How do I annotate a document?
To begin annotating a document:
Open a document in the Board Book.
Click the Annotations icon in the toolbar.
Select the annotation tool you want to use:
Drawing
Text Highlighter
Freeform Highlighter
Notes
The selected tool will remain active until another tool is selected.
How do I use the Drawing annotation tool?
The Drawing annotation tool allows you to create freehand annotations directly on a document.
To create a drawing annotation:
Open a document.
Click Annotations.
Select Drawing.
Click and drag your mouse/trackpad on the document.
Drawing Options
When the Drawing tool is selected, you can customize your annotations using the toolbar.
Available options include:
Pen Color – Change the color of the annotation.
Fill Color – Select a fill color for supported annotation objects.
Transparency – Adjust the opacity of the annotation.
Line Thickness – Change the width of the drawing line.
These options allow you to tailor annotations to your personal preferences and make important content easier to identify while reviewing meeting materials.
How do I use the Text Highlighter?
The Text Highlighter allows you to highlight text within a document.
To highlight text:
Open a document.
Click Annotations.
Select Text Highlighter.
Click and drag across the text you want to highlight.
The selected text will be highlighted.
Text Highlighter Options
When the Text Highlighter is selected, you can customize the appearance of your highlights using the toolbar.
Available options include:
Highlight Color – Choose from available highlight colors, including Yellow, Blue, Green, and Red.
Transparency – Adjust the opacity of the highlight to make it more or less visible on the page.
Select the desired options before applying the highlight.
How do I use the Freeform Highlighter?
The Freeform Highlighter allows you to highlight areas of a document that may not be selectable as text, such as images, diagrams, signatures, or scanned content.
To use the Freeform Highlighter:
Open a document.
Click Annotations.
Select Freeform Highlighter.
Click and drag over the content you want to highlight.
The selected area will be highlighted.
Freeform Highlighter Options
When the Freeform Highlighter is selected, you can customize the appearance of the highlight using the toolbar.
Available options include:
Highlight Color – Change the color of the highlight.
Transparency – Adjust the opacity of the highlight.
Line Thickness – Increase or decrease the width of the highlighter.
These options allow you to emphasize important content while maintaining visibility of the underlying document.
How do I use Notes?
The Notes annotation tool allows you to add comments, reminders, and visual markers directly to a document.
To add a note:
Open a document.
Click Annotations.
Select Notes.
Click the location where you want the note to appear.
Enter your note text.
The note will be saved automatically and remain attached to the document.
Note Options
When using Notes, you can choose from several annotation styles and symbols to help organize and categorize information.
Available options include:
Comment – Add a standard note.
Arrow – Point to a specific area of a document.
Double Arrow – Indicate two-way relationships or connections.
Check Mark – Mark completed items.
Circle – Draw attention to specific content.
X Mark – Mark items for review or indicate issues.
Push Pin – Pin important information to a location within the document.
Text Annotation – Add text directly to the page.
Callout – Create a note with a pointer directed at specific content.
Question Mark – Mark items requiring follow-up or clarification.
Star – Highlight important information.
Key – Identify information that requires special attention.
Note Colors
You can also customize the color of your note annotations using the color options available in the annotation toolbar.
Color coding can help organize notes and distinguish different types of information while reviewing meeting materials.
How do I view all annotations in a document?
Annotations can be viewed directly on the document as you review meeting materials. However, when working with documents that contain many annotations, the Annotations view provides a convenient way to see all annotations in a single list.
To view all annotations:
Open a document in the Board Book.
Select the Annotations tab from the left-side panel.
Review the list of annotations displayed for the document.
Annotations are organized by page and include the annotation type, making it easier to locate specific annotations within larger documents.
Navigating to an annotation
The Annotations view can also be used to quickly locate annotations within the document.
Open the Annotations tab.
Locate the annotation you wish to review.
Click the annotation.
BoardWorks will automatically navigate to the annotation and highlight it within the document.
This is particularly useful when reviewing documents that contain multiple notes, drawings, or highlights.
How do I delete an annotation?
Annotations can be removed when they are no longer needed.
To delete an annotation:
1. Open the document containing the annotation.
2. Click the annotation you wish to remove.
3. Select the Delete icon (garbage can) from the annotation toolbar.
4. Confirm the deletion.
The annotation will be permanently removed from the document.
Note: If a shared Note annotation is deleted, it will no longer be available to any users it was previously shared with.
How do I share a note annotation?
BoardWorks allows you to share Note annotations with other users who have access to the same document.
To share a note annotation:
Open the document containing the note.
Select the Annotations tab from the left-side panel.
Locate the note annotation you wish to share.
Click the Share icon beside the note.
Configure the desired sharing options.
Click Done.
The note will be shared according to the settings you select.
Who can I share note annotations with?
When sharing a note annotation, you can choose from three sharing options.
Private
Private is the default setting. All annotation are private by default.
When selected, the note remains visible only to you.
All Meeting Attendees
Selecting All Meeting Attendees shares the note with all users who have access to the meeting and the document.
Note: Some meeting attendees may not have access to the document containing the note. In these cases, the annotation will not be shared with those users.
Share With Individuals
Selecting Share With Individuals allows you to choose specific users.
Select Share With Individuals.
Choose one or more attendees from the list.
Click Done.
Only the selected users will be able to view the annotation.
Note: Users must have access to the document before they can receive a shared annotation.
Can I change or remove sharing later?
Yes.
After a note has been shared, you can update the sharing settings at any time.
To modify sharing settings:
Open the Annotations panel.
Locate the shared note.
Select the Share option.
Update the sharing settings as needed.
You can:
Change the recipients
Switch from individual sharing to All Meeting Attendees
Make the note Private again
Remove access for previously selected users
Changes take effect immediately after selecting Done.
What types of annotations can be shared?
Only Note annotations can be shared with other users.
The following annotation types remain private to your account:
Drawing
Text Highlighter
Freeform Highlighter
These annotations are not visible to other users.
Are my annotations visible to other users?
Annotations are private by default and are only visible to the user who created them.
However, Note annotations can be shared with other users who have access to the same document.
Depending on your sharing preferences, Note annotations can be:
Kept Private
Shared with All Meeting Attendees who have access to the document
Shared with specific individuals
Drawing, Text Highlighter, and Freeform Highlighter annotations remain private and are not visible to other users.
What happens to my annotations?
Annotations are associated with the BoardWorks account used to create them and are automatically saved as you work.
When using the same BoardWorks account across multiple devices, your annotations are synchronized and remain available wherever you access your meeting materials.
For example, you may review and annotate documents using the BoardWorks Windows app while preparing for a meeting, then later access the same meeting from the BoardWorks iPad, iPhone, or Android app. Your annotations will automatically appear on those devices.
This allows you to continue working seamlessly across devices without needing to recreate your notes, highlights, or other annotations.