A method for controlling a vacuum valve arranged between two vacuum chambers comprises a valve body with a valve opening, a closure member which closes the valve opening in a closed state of the vacuum valve and which releases the valve opening in an open state of the vacuum valve, wherein, for closing the valve opening by the closure member in the closed state of the vacuum valve, at least one flexible seal contacts a sealing surface of the vacuum valve, which sealing surface is acted upon by a pressing force in the closed state of the vacuum valve, an actuating device for opening and closing the vacuum valve with at least one actuator by which the seal is placed against the sealing surface for closing the vacuum valve, and with a control unit which controls this at least one actuator, pressure measurement values being supplied to this control unit as input signals from pressure sensors which detect the respective pressure in the two vacuum chambers, wherein a differential pressure between the two vacuum chambers is determined by the control unit and the magnitude of the pressing force acting on the seal in the closed state of the vacuum valve is controlled by the control unit depending on the determined differential pressure by controlling the at least one actuator.