How to annotate a website
To annotate a website, paste the URL into a proxy-based review tool — this lets anyone click an element and leave a pinned note without installing anything. Alternatively, use a browser extension for your own notes, or take a screenshot and mark it up in Figma or Preview. For client feedback, the proxy link is the only method that doesn't require them to install or sign up for anything.
Paste the URL into a proxy-based tool (no install, works for clients)
Tools like Drafty, Pastel, and AnnotateWeb load the site through a special URL so reviewers can click any element and leave a pinned note — without installing an extension or creating an account. This is the right approach when a client or stakeholder needs to annotate and you can't ask them to touch their browser settings. Paste the URL, share the generated link, and every note lands in one place. The main catch: pages behind a login (staging environments with auth, CMS preview URLs) may not load correctly in some proxy tools — test before you share.
Use a browser extension for your own annotations
Extensions like Hypothesis, Annotate, and Web Highlights add a toolbar to your browser so you can highlight text, add margin notes, and save them to your account. Good for research and personal markup — you highlight a paragraph, pin a note, and it persists next time you open the page. The limit: annotations are tied to your account and your browser. A client can't see your extension notes unless you export them, and they need the same extension installed to contribute their own. Use this when you're the sole annotator.
Screenshot then mark up in Figma, Preview, or Canva
Take a full-page screenshot (on Mac: Cmd+Shift+3 for the visible area, or use GoFullPage in Chrome for the full scroll), then open it in Figma, Preview, or Canva and draw arrows, add text labels, and circle problem areas. Fast and works offline. The cost shows up later: the screenshot is already out of date the moment the page changes, and if the client marks up their own copy and emails it back, you're reconciling two static images against the live site.
Add a feedback widget to your staging site
Tools like BugHerd and Marker.io let you embed a JavaScript snippet in your staging site. Once it's there, reviewers click a button in the corner, draw on the page, and submit — comments route to a project board with URL, browser, and OS captured automatically. Best when you own the codebase and want issues tracked in Jira or Linear. The setup cost is real: you add the script, configure a project, and invite each reviewer. Not practical when the client is non-technical or the site belongs to someone else.
When your client needs to be the one annotating
Most annotation methods hit a wall here: extensions require installation, widgets require code access, screenshots produce back-and-forth email. The approach that works with non-technical clients is a proxy link — paste the URL, share it, and they click any element to leave a note pinned right there. No account, no extension, no 'the thing near the logo.' The feedback lands in one thread, anchored to the element they meant. One round of unclear notes can cost 3–5 hours of revision; pinned feedback cuts that.
If the point is getting a client to annotate the site and send you useful feedback — not annotating it yourself — the proxy-link approach is the lowest-friction version. Drop the URL into Drafty, share the link, and your client clicks any heading, button, or footer and leaves a note pinned right to it. No extension to install, no account to create, no screenshot to email. Their notes arrive in one thread, anchored to the element they meant. You reply, resolve, and share the revised version on the same link.
Open a live demoQuestions
- What is the easiest way to annotate a website?
- Paste the URL into a proxy-based annotation tool. You get a shareable link that anyone can open and click to leave notes — no extension, no code to install on the site, no account required from reviewers. It takes about 30 seconds to set up.
- Can non-technical users annotate a website without installing anything?
- Yes — with a proxy-based tool. You paste the URL, the tool generates a review link, and your client opens it in any browser and clicks to comment. The only install is on your end (a web account), not theirs.
- What is the best way to annotate a website for client feedback?
- A proxy-based link your client can open without installing anything. Extensions and embedded widgets require setup the client can't or won't do; screenshots lose their connection to the live page. A shared link your client can click to pin a note directly on the element they mean gets you useful, unambiguous feedback — 'the CTA button in the hero' is not the same as 'the button near the top.'
- How do you annotate a website on mobile?
- Browser extensions generally don't work on mobile browsers (iOS Safari and Chrome both restrict them). The reliable approach on mobile is a proxy-based tool: open the shared review link in Safari or Chrome, tap the element you want to annotate, and leave a note. No installation needed, works on any phone.
- Can I annotate a website I don't own?
- Yes. Proxy-based tools let you paste any public URL and generate a review link — the site owner doesn't need to add any code or approve access. The exception is pages that require a login to view: the annotation tool sees the same login wall a regular visitor would.
- How is annotating a website different from annotating a screenshot?
- A screenshot is a frozen image — it goes stale the moment the page changes, and the recipient has to map your markup back to the current live version. Annotating the website directly pins your note to the actual element in context, so even after the page updates, the feedback makes sense.
Keep exploring
Stop emailing files back and forth.
Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.