Export Layout

[DEAF_PROBERT_68]

Happy New Year wherever you are !

I am posting a question for anyone that experience export to PDF of a Map layout.  My question to you is is there a way for me to turn on the Annotation within the PDF Layers, so you could see multiple annotation that enable to turn on or off ?

I can't display the map due to it is a sensitive map. I have 18 layers in ArcGIS Pro Map and then set it up in the Layout to build a map.  When I export the map, I review for any errors and fix it.  I review the Export to PDF on ESRI and decide to use Show selection symbology under the Name and then enable the Export georeference information under PDF Settings.  Finally,  Choose PDF Layers Only  on Layers and Attributes . I can turn on include non-visible map layers.

So I exported to PDF and then in the PDF I click on the Layers button that show some or all of the layers, depends on what you set the PDF settings in Export in Pro, and I turn off Labels and Anno.  They both are not the same. The Labels can show all of the labels but they show smaller than the Annotation.   The Annotation itself just show you all the annotation at once when you turn it on.  

What I would like to know if there is a way for the Annotation to display each one rather than all ?

This is from the PDF Layers . 

So if you turn it on, it will show all at once. You want to expand the AcresAnno to list to show  you like I have the Labels here...  It is because the Labels was turn on in the Labels in the Map.  If you turn it off it will not come with the PDF.

Same thing from PDF 

[VenkataKondepati]

Happy New Year! I totally get what you're chasing here you want your PDF to have the same "surgical" control over annotations that you have in your ArcGIS Pro Table of Contents.

The short answer is that Annotation Layers are technically different from Labels when it comes to the PDF spec. While ArcGIS Pro treats each "Annotation Class" as a sub-layer, a PDF export typically flattens them into a single "layer" because that's how the Adobe standard handles graphic groups. Here is the reality on how to get those individual toggles:

Annotation Classes are Key: If you have all your text in one single Annotation feature class, the PDF will always treat it as one toggle. To see multiple entries (like your "Acres - 1 Acres" example), those need to be separate Annotation Classes within your feature class, or entirely separate feature classes in your Map.

The "Layers and Attributes" Setting: You mentioned you chose "PDF Layers Only." To get the expansion you want, ensure you are using "Layers and Attributes" in the export pane. This tells Pro to export the feature hierarchy. If the annotations are visible in your map at the time of export and categorized into classes, they should appear as nested items.

The Label vs. Anno Trap: The reason your Labels show up individually is that they are being generated dynamically from your layer's label classes. Since Annotations are "static" features, the PDF exporter often groups them by their parent layer name.

If you need specific groups of text to be toggleable, you should split your "AcresAnno" into multiple Annotation Classes (e.g., "1 Acre Class," "5 Acre Class") before exporting. Each class should then appear as a sub-layer in the PDF tree.

[DEAF_PROBERT_68]

Ahhh..Thank you !  So when you said PDF typically flattens , what exactly are you pointing to ?  In the Share tab in the Layout, There are 6 different Export Layouts to choose from; however, when you click on the Export Layout it just automatically open PDF and show its settings.  So for example, if you pretend to click on Export Layout how do you know which one it choose to the 6 following buttons here ?

Thanks !

[VenkataKondepati]

How to know for sure which one you’re using
After clicking Export Layout:

Look at the top of the export pane

It will show the preset name

“Flattened PDF”

“Vector PDF”

“GeoReferenced PDF”

If needed, click Open preset and explicitly choose the one you want

That preset selection persists until you change it.

[DEAF_PROBERT_68]

I forgot to add this that I have ArcGIS Pro 3.5.2 right now.