--- title: "Check if PDF contains annotations | Nutrient" canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/knowledge-base/check-document-contains-annotations/" md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/knowledge-base/check-document-contains-annotations.md" last_updated: "2026-05-15T19:10:05.084Z" description: "Learn different methods to check if a document contains annotations." --- This guide explains different approaches for determining whether a document contains any annotations, without needing to count or process them all. ## Method 1: Check page by page (most efficient) The most efficient approach is to check pages one by one until you find an annotation. This method stops searching as soon as it finds the first annotation: ```js async function hasAnnotations(instance, pageIndex) { const annotations = await instance.getAnnotations(pageIndex); return annotations.size > 0; } // Usage example. async function checkDocument(instance) { for (let i = 0; i < instance.totalPageCount; i++) { if (await hasAnnotations(instance, i)) { console.log("Document contains annotations"); return true; } } console.log("No annotations found"); return false; } ``` [Try it in Playground](https://www.nutrient.io/demo/sandbox?p=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%3D%3D). ## Method 2: Process all annotations at once To load all annotations simultaneously, use [`Instance#getAnnotations`](https://www.nutrient.io/api/web/classes/NutrientViewer.Instance.html#getannotations) with `Promise.all` to retrieve annotations for each page, flatten the array, and evaluate whether it’s empty: ```js NutrientViewer.load({ // Your configuration. }).then(async (instance) => { const pagesAnnotations = await Promise.all( Array.from({ length: instance.totalPageCount, }).map((_, pageIndex) => instance.getAnnotations(pageIndex)), ); const allAnnotations = pagesAnnotations.map((pageList) => pageList.toJS()).flat(); const hasAnnotations = allAnnotations.length > 0; console.log(`Document has annotations: ${hasAnnotations}`); console.log(`Total annotations found: ${allAnnotations.length}`); }); ``` [Try it in Playground](https://www.nutrient.io/demo/sandbox?p=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%2BIGluc3RhbmNlLmdldEFubm90YXRpb25zKHBhZ2VJbmRleCkpXG4gICk7XG5cbiAgY29uc3QgYWxsQW5ub3RhdGlvbnMgPSBwYWdlc0Fubm90YXRpb25zXG4gICAgLm1hcCgocGFnZUxpc3QpID0%2BIHBhZ2VMaXN0LnRvSlMoKSlcbiAgICAuZmxhdCgpO1xuXG4gIGNvbnN0IGhhc0Fubm90YXRpb25zID0gYWxsQW5ub3RhdGlvbnMubGVuZ3RoID4gMDtcbiAgY29uc29sZS5sb2coYERvY3VtZW50IGhhcyBhbm5vdGF0aW9uczogJHtoYXNBbm5vdGF0aW9uc31gKTtcbiAgY29uc29sZS5sb2coYFRvdGFsIGFubm90YXRpb25zIGZvdW5kOiAke2FsbEFubm90YXRpb25zLmxlbmd0aH1gKTtcbn0pOyJ9). ## Performance considerations - **Method 1** — This is the most efficient for checking existence, as it stops immediately upon finding any annotation. It uses separate helper functions for better code organization, and is best for large documents where annotations are likely present. - **Method 2** — This method processes all pages concurrently using `Promise.all`. Use this when you need the complete annotation list, not just existence checking. For documents with 100+ pages, method 1 can be significantly faster than method 2 if annotations exist on early pages. --- ## Related pages - [Add Custom Keyboard Shortcuts](/guides/web/knowledge-base/add-custom-keyboard-shortcuts.md) - [Add Listener Toolbar Item](/guides/web/knowledge-base/add-listener-toolbar-item.md) - [How to add a custom toolbar item to display current zoom percentage](/guides/web/knowledge-base/add-custom-zoom-perentage.md) - [Add Listener Text Note Annotation](/guides/web/knowledge-base/add-listener-text-note-annotation.md) - [Blurry Print Resolution](/guides/web/knowledge-base/blurry-print-resolution.md) - [Listen to an annotation’s hover event](/guides/web/knowledge-base/annotations-hover-event.md) - [Add Signature Initials](/guides/web/knowledge-base/add-signature-initials.md) - [Change Default Line Width Ink Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/change-default-line-width-ink-annotations.md) - [Automatic Annotation Field Tab Ordering](/guides/web/knowledge-base/automatic-annotation-field-tab-ordering.md) - [Check Password Protected Files](/guides/web/knowledge-base/check-password-protected-files.md) - [Keep widget annotation dimensions consistent across devices](/guides/web/knowledge-base/consistent-widget-annotation-dimensions.md) - [Control Appearance Of Delete Button On Ink Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/control-appearance-of-delete-button-on-ink-annotations.md) - [Customize Page Indicator](/guides/web/knowledge-base/customize-page-indicator.md) - [Create Highlight Annotations From Text Extraction Technology](/guides/web/knowledge-base/create-highlight-annotations-from-text-extraction-technology.md) - [Determine Current Layout Mode](/guides/web/knowledge-base/determine-current-layout-mode.md) - [Default To Cloudy Border](/guides/web/knowledge-base/default-to-cloudy-border.md) - [Deselect Text](/guides/web/knowledge-base/deselect-text.md) - [Delete All Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/delete-all-annotations.md) - [Detect Pspdfkit Ui Loaded](/guides/web/knowledge-base/detect-pspdfkit-ui-loaded.md) - [Disable Context Menu](/guides/web/knowledge-base/disable-context-menu.md) - [Disable Resize Of Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/disable-resize-of-annotations.md) - [Export Ink Annotation Image](/guides/web/knowledge-base/export-ink-annotation-image.md) - [How to disable text annotation movement in web apps](/guides/web/knowledge-base/disable-text-annotation-movement.md) - [Download Exported