Downloading Records with Comments

Download with Comments lets you export Records as PDFs with all comments and annotations included. This feature enables you to share Records with external stakeholders, maintain documentation with feedback, and create compliance records with full context.

What is Download with Comments?

Download with Comments lets you export Records as PDFs with all comments included. This provides a complete record of the content and all feedback for documentation, sharing, or compliance purposes.

Use Cases

For Compliance: Export Records with all feedback for audit trails, maintain documentation of approval processes, and create permanent records of decisions.

For Sharing: Share Records with external stakeholders, provide context with feedback included, and send complete documentation to clients.

For Documentation: Keep records of approved content, maintain history with feedback, and create reference materials.

Export Options

You can export Records in several ways:

1. Annotated PDF – Comments as PDF annotations (PDF files only)
2. PDF with Comments – Comments embedded in PDF content
3. Version PDF – PDF of a specific version
4. Revision PDF – PDF of a specific revision

Export Annotated PDF

Annotated PDFs include comments overlaid as PDF annotations, similar to sticky notes. This option only works with PDF source files.

Step 1: Navigate to Record or Approval Request

1. Go to the Record or Approval Request
2. Open the Comments panel

Step 2: Request Export

1. Find the Download Annotated PDF button
2. Click the button
3. The system processes the request (this may take a few moments)
4. Wait for processing to complete

Step 3: Download

1. A download link appears when the PDF is ready
2. Click the link to download
3. The PDF opens with all comments as annotations

What's Included

The annotated PDF includes:

• Original PDF content
• All comments overlaid as PDF annotations
• Comment creator information
• Comment timestamps
• Annotation positions and markup

Export PDF with Comments

PDFs with comments have comments embedded directly in the PDF content rather than as annotations.

Step 1: Navigate to Record

1. Go to the Record detail page
2. Find the download option

Step 2: Download PDF

1. Click Download PDF (the standard Record PDF download)
2. If enabled, comments are automatically included
3. The PDF downloads with comments embedded

What's Included

The PDF includes:

• Complete Record content
• All comments organized hierarchically
• Comment creator names
• Comment timestamps
• Threaded discussions (if applicable)

Export Version PDF

You can download a PDF of a specific version of a Record.

Step 1: Navigate to Version History

1. Go to the Record detail page
2. Open the Version History tab
3. Find the version you want

Step 2: Download

1. Find the version you want
2. Click Download PDF on that version
3. The PDF downloads showing the Record state at that version

What's Included

The PDF shows:

• Complete Record state at that version
• All fields and pages as they were
• Timestamp information
• Creator information

Export Revision PDF

You can download a PDF of a specific revision from an approval.

Step 1: Navigate to Revisions

1. Go to the Approval Request
2. Open the Revisions tab
3. Find the revision you want

Step 2: Download

1. Find the revision you want
2. Click Download PDF on that revision
3. The PDF downloads showing the Record state at that revision

What's Included

The PDF shows:

• Complete Record state at that revision
• All fields and pages as they were at that moment
• Timestamp information
• Creator information

Expected Behavior

Processing Time

Annotated PDFs may take a few moments to process. Other PDFs usually download immediately. Large files may take longer to process.

Download Links

Download links may expire after some time, typically around one hour. If a link expires, generate a new one. Links are secure and time-limited.

File Format

All exports are standard PDF format. They can be opened in any PDF viewer and are compatible with Adobe Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, Firefox, and other PDF applications.

Troubleshooting

"Annotated PDF Download Fails"

Check these items:

1. Is the source file a PDF? Annotated PDFs only work with PDF files. For images, Word documents, or other file types, use the PDF with Comments method or convert to PDF first.
2. Do comments exist? Check that comments actually exist on the Record. If there are no comments, there is nothing to annotate.
3. Wait for processing. Annotated PDFs take time to process and may take a few minutes. Wait and check again, or try generating a new download.
4. Is the download link available? Check that the link appears after processing. If the link does not appear, processing may have failed. Try generating the download again.

Still not working? Contact support with your user ID, Record ID, file type, and any error messages.

"PDF Doesn't Include Comments"

Check these items:

1. Which download method are you using? For Annotated PDF, use the "Download Annotated PDF" button. For PDF with Comments, check if the feature is enabled. Use the correct download method for your needs.
2. Are there comments on the Record? Check that comments actually exist before downloading.
3. Is the feature enabled? PDF with Comments must be enabled by your administrator. If not enabled, comments will not be included. Contact your account administrator.

"Download Link Doesn't Work"

Check these items:

1. Is the link expired? Download links expire after approximately one hour. Generate a new download link.
2. Try a different browser. Browser issues can sometimes prevent downloads. Try a different browser or check your browser settings.
3. Check internet connection. Downloads require an internet connection. Check your connection and try again.

Best Practices

When to Export

• For documentation – Keep records of approved content
• For sharing – Share Records with external stakeholders
• For compliance – Export for audit purposes
• For reference – Keep PDFs of important versions and revisions

Tips

• Use Annotated PDF for PDF files when you want comments as annotations
• Use PDF with Comments for all file types when you want comments embedded
• Export versions to keep PDFs of important versions
• Export revisions to keep PDFs of the approval process

Related Articles

• Understanding Record Version History
• Approval Snapshots and Revisions
• Collaborating with Comments on Records

Need Help?

If Exports aren't working as expected:

1. Check the Troubleshooting Guide
2. Verify your permissions (see "Who Can Use What" above)
3. Contact your administrator
4. Or contact support with:
   • Your account email address
   • URL of the affected record or approval request
   • What you were trying to do and what happened instead
   • The exact text of any error messages (screenshots and screen recordings are helpful)

Or contact your account administrator for assistance with permissions or feature availability.

Please note that specific terminology referenced above may appear differently in your platform as these are customizable terms.