external service discussions. Repeated exports create separate snapshots rather than updating a prior note.
    A Markdown review note shows nested comments with author names and source page links.
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    Install in Obsidian
    Directory pageSource on GitHub

    MIT · no telemetry · core features free

    All features of PDF Reply Export

Create a review note from the saved PDF

  1. Save the PDF inside your vault, including changes from your PDF editor.

  2. Open the PDF and run Preview comments from the active PDF.

  3. Check missing parents, cycle warnings and unknown dates in the preview.

  4. Enter a note name and, with Pro, set an author or date range if needed.

  5. Select Write review note to create the output and open the first completed note.

Common questions

When should I reopen the preview?

Reopen it after saving PDF changes in another application. The existing preview holds the earlier snapshot.

Can I export comments from a shared review website?

The plugin reads annotation records saved inside your local PDF. It doesn't fetch a discussion from an external review service.

Sources

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Related guides

The plugin in this guide