# PDFBetter — full page text > PDFBetter is an online PDF editor and document workflow platform: edit text, fill forms, sign and request signatures, convert, compress, OCR, and use AI that cites the page it read. Short index: https://pdfbetter.com/llms.txt. Product facts: https://pdfbetter.com/ai-facts/. ## Product facts ### What PDFBetter is - PDFBetter (pdfbetter.com) is a web-based PDF editor and document workflow product: edit existing PDF text, fill and build fillable forms, sign and request e-signatures, convert, compress, OCR, redact, share, fax, and AI tools that cite page numbers. - It runs in a web browser on desktop and mobile. PDFBetter has free desktop apps for Mac and Windows that use the same account and documents as the web; its iPhone and iPad app is coming soon to the App Store, and an Android app is coming soon. - Many page tools (merge, split, rotate, extract, organize, images to PDF, PDF to images, PDF to text, watermark, page numbers, Bates numbering across many files, headers and footers, sanitize (remove metadata, scripts, attachments and hidden layers), password protect/unlock) run entirely in the browser: the file is not uploaded and the output can be downloaded free without an account. - OCR (Tesseract, on PDFBetter's processing server) recognizes 48 languages, up to 4 per document. PDF to PDF/A writes PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b archive files; PDFBetter checks the conformance markers itself, and the output is not independently validated (for example with veraPDF). - Anyone can start any tool without an account. Edited documents need a free account to download, share or send; guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after they are created unless the person signs up, in which case they move into the account. ### Company and languages - PDFBetter is built and operated by AI Generated Inc., Austin, TX, United States. It launched in 2026. - The website and apps are available in English, Spanish, Japanese, French and German. Each language is written for its own markets, with local templates and official forms, rather than translated word for word. ### Plans and prices (USD) - Free: free. A real free plan: no card, no end date. - Pro: $15/month billed monthly or $10/month billed yearly. Everything one person needs, including e-signatures and forms. - Business: $24/month billed monthly or $18/month billed yearly, per seat. Teams, branding, bulk sending and an API. - Day Pass: $6 one-time. 24 hours of Pro for one-off jobs. No subscription, nothing renews. - AI credit pack: $5 one-time. 500 AI credits that never expire. - Fax pages pack: $6 one-time. 50 fax pages (US & Canada destinations). Never expire. - The Free plan is not a trial: it has no end date and needs no payment card. Downloads on the Free plan have no watermark. - New accounts start on the Free plan. There is no automatic trial at sign-up. - Pro and Business come with a 7-day free trial when subscribing on pdfbetter.com: a payment card is required at checkout, nothing is charged during the trial, and canceling before it ends means no charge. One trial per account; accounts that already had a subscription (on the web or through the App Store) pay from the first day. A reminder email is sent before the trial ends. - The Free plan includes 3 edited-document downloads a month, without a watermark. - Signature-request emails sent from Free accounts include a short "Sent with PDFBetter" footer. Documents and downloads do not. - Day Pass credit: upgrade to Pro within 7 days of buying a Day Pass and its price ($6) comes off the first Pro payment. - Refunds: for payments made on pdfbetter.com, email support@pdfbetter.com within 14 days of the first payment for a full refund. Purchases made through Apple's App Store are refunded by Apple, not by PDFBetter. ### Monthly allowances by plan - Edited-document downloads: Free 3, Pro Unlimited, Business Unlimited. - Signature requests: Free 3, Pro Unlimited, Business Unlimited. - Form responses: Free 50, Pro 1,000, Business 10,000. - Office & advanced conversions: Free 10, Pro 500, Business 2,000. - OCR pages: Free 20, Pro 1,000, Business 5,000. - AI credits: Free 20, Pro 500, Business 2,000. - Spreadsheet fill rows: Free 25, Pro 500, Business 5,000. - Fax pages: Free —, Pro —, Business 50. - Emails sent with documents: Free 10, Pro 500, Business 5,000. - Agent (MCP) tool calls: Free 200, Pro 5,000, Business Unlimited. ### AI features - Answers and summaries cite page numbers; quotes from the document text are checked word for word against the cited page before they are shown. Pages that are only images, such as photos and scans without OCR, are cited by page, without a quote. - PDF to mind map: every node below the centre must quote the page it cites, and the quote is checked word for word against that page's text; nodes that fail are removed and counted. Chat with an image sends the image itself to a vision-capable model with each question; answers cite the image as page 1. - AI usage is metered in credits: summary 2, chat message 1, semantic search 1, translation 1 per page, drafted document 5, AI edit 2, field detection 3, signing preparation 3, AI OCR 2 per page, proofreading 1 per page, scan restoration 2 per page, schema extraction 1 per page, AI version comparison 3, redaction suggestions 1 per page, workspace answer 2, brief or slide outline 4, quiz 2, audio brief 6, mind map 3. - Document text is processed by OpenAI's API, which