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Annotate Documents in the Board Portal

  • Updated:

This article will go over how to annotate supporting documents or attachments in the Board Portal. When you annotate a document or attachment, you essentially write notes on the document or attachment itself.

 

Important Notes

  • Board Portal annotations are generally considered private and cannot be accessed by Agenda and Meeting Management Select administrators, staff, or other board users from your organization. However, depending on the laws that apply to your jurisdiction, Board Portal annotations may be subject to discovery through public records requests. Clerks that need access to Board Portal annotations to fulfill legal records requests should contact Support.
  • Board Portal users can also add notes to items and agenda sections in the Board Portal, as an alternative to adding annotations.

 

 

Instructions

  1. Sign in to the Board Portal if you have not already
  2. Ensure that the Agendas tab is selected
    A blue, rectangular Agendas tab in the bottom-left corner of the Board Portal home page.
  3. Select the agenda you wish to add annotations to
    Selected agenda tile within the full agendas list.
  4. On the agenda details page, click the Agenda or Packet icons to view and annotate the entire agenda or agenda packet (if applicable)
    Blue, rectangular Agenda and Packet icons below the agenda name.
  5. Or click the three-dot menu icon to the left of the name of a section or item to add annotations to that specific section or item (if applicable)
  6. Click the Attachments button in the menu that appears
    The Attachments option within the expanded three-dot menu.
  7. Select an attachment
    Example attachment under the Attachments section of an item details page.
  8. Click the Annotate button in the PDF viewer toolbar at the top of the screen
    Annotate option.
    Note: For information about the View and Search functions and other options in the PDF viewer, see Step 9 of the Navigate an Agenda in the Board Portal article.
  9. An annotation toolbar will appear; select the appropriate tool for your annotation(s)
    Annotation toolbar with multiple options.
    Note: Any tool button can be double-clicked to lock it as the active tool. The active tool will remain selected until the tool button is clicked again or another tool is selected.
    • Annotation Layers (bulleted list icon): View a list of your saved annotations for this document
      Annotation Layers icon in the toolbar and the Annotation Layers pane on the left side of the screen.
      • My Annotations: View, edit, load, and save existing annotations
      • Annotations for Review: View, load, show, hide, and merge existing annotations that await review
    • Arrow annotation (arrow icon): Select to draw an arrow in the document
      Arrow Annotation icon in the toolbar and an example arrow above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the arrow annotation, if desired
        Arrow Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (diagonal arrow icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a fill color for the arrow from the listed options
          • Opacity (checkerboard square icon): Select a percentage from the drop-down list to indicate the desired level of transparency for the annotation
          • Border Width (three horizontal lines icon): Select the desired thickness of the annotation
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Line Annotation (diagonal line icon): Select to draw a line
      Line Annotation icon in the toolbar and an example line above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the line annotation, if desired
        Line Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (diagonal line icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a fill color for the line from the listed options
          • Opacity (checkerboard square icon): Select a percentage from the drop-down list to indicate the desired level of transparency for the annotation
          • Border Width (three horizontal lines icon): Select the desired thickness of the annotation
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options tools
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Rectangle Annotation (square icon): Select to draw a box
      Rectangle Annotation icon in the toolbar and an example rectangle above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the rectangle annotation, if desired
        Rectangle Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (square icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the border and text of the stamp
          • Opacity (checkerboard square icon): Select a percentage from the drop-down list to indicate the desired level of transparency for the annotation
          • Border Width:
        • Border Color tab: Opens a floating toolbar tab that allows you to select the border color and border width for the rectangle annotation
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a floating toolbar tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Ellipse Annotation (circle icon): Select to draw a circle
      Ellipse Annotation icon in the toolbar and an example circle above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the ellipse annotation, if desired
        Ellipse Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (circle icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the border and text of the stamp
          • Opacity (checkerboard square icon): Select a percentage from the drop-down list to indicate the desired level of transparency for the annotation
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Select Label: Select Approved, Reviewed, or Rejected from the drop-down list
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Freehand Annotation (squiggly line icon): Select to free-form draw
      Freehand Annotation icon in the toolbar and an example squiggly line above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the freehand annotation, if desired
        Freehand Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (square icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the border and text of the stamp
