How to annotate a screenshot online, free

A screenshot with a red circle on it explains more than a paragraph describing where to look. Most people reach for an image editor to add that circle, which is a lot of software for one ring and an arrow.

You can do it in a browser tab in under a minute, without installing anything or uploading the image anywhere.

Annotate a screenshot in four steps

1. Take the screenshot On Windows press Win+Shift+S; on a Mac press ⌘+Shift+Ctrl+4 to copy a region straight to the clipboard. Any screenshot tool that copies to the clipboard works.
2. Paste it into the sketch pad Open the NoteDraft sketch pad and press Ctrl+V (⌘V on a Mac). The image fills the view with the pen already selected. You can also drag an image file onto the page.
3. Mark it up Draw freehand with the pen, or use the rectangle, ellipse and arrow tools for tidy callouts. The text tool adds labels. Pick a bright stroke colour in the style panel so the marks stand out.
4. Export a PNG Open the ☰ menu and choose Export PNG. Paste it into a chat, a ticket or an email.

Tips for annotations people actually read

• One point per image. Three circles and four arrows is a puzzle. Split it into several screenshots.
• Use a colour the screenshot does not. Red or magenta on a blue interface; blue on a red one.
• Arrows beat circles for small targets. A circle around a tiny icon hides it; an arrow pointing at it does not.
• Write the instruction, not the observation. "Click here" is more useful than "this button".

Is the image uploaded?

No. The sketch pad runs entirely in your browser, and the image is stored only on your device. That matters for screenshots, which have a habit of containing email addresses, customer names and other things that should not be sent to a stranger's server.