does not use API inputs to train models by default. Page images for scan restoration are processed by fal.ai. - Accounts can turn on private AI mode: no stored text index, embeddings or chat history after a request, and no scan restoration. Model calls go to an OpenAI-compatible endpoint run by the deployment's operator when one is configured; otherwise they go to OpenAI's API with storage turned off. It is not a compliance certification. ### Agents, workflows and workspaces - MCP server (beta): remote MCP endpoint at https://pdfbetter.com/api/mcp/ (Streamable HTTP, Authorization: Bearer agent key). Agent access is included in Free, Pro, Business. Agent (MCP) tool calls per month: Free 200, Pro 5,000, Business unlimited. The work an agent triggers (downloads, conversions, OCR pages, AI credits) uses the same allowances as doing it in the app. (https://pdfbetter.com/integrations/mcp/) - Workflow recipes (beta): saved workflows per account: Free 1, Pro 20, Business unlimited. Each step uses the allowance of the action it runs. (https://pdfbetter.com/workflows/) - Document workspaces (beta): workspaces Free 2, Pro 50, Business unlimited; documents per workspace Free 10, Pro 50, Business 200. A cited answer across a workspace costs 2 AI credits. (https://pdfbetter.com/features/document-workspaces/) - Share-link activity (beta): included in Free, Pro, Business; activity is kept for Free 14 days, Pro 90 days, Business 365 days. (https://pdfbetter.com/features/document-analytics/) ### Features, integrations and workflows - PDFBetter MCP server (beta): To connect Claude, Cursor or another AI agent to your PDFs, use PDFBetter's remote MCP (Model Context Protocol) server: create an agent key in Settings → Agents (MCP), add https://pdfbetter.com/api/mcp/ with that key to your MCP client, and ask for what you need. (https://pdfbetter.com/integrations/mcp/) - Workflow recipes (beta): To automate PDF processing in PDFBetter, save a workflow: a repeatable sequence of steps such as recognize text (OCR), extract invoice fields, stop for a person to check them, then export a CSV. (https://pdfbetter.com/workflows/) - Document workspaces (beta): To ask questions across multiple PDFs, put them in a PDFBetter document workspace and ask in plain language. (https://pdfbetter.com/features/document-workspaces/) - Document share analytics (beta): To see who opened a PDF you shared, create the link in PDFBetter's Share dialog and open Activity: it shows, per link and per day, when the document was viewed, downloaded, commented on or filled in, alongside responses to your published forms. (https://pdfbetter.com/features/document-analytics/) - Private document AI (beta): To use AI on confidential documents in PDFBetter, switch Settings → Data & privacy → AI processing mode to Private AI. (https://pdfbetter.com/features/private-document-ai/) ### E-signatures - Self-signing by typing, drawing or uploading a signature image; requesting signatures from others with signing order (sequential or parallel), reminders, expiry, decline, optional access codes, and a certificate of completion. - Each signature request locks the document version (SHA-256) and records consent, views, signatures and IP addresses in a hash-chained audit trail. - Senders can require signers to confirm a one-time code emailed to them before opening the document. Each signer's browser signs a statement binding the document hash to their entries with a key that stays on their device; PDFBetter certifies that key. - The completed PDF is sealed with a PAdES digital signature (PDFBetter's own certificate, not yet on Adobe's trust list), time-stamped under RFC 3161 when the time-stamping service is reachable, and embeds the signing evidence; completed signing records are kept for 7 years, even if the sender deletes the document or account. - Signature requests are designed to the technical requirements of an advanced electronic signature (eIDAS art. 26): a unique key per signer, held under their sole control on their device, linked to the document so any change is detectable. Signers are identified by email (plus an optional emailed code), not ID documents or SMS, and the signatures are not qualified electronic signatures (QES). ### Security and data handling - Files are stored in Cloudflare R2 (encrypted at rest) and reached only through short-lived signed URLs; private app pages are excluded from search engines. - Guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after creation; files uploaded only to run a tool are deleted after 24 hours; deleted account documents are purged after 30 days. - Redaction rebuilds affected pages without the underlying content and verifies that no text can be extracted from redacted areas; whiteout/erase is a visual cover only. - PDFBetter does not currently claim SOC 2, ISO 27001 or HIPAA compliance and does not sign BAAs. - Website analytics: Google Analytics 4 (through Firebase) loads only after consent for visitors in the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland, and is on by default elsewhere with an opt-out under Privacy choices; Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track are treated as opt-outs. It never receives document names or contents, form values or email addresses, never runs on signing, shared-document, public-form or capture pages, and no advertising cookies are used. ### Tools - View & edit: Edit PDF, Create PDF, Find and replace PDF text, Add text to PDF, Add image to PDF, Check