          • Opacity (checkerboard square icon): Select a percentage from the drop-down list to indicate the desired level of transparency for the annotation
          • Border Width:
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Polyline Annotation (jagged line icon): Select to draw a diagonal connected line
      Polyline Annotation icon in the toolbar and an example jagged line above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the polyline annotation, if desired
        Polyline Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (square icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the border and text of the stamp
          • Opacity (checkerboard square icon): Select a percentage from the drop-down list to indicate the desired level of transparency for the annotation
          • Border Width:
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Text Annotation (capital letter "T" icon): Select to create a text box
      Text Annotation icon in the toolbar with an example textbox above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the text annotation, if desired
        Text Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (square icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the border and text of the stamp
          • Opacity (checkerboard square icon): Select a percentage from the drop-down list to indicate the desired level of transparency for the annotation
        • Border Color Tab (square outline icon):
        • Font Options (capital "T" icon):
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Select Label: Select Approved, Reviewed, or Rejected from the drop-down list
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Highlight Annotation (marker icon): Select to highlight text
      Highlight Annotation icon in the toolbar and example highlighted text within the document.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the highlight annotation, if desired
        Highlight Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (square icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the highlight function
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon)b Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Strikethrough Annotation (capital letter "S" with strikethrough icon): Select to strike-through text
      Strikethrough Annotation icon in the toolbar and example stricken-through text in the document.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the strikethrough annotation, if desired
        Strikethrough Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (stamp icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the border and text of the stamp
          • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Select Label: Select Approved, Reviewed, or Rejected from the drop-down list
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Text Hyperlink Annotation (chain icon): Select to make the text a hyperlink to another site
      Text Hyperlink Annotation icon in the toolbar and example hyperlinked text within the document.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the text hyperlink annotation, if desired
        Text Hyperlink Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Link tab (chain icon)
          • Link: Enter or edit the URL for the hyperlink
          • Visit Link (right-arrow and square icon): Click to open the link in a new tab
        • Fill Color tab (square icon): Opens a floating toolbar tab that allows you to select the highlight color of the hyperlinked text
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Stamp Annotation (stamp icon): Select to put a modifiable stamp on the document
      Stamp Annotation icon in the toolbar and an example Approved stamp above the document text.
      • Use the tools in the floating Annotation Options toolbar to customize the stamp annotation, if desired
        Stamp Annotation floating toolbar.
        • Fill Color tab (stamp icon)
          • Fill Color (color picker field): Select a color for the border and text of the stamp
          • Select Label: Select Approved, Reviewed, or Rejected from the drop-down list
        • Layer Order tab: Opens a tools tab that allows you to move this annotation to the front, forward, backward, or back in relation to other annotations for this document
        • Delete Selected (trash can icon): Remove the annotation from the document
        • Annotation Options (bulleted list icon): Hide or expand the Annotation Options toolbar
        • Add Comment (message bubble icon): Add a text comment to the annotation
        • Move Menu (up and down arrows icon): Moves the floating toolbar from the top to the bottom of the document viewer screen and vice versa
        • Include in Burned Document: Check this checkbox to add an uneditable version of the annotation directly into the document
    • Image Stamp Annotation (picture icon): Select to insert a picture (not depicted); may not be available on all documents
      Image Stamp Annotation icon in the toolbar.
  10. To edit an existing annotation, click on the annotation and make any desired changes
  11. To load saved annotations or annotations that await your review, click the Load Annotations button (folder icon)
    Load Annotations icon in the toolbar and the Load Annotations pane.
  12. To view and edit annotation comments, click the Comments Panel button (message bubble icon)
    Comments Panel icon in the toolbar and an example comment in the Comments Panel on the right-hand side of the screen, below the toolbar.
    • Hover over Annotation Options (bulleted list icon) to the right of the comment for additional options
        • Delete (trash can icon): Remove the comment from the annotation
        • Edit (pen icon): Modify the comment text
      Note: If you click the Annotation Options button, the Annotation tool menu will open.
  13. Click the gray Save and Exit (floppy disc icon) or Exit (x icon) buttons in the top-right corner of the screen below the page section to leave the PDF viewer and return to the agenda details page
    Gray Save and Exit and Exit buttons in the PDF viewer toolbar at the top-right area of the screen.
Note: Annotations are saved to your account and will not be seen by others.

 

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