> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.spacesedu.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How can I annotate documents in SpacesEDU?

# How do I annotate PDFs in SpacesEDU?

Reviewing work and providing clear, visual feedback is a vital part of the learning journey. With native annotation tools directly in SpacesEDU, teachers and students can highlight, draw, and comment on PDF documents without needing to download and re-upload the file or switch to another app.

![PDF Annotation Workflow](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/3/c/e/73cedb42449e6800/pdfannotationsenstd_1b56145.gif =918xauto)
## How to Annotate a PDF

You can annotate PDFs within Posts, Activity Submissions, and Comments.

1. Open the post or activity containing the PDF you want to mark up.
2. Click the **Annotate (pencil)** button located at the bottom right of the PDF attachment, or if you've already opened the full-screen view of the attachment, click **Annotate **at the top right. 
3. Use the toolbar at the top to select your preferred drawing or text tools and apply your notes.
4. When you are finished, click **Save** in the top right corner.

*Note: If you attempt to close the annotation tool without saving, you will see a warning message to ensure you don't accidentally lose your work in progress.*

## What annotation tools are available?
![Annotation View Options](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/3/c/e/73cedb42449e6800/image_1165ll8.png =847xauto)

Within the annotation view, students and teachers have access to a full suite of markup tools:
*   **Text Features:** Add text, highlights, underlines, strikeouts, and squiggly lines overlaid on the document.
*   **Drawing Tools:** Draw with freehand ink, circles, squares, arrows, and lines.
*   **Comments & Links:** Add text comments to specific locations within the document, and insert clickable links.
*   **Helpful Utilities:** Fullscreen mode, a hand tool for dragging around the document, text search, zoom in, and zoom out.
*   As annotations are added to the document, you can browse them in the panel on the left-hand side of the screen. 

## How your annotations are saved

The way your marked-up PDF is saved depends on whether the work is still a draft or has already been published:
*   **Drafts and In-Progress Work:** If you are editing a draft post or activity submission, the system will ask if you want to **Replace** the original PDF with your new annotated version.
![Replace PDF prompt](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/3/c/e/73cedb42449e6800/image_uh7dw5.png =485xauto)
*   **Published and Submitted Work:** If you annotate a PDF that is already published in a post or activity, your drawings and notes will not change the original file. Instead, when you click **Save**, your annotated version will automatically be added as an additional file inside a comment on that post.

## Student Annotation 

Students have access to the same powerful annotation tools as teachers, allowing them to self-reflect, complete worksheets, or respond to feedback. To keep the classroom environment safe and organized:
*   Students can only annotate **their own content**, or content that a teacher has posted individually on their behalf (for example in a 1:1 Space). 
*   Students *cannot *annotate content posted by their peers, or by a teacher in posts shared across multiple students. 

## Important Notes & Limitations

* *Web Only:* Creating and applying PDF annotations is currently available exclusively on the web version of SpacesEDU. 
* *Mobile Viewing:* While you cannot create annotations on the mobile app, students and families can still view the final annotated PDFs using the iOS and Android apps. 

###### Annotating other files: 
* Annotation tools are only supported with .PDF files. 
* If you select a Google Doc when adding to a post, it will be automatically converted into an annotatable PDF. 
* Word docs and other document formats must be saved as PDFs before they can be annotated in SpacesEDU. You can either save as a PDF from your document editor, or click the menu button at the top right (three dots) when viewing a document to download as a PDF.