About the User Manual
This user manual covers all features included in Foxit PDF Editor Subscription Release and Foxit PDF Editor Perpetual Release, hereafter named Foxit PDF Editor.
Install Foxit PDF Editor
System Requirements
Operating Systems
- macOS 10.15, macOS 11, macOS 12, or macOS 13
- Microsoft Office® 2016 or later version (required for some PDF creation features)
Recommended Minimum Hardware
- Intel Processor or Apple Silicon Processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 5 GB of available hard disk space
- 1024*768 screen resolution
Install Foxit PDF Editor
Double-click the executable file you downloaded, and then follow the step-by-step instructions in the Installation Wizard to install Foxit PDF Editor on your computer.
Uninstall Foxit PDF Editor
Choose one of the following options to uninstall Foxit PDF Editor:
- Open the Finder window > click on Applications in the sidebar > then right-click the Foxit PDF Editor icon > select Move to Trash;
- Drag and drop the Foxit PDF Editor icon to the trash can icon located in the dock;
- Open the Launchpad, and then drag and drop the Foxit PDF Editor icon into the trash can from that window.
Tip: If you activate Foxit PDF Editor by key code or key file and haven’t deactivate it before the uninstallation, a message will pop up to ask you whether to deactivate it when you uninstall the application. It is recommended to confirm the deactivation so that the license can be used on a different device.
Update Foxit PDF Editor
You can choose one of the following options to update Foxit PDF Editor:
- Choose Help in the Ribbon > About Foxit PDF Editor > Check for Update to check and update Foxit PDF Editor to the latest version.
- Choose File in the Ribbon (or Foxit PDF Editor in the menu bar) > Preferences > Updater, and check the Automatically install updates option to update Foxit PDF Editor automatically whenever a newer version is available.
Purchase Foxit PDF Editor
Foxit PDF Editor provides two licensing models: perpetual licensing with one-time purchase and subscription licensing based on month or year.
To purchase Foxit PDF Editor, please do one of the following:
- Order online: go to Foxit website to order directly.
- In Foxit PDF Editor, click the Shopping Cart icon
or choose Help/Home in the Ribbon > Buy Now to purchase a license from Foxit online store.
Tip: Internet connection and Foxit account signed-in are required to use the full features for subscribed users.
Activate Foxit PDF Editor
After launching Foxit PDF Editor, the activation wizard pops up. If you do not have a license, click Buy Now to purchase Foxit PDF Editor from the Foxit website. If you have already purchased a license for Foxit PDF Editor, do either of the following to activate Foxit PDF Editor.
- For Foxit PDF Editor Subscription Release, you can click Sign In in the activation wizard to activate Foxit PDF Editor with the email and password associated with your Foxit PDF Editor subscription. After successfully signed in, Foxit PDF Editor will be activated automatically.
- For Foxit PDF Editor Perpetual Release, click Activate in the activation wizard, and then input the code of the registration key to activate Foxit PDF Editor. (If you didn’t provide your name when purchasing the license, you’ll be prompted to type your name.) If the activation is successful, a message box will pop up. Click OK.
Note: If your PDF Editor is managed by Foxit Admin Console (a cloud-based portal that serves for administrators to manage Foxit products/services in an organization), there will be a prompt window to let you activate it for further use, depending on the activation mode defined by Admin Console. You need to contact your administrator for the activation. See also Foxit Admin Console.
Deactivate Foxit PDF Editor
You can deactivate Foxit PDF Editor on one machine in order to activate on another. To deactivate Foxit PDF Editor, click Help in the Ribbon > Deactivate.
Workspace
Foxit has integrated the collective commands in the ribbon interface and created a new way of working, namely Ribbon Mode. In this mode, commands are arranged by groups and tasks. While reading a PDF file, you can control-click the document name in the application’s title bar to navigate the filesystem trees.
- Apple Menu bar: Displays the standard menus of Foxit PDF Editor to help you quickly get started with the application.
- Title Bar: A horizontal bar at the top of the application window. It displays the Quick Access Toolbar, software title, current file name, search field, buttons to minimize/maximize/close the app, etc. The search field on Title Bar allows you to search commands or text based on the keywords you specified.
- Ribbon tabs and Commands: Shows the major tabs of Foxit PDF Editor, and categorizes the commands by groups according to the function under each ribbon tab. You can double-click on a tab name (or click the Collapse the Ribbon icon
/Pin the Ribbon icon 
on the right corner of the Ribbon) to collapse or expand the tab. When a tab is collapsed, click on the tab name to show and hide its commands. - Tab bar: Display multiple PDF files in tabs. You can also click the Start tab to check Tool Wizard & Video Tutorials, or open PDF files in the Recent file list or from a local disk. For each file tab, Foxit PDF Editor provide options in the context menu for you to manage them conveniently, including closing tab(s), printing tab(s), copying the file path, and opening the file folder.
