diff --git a/papis_extract/__init__.py b/papis_extract/__init__.py
index e679e6a..a557b9c 100644
--- a/papis_extract/__init__.py
+++ b/papis_extract/__init__.py
@@ -8,10 +8,7 @@ import papis.strings
 from papis.document import Document
 
 from papis_extract import extractor, exporter
-from papis_extract.formatter import (
-    Formatter,
-    formatters
-)
+from papis_extract.formatter import Formatter, formatters
 
 logger = papis.logging.get_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -52,6 +49,11 @@ papis.config.register_default_settings(DEFAULT_OPTIONS)
     ),
     help="Choose an output template to format annotations with.",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--force/--no-force",
+    "-f",
+    help="Do not drop any annotations because they already exist.",
+)
 def main(
     query: str,
     # _papis_id: bool,
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ def main(
     write: bool,
     template: str,
     git: bool,
+    force: bool,
 ) -> None:
     """Extract annotations from any pdf document.
 
@@ -84,7 +87,7 @@ def main(
 
     formatter = formatters[template]
 
-    run(documents, edit=manual, write=write, git=git, formatter=formatter)
+    run(documents, edit=manual, write=write, git=git, formatter=formatter, force=force)
 
 
 def run(
@@ -93,11 +96,12 @@ def run(
     edit: bool = False,
     write: bool = False,
     git: bool = False,
+    force: bool = False,
 ) -> None:
     annotated_docs = extractor.start(documents)
     if write:
         exporter.to_notes(
-            formatter=formatter, annotated_docs=annotated_docs, edit=edit, git=git
+            formatter=formatter, annotated_docs=annotated_docs, edit=edit, git=git, force=force
         )
     else:
         exporter.to_stdout(formatter=formatter, annotated_docs=annotated_docs)
diff --git a/papis_extract/exporter.py b/papis_extract/exporter.py
index 5d22270..80adb8c 100644
--- a/papis_extract/exporter.py
+++ b/papis_extract/exporter.py
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ def to_stdout(formatter: Formatter, annotated_docs: list[AnnotatedDocument]) ->
 
 
 def to_notes(
-    formatter: Formatter, annotated_docs: list[AnnotatedDocument], edit: bool, git: bool
+    formatter: Formatter,
+    annotated_docs: list[AnnotatedDocument],
+    edit: bool,
+    git: bool,
+    force: bool,
 ) -> None:
     """Write annotations into document notes.
 
@@ -36,7 +40,7 @@ def to_notes(
     for entry in annotated_docs:
         formatted_annotations = formatter([entry]).split("\n")
         if formatted_annotations:
-            _add_annots_to_note(entry.document, formatted_annotations)
+            _add_annots_to_note(entry.document, formatted_annotations, force=force)
 
         if edit:
             papis.commands.edit.edit_notes(entry.document, git=git)
@@ -46,11 +50,26 @@ def _add_annots_to_note(
     document: papis.document.Document,
     formatted_annotations: list[str],
     git: bool = False,
+    force: bool = False,
 ) -> None:
-    """Append new annotations to the end of a note.
+    """
+    Append new annotations to the end of a note.
 
-    Looks through note to determine any new annotations which should be
-    added and adds them to the end of the note file.
+    This function appends new annotations to the end of a note file. It takes in a
+    document object containing the note, a list of formatted annotations to be
+    added, and optional flags git and force. If git is True, the changes will be
+    committed to git. If force is True, the annotations will be added even if they
+    already exist in the note.
+
+    :param document: The document object representing the note
+    :type document: class:`papis.document.Document`
+    :param formatted_annotations: A list of already formatted annotations to be added
+    :type formatted_annotations: list[str]
+    :param git: Flag indicating whether to commit changes to git, defaults to False.
+    :type git: bool, optional
+    :param force:  Flag indicating whether to force adding annotations even if they
+        already exist, defaults to False.
+    :type force: bool, optional
     """
     logger.debug("Adding annotations to note.")
     notes_path = papis.notes.notes_path_ensured(document)
@@ -59,9 +78,9 @@ def _add_annots_to_note(
     with open(notes_path, "r") as file_read:
         existing = file_read.readlines()
 
-    new_annotations: list[str] = _drop_existing_annotations(
-        formatted_annotations, existing
-    )
+    new_annotations: list[str] = []
+    if not force:
+        new_annotations = _drop_existing_annotations(formatted_annotations, existing)
     if not new_annotations:
         return
 
diff --git a/tests/test_annotation.py b/tests/test_annotation.py
index c14ee93..529a4c1 100644
--- a/tests/test_annotation.py
+++ b/tests/test_annotation.py
@@ -26,13 +26,14 @@ def test_formatting_replacements(fmt_string, expected):
 
     assert sut.format(fmt_string) == expected
 
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "fmt_string,expected",
     [
         ("{{doc.title}}", "document-title"),
         ("{{doc.title}}-{{doc.author}}", "document-title-document-author"),
         ("{{quote}} ({{doc.author}})", "I am the text value (document-author)"),
-    ]
+    ],
 )
 def test_formatting_document_access(fmt_string, expected):
     sut = Annotation(
@@ -40,10 +41,11 @@ def test_formatting_document_access(fmt_string, expected):
         text="I am the text value",
         content="Whereas I represent the note",
     )
-    doc = Document(data= {"title": "document-title", "author": "document-author"})
+    doc = Document(data={"title": "document-title", "author": "document-author"})
 
     assert sut.format(fmt_string, doc=doc) == expected
 
+
 def test_colorname_matches_exact():
     sut = Annotation("testfile", colors=(1.0, 0.0, 0.0), minimum_similarity_color=1.0)
     c_name = sut.colorname