Document](/guides/web/knowledge-base/download-exported-document.md) - [Extracting text and cursor position in annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/extract-annotation-text-and-retrieve-cursor-position.md) - [Get Visible Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/get-visible-annotations.md) - [Get Entered Document Password](/guides/web/knowledge-base/get-entered-document-password.md) - [Find Ink Annotation For Signature Form Field](/guides/web/knowledge-base/find-ink-annotation-for-signature-form-field.md) - [Focus Widget Annotation](/guides/web/knowledge-base/focus-widget-annotation.md) - [Focus Viewer After Loading](/guides/web/knowledge-base/focus-viewer-after-loading.md) - [Focus the delete button in a confirm dialog](/guides/web/knowledge-base/focus-delete-button-in-confirm-modal-component.md) - [Handling Clicks On Custom Overlays](/guides/web/knowledge-base/handling-clicks-on-custom-overlays.md) - [Fix errors with unsupported form field actions](/guides/web/knowledge-base/handle-unsupported-form-field-actions.md) - [How Do I Prevent Printing Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-do-i-prevent-printing-annotations.md) - [How Do I Disable Scrolling On Page Edges](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-do-i-disable-scrolling-on-page-edges.md) - [Highlight required form fields](/guides/web/knowledge-base/highlight-required-fields.md) - [How Do I Limit The Number Of Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-do-i-limit-the-number-of-annotations.md) - [How Do I Rotate A Page](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-do-i-rotate-a-page.md) - [Resize multiline text fields to avoid overflow](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-do-i-resize-form-fields.md) - [How Do I Toggle The Theme](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-do-i-toggle-the-theme.md) - [Load Pdf As Arraybuffer](/guides/web/knowledge-base/load-pdf-as-arraybuffer.md) - [How Do I Zoom To A Specific Value](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-do-i-zoom-to-a-specific-value.md) - [License Registered Different Bundle Id](/guides/web/knowledge-base/license-registered-different-bundle-id.md) - [Image Attachments Lost Stamp Annotation Templates](/guides/web/knowledge-base/image-attachments-lost-stamp-annotation-templates.md) - [How To Create Bookmarks From Outline Elements](/guides/web/knowledge-base/how-to-create-bookmarks-from-outline-elements.md) - [Load Pdf From Stream](/guides/web/knowledge-base/load-pdf-from-stream.md) - [Link Text](/guides/web/knowledge-base/link-text.md) - [Loading Multiple Files](/guides/web/knowledge-base/loading-multiple-files.md) - [Overview](/guides/web/knowledge-base/overview.md) - [Iterate over form fields and widgets](/guides/web/knowledge-base/iterate-over-form-fields.md) - [Load Pdf Stub From String](/guides/web/knowledge-base/load-pdf-stub-from-string.md) - [Disabling automatic synchronization in Nutrient Web SDK](/guides/web/knowledge-base/manual-instant-sync.md) - [Observe Document Editor Visibility](/guides/web/knowledge-base/observe-document-editor-visibility.md) - [Nutrient Size Optimization](/guides/web/knowledge-base/nutrient-size-optimization.md) - [Override User Agent](/guides/web/knowledge-base/override-user-agent.md) - [Override Ink Signature Dialog](/guides/web/knowledge-base/override-ink-signature-dialog.md) - [Programmatic Comment Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/programmatic-comment-annotations.md) - [Persist Ink Signatures Across Instances](/guides/web/knowledge-base/persist-ink-signatures-across-instances.md) - [Persist Currently Edited Note Test](/guides/web/knowledge-base/persist-currently-edited-note-test.md) - [Prevent Editing Content Text Annotation](/guides/web/knowledge-base/prevent-editing-content-text-annotation.md) - [Prevent Shortcut Printing](/guides/web/knowledge-base/prevent-shortcut-printing.md) - [Process Currently Rendered Pages](/guides/web/knowledge-base/process-currently-rendered-pages.md) - [Programmatically Navigate To Page](/guides/web/knowledge-base/programmatically-navigate-to-page.md) - [Read-only forms](/guides/web/knowledge-base/read-only-forms.md) - [Render Watermark When Printing](/guides/web/knowledge-base/render-watermark-when-printing.md) - [Render Night Mode](/guides/web/knowledge-base/render-night-mode.md) - [Render Document Full Height](/guides/web/knowledge-base/render-document-full-height.md) - [Place Annotation At Visible Center](/guides/web/knowledge-base/place-annotation-at-visible-center.md) - [Render Page Black White](/guides/web/knowledge-base/render-page-black-white.md) - [Render Visible Area In Current Page](/guides/web/knowledge-base/render-visible-area-in-current-page.md) - [Render Page Without Annotations](/guides/web/knowledge-base/render-page-without-annotations.md) - [Restore Last Seen Page](/guides/web/knowledge-base/restore-last-seen-page.md) - [Rotate Ink Annotation](/guides/web/knowledge-base/rotate-ink-annotation.md) - [Save Modified Pdf To Document Engine](/guides/web/knowledge-base/save-modified-pdf-to-document-engine.md) - [Show Focus Ring Read Only](/guides/web/knowledge-base/show-focus-ring-read-only.md) - [Show Annotations Properties As Tooltip](/guides/web/knowledge-base/show-annotations-properties-as-tooltip.md) - [Submit Ink Signatures With Form](/guides/web/knowledge-base/submit-ink-signatures-with-form.md) - [Web Sdk Vs Dws Viewer](/guides/web/knowledge-base/web-sdk-vs-dws-viewer.md) - [Wait For Element Appear](/guides/web/knowledge-base/wait-for-element-appear.md) - [Easily zoom to specific annotations in PDF](/guides/web/knowledge-base/zoom-to-specific-annotation.md)