- Navigation Panel: Display Bookmarks panel, Pages panel, Attachments panel, Comments panel, and more, to help you work with the PDF file easily. While working with the navigation panel, you can right-click on its left border to find the options to switch to a specific panel, pin the currently opened panel so that it will be automatically expanded when you reopen the same document (if you have enabled the application to restore the last view settings when reopening PDFs in Preferences > History), or hide/show the navigation panel.
Tip: To hide or show the navigation panel, you can also press the shortcut key F4 or Fn + F4, click on anywhere along the right border of the navigation panel, or choose View in the menu bar (or View in the Ribbon > View Settings) > Navigation Panels > Hide/Show Navigation Panel. - Document Pane: Display the currently opened PDF file.
- Status bar: Shows the status information about the currently opened document.
Set the Skin
Foxit PDF Editor provides three options (Light, Dark, and Use system setting) that allow you to customize the look (skin) of the software. To change the skin, choose File in the Ribbon > Skins, and then select the desired option from the Select Mode drop-down list. If you choose Use system setting, the skin automatically switches to the Light or Dark mode according to the Appearance setting in your macOS system. When you are in the Light Mode, you can check Colorful in the Select Light Mode Theme group to specify the theme color for your application.
Customize the Toolbar
The Ribbon is designed to help you find the commands in an easy and convenient way. Foxit PDF Editor gives you the capability to personalize and fine-tune the Ribbon in the way you want. With this feature, you can customize Quick Access Toolbar and the default Ribbon, and create custom tabs or groups with your favorite commands.
Customize Quick Access Toolbar
Quick Access Toolbar displays all your bookmarked commands. You can add commands that will let you view and search content easily to your Quick Access Toolbar. This is another way for you to arrange and manage all the commands.
Add Commands to Quick Access Toolbar
- Click
on the Quick Access Toolbar, and select More Commands. Or right-click the ribbon area and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar. - In the Customize Tools dialog box, choose the Quick Access Toolbar tab.
- Select the commands or separators you preferred to be shown on Quick Access Toolbar and add them to the Quick Access Toolbar list. Click Up or Down to arrange the command order and then click OK.
To return toolbars to default configuration, repeat the steps above to open the Quick Access Toolbar tab in the Customize Tools dialog box, choose Reset or press Option + S, and click OK to apply the setting.
Tip: You can also right-click a command on the ribbon and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar to add the command to Quick Access Toolbar.
Show Quick Access Toolbar below/above the Ribbon
To show Quick Access Toolbar below/above the ribbon area, do any of the following:
- Click
on Quick Access Toolbar, and select Show Below the Ribbon or Show Above the Ribbon. - Right-click the ribbon area and choose Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon or Show Quick Access Toolbar Above the Ribbon.
- Open the Customize Tools dialog box. In the Quick Access Toolbar tab, select or unselect the Show Quick Access Toolbar below the Ribbon option, and click OK to apply the settings.
Customize the Ribbon
To customize the Ribbon, you can right click the Ribbon, choose Customize the Ribbon from the context menu to bring out the Customize Tools dialog box first, and then follow the steps below.
Create a New Tab
To create a new tab, please do one of the following:
- Select the tab after which you want to add the new tab, and then click New Tab.
- (Alternatively) Right-click the tab after which you want to add the new tab, and then choose New Tab from the context menu.
Add a New Group to a Tab
To add a new group to a tab, please do one of the following:
- Select the tab to which you want to add the group, and then click New Group.
- (Alternatively) Right-click the tab to which you want to add the group, and then choose New Group from the context menu.
Rename a Tab or Group
- Select the tab or group to be renamed, and click Rename.
- (Alternatively) Right-click the tab or group to be renamed, and choose Rename from the context menu.
- In the Rename dialog box, input the new name and click OK.
Add Commands to a Group
- Select the group under which you want to add a command.
- Choose the command category and the desired command from the Choose commands from list.
- Click Add to add the selected command to the desired group.
Remove a Tab, Group or Command
To remove a tab, group or command, please do one of the following:
- Select the tab, group or command to be removed, and click Remove.
- (Alternatively) Right-click the tab, group or command to be removed, and choose Delete from the context menu.
Reorder the Tabs or Groups
To reorder the tabs or groups, please do one of the following:
- Select the tab or group you want to reorder, then click the Up
or Down 
arrow to move accordingly. - (Alternatively) Right-click the tab or group you want to reorder, and then select Move Item Up or Move Item Down to move accordingly.
Reset the Ribbon
- Click Reset in the Customize Tools dialog box to reset the Ribbon to the default settings.
Import a Customized Ribbon
- Click Import.
- In the Open dialog box, select the Ribbon customization file (.xml file), and click Open.
Note: After importing a Ribbon customization file, you will lose all the arrangements you have customized previously. If you want to revert to the customization you currently have, it is easier to export the customized Ribbon before importing any customization.
Export a customized Ribbon
- Click Export.
- In the Save As dialog box, specify the file name and path and click Save.
Notes:
- After customization, you need to click OK in the Customize Ribbon tab to save and apply your customizations to the Ribbon.