PDF spelling (beta), Add page numbers, Add Bates numbering, Add header and footer to PDF, Add checkmark to PDF, Insert table in PDF, Add date to PDF, Markup PDF, Highlight PDF, Add comments to PDF, Add arrows to PDF, Add sticky notes to PDF, Add circles to PDF, Annotate PDF, Measure PDF (beta), Export PDF comments (beta), PDF reader, Search PDF, Compare PDF, Edit Word document (beta). - Forms & signatures: Sign PDF, Request signatures, Online form builder, Add text fields to PDF, Add radio buttons to PDF, Create PDF template, Create fillable PDF, Remove PDF fields, Fill PDF from Excel, Add checkbox to PDF, Fill PDF, Flatten PDF. - Pages & organization: Merge PDF, Split PDF, Assemble PDF, Organize PDF, Add pages to PDF, Batch merge PDF, Rotate PDF, Remove PDF pages, Resize PDF, Rearrange PDF pages, Extract PDF pages. - Convert from PDF: Convert PDF, PDF to Word (beta), PDF to JPG, PDF to PowerPoint (beta), PDF to Excel (beta), PDF to PNG, PDF to CSV, PDF to TXT, PDF to PDF/A (beta). - Convert to PDF: Word to PDF, JPG to PDF, PPT to PDF, Excel to PDF, PPTX to PDF, PNG to PDF. - Optimize & OCR: Compress PDF (beta), Edit scanned PDF (beta), OCR PDF (beta). - Security & cleanup: Erase PDF content, Add watermark to PDF, Protect PDF, Unlock PDF, Redact PDF (beta), Remove PDF watermark (beta), Sanitize PDF. - Share & deliver: Share PDF, Export PDF, Print PDF, Fax PDF (beta), PDF to URL. - AI tools: AI PDF summarizer, AI PDF translator (beta), Chat with PDF, AI search in PDF (beta), AI document creator (beta), AI PDF editor (beta), AI signature preparation (beta), AI OCR (beta), Restore scanned PDF (beta), PDF to mind map (beta), Chat with an image (beta), PDF to JSON, PDF to brief (beta), PDF to presentation (beta), PDF to audio brief (beta), PDF to quiz (beta), AI compare PDF versions (beta), AI redaction review (beta). ## Feature, integration and workflow pages ### Connect Claude, Cursor and other AI agents to your PDFs URL: https://pdfbetter.com/integrations/mcp/ · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 To connect Claude, Cursor or another AI agent to your PDFs, use PDFBetter's remote MCP (Model Context Protocol) server: create an agent key in Settings → Agents (MCP), add https://pdfbetter.com/api/mcp/ with that key to your MCP client, and ask for what you need. The agent can then list your documents, fill form fields, merge, split, convert, compress and OCR files, extract invoice data to JSON, run workflows, ask across document workspaces, and answer questions with page citations. Results come back as new documents or revisions and short-lived download links; originals are not overwritten. #### Connect in three steps The endpoint is https://pdfbetter.com/api/mcp/ (keep the trailing slash). It speaks Streamable HTTP and authenticates with an Authorization: Bearer header. 1. **Create an agent key** — In Settings → Agents (MCP), name the key after the client that will use it and choose its permissions. The key starts with pb_mcp_ and is shown once. 2. **Add the server to your client** — Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http pdfbetter https://pdfbetter.com/api/mcp/ --header "Authorization: Bearer pb_mcp_…". Cursor: add the URL and an Authorization header to mcp.json. The settings page has copy-paste snippets for each client, including Claude Desktop through the mcp-remote bridge. 3. **Ask for an outcome** — For example: “Merge the three latest invoices into one PDF and give me the link”, or “What is the notice period in the lease? Quote the page.” #### What the agent can do Documents: list and search documents, read details, import a PDF from a public URL, get an upload link for local files, list and fill form fields, export the filled PDF, start a document from a template, and read published forms and their responses. PDF tools: merge, split, rotate and extract pages (each result is saved as a new document), convert PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, CSV, text or images and Office files to PDF, compress, and add a searchable text layer to scans (OCR). AI: a summary whose key points cite page numbers, and answers to questions with quotes from the text checked word for word against the cited page (pages that are only images are cited by page, without a quote). When the document doesn't contain the answer, the agent is told so instead of getting a guess. Data extraction: list and create extraction schemas, extract one document with page evidence per value, start a batch, check its progress, record review decisions and export JSON, CSV or Excel. Workflows and workspaces: list saved workflows, start a run on a document, check where it is and cancel it, and approve a review step only where you allowed agent approval. Create workspaces, add documents, ask across them with version-aware citations, and generate a cited brief or slide outline. Review aids: compare two versions of a document and get the explained change list, request redaction suggestions (applying redaction stays with a person in the app), and read share-link activity and form submissions. #### Permissions and safety Each key has permissions you choose when you create it: read documents, create and fill documents, read forms and responses, read templates, run PDF tools, use AI, read or run extractions, read or run workflows, read or manage workspaces, and read share analytics. The agent only sees and can only call the tools its key allows; a call outside them is refused. Keys act as you, on