Javascript to redact highlighted text in Adobe Acrobat

If you have a set of PDFs which attorneys have highlighted to show which excerpts in the documents they want to be redacted, you can run a Javascript in Adobe Acrobat to convert the highlighted text to redactions.

Follow these steps:

1. In Acrobat, under Tools, open the 'Action Wizard'.

2. Select 'New Action'

   
   

   

. . . and then add the 'Execute JavaScript' tool. Be sure to uncheck 'Prompt User'

3. Click on 'Specify Settings' and then add the below script into the Editor:

this.syncAnnotScan();

var annots = this.getAnnots();

if (annots != null) {

    for (var i in annots) {

        var annot = annots[i];

        if (annot.type == "Highlight") {

                                    annot.type = "Redact";

                                    annot.fillColor = color.black

                        }

    }

}

this.applyRedactions();

4. Next, add a command in the action to save the file.

5. Under the Save settings, enter a suffix for the new file that will be saved:

   

   
   

6. Name and save the new action:

6. When you run the action

. . . it will prompt you to select multiple files

This script will redact highlighting of different colors - not just yellow, but pink, blue, green, or whatever color has been used.

Note that if other text in the PDF has been marked for redaction:

. . . this script will apply those redactions.