- To help you distinguish a default tab or group from the customized ones, the custom tabs or groups in the Customize the Ribbon list are tabbed with “(Custom)” after the name (like this:
), but the word “(Custom)” will not appear on the Ribbon. - The commands in the default group under a default tab are displayed in grey, and they cannot be renamed, reordered, or removed.
- You cannot remove default tabs in Foxit PDF Editor.
Search and Find Commands
The Search field on the title bar (sits at the top of the window) enables you to search commands or text based on the keywords you specified. To quickly find a command, click in the Search field (or press Control + Q), and input the command name. Then from the drop-down menu, you can select the command from the Actions group to activate the desired feature. You can also find the commands that you have searched and used recently from the Recently Used group in the drop-down menu to re-activate the corresponding features with ease.
Foxit Plug-in Platform
For flexible and convenient management of plugins, Foxit PDF Editor offers a Plug-in Platform, in which you can view the plug-in status, learn the information about the plugins installed, as well as manage the plug-ins as needed.
To open Foxit Plug-in Platform, please choose Help in the Ribbon > Foxit Plug-Ins.
Plug-in Status
- Certified: Shows whether the signature of the plug-in is valid or not.
- Loaded: Shows whether the plug-in has been loaded successfully or not.
Note: Some plug-ins are not loaded immediately (i.e. the Certified and Loaded items are unchecked). These plug-ins will be loaded and certified after you use the related features.
Plug-in Information
To learn the details of a plug-in, please click More under the general description of the plug-in in the About Foxit Plug-Ins window.
Plug-in Management
Within Foxit Plug-in Platform, you can manage the plug-ins as needed, including installing, enabling, disabling and uninstalling plug-ins.
Install a Plug-in
Foxit PDF Editor allows you to install a plug-in in FZIP format. You can also install one or more plug-ins by using an XML file. An XML file defines the information about plug-ins to be installed, and should be used together with .dylib files.
- Select Help in the Ribbon > Foxit Plug-Ins to open the About Foxit Plug-Ins dialog box.
- Click Install Plugins in the About Foxit Plug-Ins dialog box.
- In the pop-up dialog box, do one of the following:
- To install a plug-in in FZIP format, select FZIP Files (*.fzip) from the file type drop-down list, choose the file from your local disk, and click Open. And then follow the screen instructions to install the plug-in on your Mac device.
- To install one or more plug-ins by using an XML file, select Plug-in File (*.xml) from the file type drop-down list, choose the XML file from your local disk, and click Open. Then Foxit PDF Editor will verify whether the signature of the plug-in is valid or not. If it is valid, Foxit PDF Editor will load the plug-in. Otherwise, the installation will be terminated.
Tip: If you install plug-ins by using an XML file, please place the .xml file and .dylib files in the same folder to avoid an installation failure.
Disable a Plug-in
To disable a plug-in, please follow the steps below:
- Select Help in the Ribbon > Foxit Plug-Ins to open the About Foxit Plug-Ins dialog box.
- Select the plug-in you want to disable, and click the Disable button
to disable it.
Enable a plug-in
To enable a plug-in, please follow the steps below:
- Select Help in the Ribbon > Foxit Plug-Ins to open the About Foxit Plug-Ins dialog box.
- Select the plug-in to be enabled, and click the Undo Disable button
to enable it.
Uninstall a custom plug-in
To uninstall a custom plug-in (not built by Foxit), please follow the steps below:
- Select Help in the Ribbon > Foxit Plug-Ins to open the About Foxit Plug-Ins dialog box.
- Select the plug-in to be uninstalled, and click the Uninstall button
to uninstall it.
Notes:
- All the operations to the plug-ins will take effect after you restart Foxit PDF Editor.
- Foxit PDF Editor includes plug-ins that are necessary for the realization of its functionalities or are necessarily required for maintenance. To ensure normal operation, you are not allowed to disable or uninstall these plug-ins (such as Updater plugin, Foxit Plugin Platform plugin, etc.)
Support Center (Available in Subscription Releases)
Foxit PDF Editor offers an AI-powered customer support tool called Foxit AI Chatbot, which can provide personalized assistance based on your specific needs. Utilizing natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, Foxit AI Chatbot can understand user queries and respond with answers. It can assist you in using a specific function or performing certain tasks by providing step-by-step instructions based on Foxit resources, such as Foxit Knowledge Base. (Tip: Foxit AI Chatbot is enabled by default. If you want to disable the feature, choose File in the Ribbon (or Foxit PDF Editor in the menu bar) > Preferences > General > Application Startup, check Disable Support Center, and restart the application.)
To access Foxit AI Chatbot, choose Support Center in the Help Ribbon, or click 
on the lower right corner of the application window. Then, you can input your questions and interact with Foxit AI Chatbot in the Support Center panel displayed on the right side of the application window. You can even delegate tasks to the AI Chatbot by inputting specific requirements (such as “Delete Page 1.”) to execute the associated commands in Foxit PDF Editor for efficient document processing.
In addition, you can also click the 
icon at the top of the Support Center panel and select Submit Ticket to send your bug reports/suggestions/comments.