your own documents and those shared with your team. Revoke a key in Settings and the client loses access immediately. We store only a hash of each key. Changes to existing documents keep history: filling fields and OCR save a new revision, and page tools write new documents. Filling fields and OCR on an existing document are also recorded in its audit trail. The endpoint refuses requests from web pages: keys belong in an MCP client or a server, never in a browser. #### Pricing Agent access is included on every account plan, including Free. Each tool call counts one agent call; failed calls don't count. Agent calls per month: 200 on Free, 5,000 on Pro, unlimited (fair use) on Business. The work a call triggers uses the same allowances as doing it in the app: exported documents, server conversions (including compression), OCR pages and AI credits. A Business API key (pb_live_) also works on this endpoint. #### What it doesn't do - An MCP server is not a scheduler or an autonomous agent: nothing runs unless your client calls a tool. For repeated steps on new documents, use workflow recipes. - Agents act only within the key's scopes and your plan's limits. They can't send signature requests, manage webhooks, delete documents or change account settings. - Long work (conversions, compression, OCR) returns a job id that the agent polls; it doesn't block the call until the file is ready. - Sign-in is by key in a header. There is no OAuth sign-in yet, so clients that only support OAuth connectors need a bridge such as mcp-remote. - Download links expire after a few minutes; the agent asks for a fresh one when needed. - AI answers read the document's text layer. Scanned pages need OCR first, and pages beyond your plan's AI page limit are not read (the answer says which). #### FAQ **Which MCP clients work with PDFBetter?** Any client that supports remote servers over Streamable HTTP with a custom Authorization header, including Claude Code and Cursor. Claude Desktop works through the open-source mcp-remote bridge until PDFBetter offers OAuth sign-in. **Does the agent change my original files?** No. Merge, split, rotate and extract pages create new documents. Filling fields and OCR save a new revision of the same document, and earlier revisions stay in its version history. **How are agent calls counted?** Every successful tool call counts one agent call against your monthly allowance; calls that fail (for example a missing permission or an invalid page range) don't. Exports, conversions, OCR pages and AI credits are counted by their own meters, exactly as in the app. **Can I limit what an agent can do?** Yes. Choose the permissions when you create the key, for example read-only access to documents. Tools outside those permissions are hidden from the agent and refused if called. Use one key per client so you can revoke them separately. **Can an agent work on a file from my computer?** Yes. The agent asks for an upload link, uploads the file to it, and then creates a document from the upload. Public files can also be imported by URL; private network addresses and redirects are refused. **Do I need to install anything?** No server to install. Claude Code and Cursor connect to the URL directly with your key in a header. Claude Desktop needs Node.js for the mcp-remote bridge, which the settings page's snippet runs with npx. **Can an agent extract invoice data or run my workflows?** Yes, if its key has the extraction or workflow permissions. It can extract fields to JSON with page evidence, run batches and exports, and start workflow runs. Review steps still wait for a person unless you allowed agent approval on that step. **Are the AI answers reliable?** Answers are drawn from the document's own text and cite pages. Each quote is checked against the text of the cited page and dropped if it isn't there; an answer with no verifiable quote is reported as not found. Check important answers against the cited pages. ### Automate PDF processing with saved workflows URL: https://pdfbetter.com/workflows/ · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 To automate PDF processing in PDFBetter, save a workflow: a repeatable sequence of steps such as recognize text (OCR), extract invoice fields, stop for a person to check them, then export a CSV. Set it to start whenever a document is moved into a chosen folder, or run it by hand or from an AI agent. It runs one step at a time with its progress saved, retries steps that fail for temporary reasons, and waits at review steps until someone approves. It is not an autonomous agent: it only does the steps you chose, in the order you chose. #### What a workflow does You pick steps from a fixed list: recognize text (OCR), extract data with one of your extraction schemas, review, export the extracted data as JSON, CSV or Excel, summarize with page citations, suggest redactions, add the document to a workspace, or send a webhook. Each run saves the state of every step (status, attempts, the ids of what it produced), so a run survives time limits and restarts, and the run history shows exactly where it is and why it stopped. Steps that read text — extraction, summaries and redaction suggestions — work on the document's text layer. Put OCR first for scans. 1. **Start from a recipe** — Pick a preset — “Invoices: OCR → extract → review → export CSV”, “Contracts: summarize → add to workspace” or “Sensitive docs: suggest redactions → review” — or start empty, then add, remove and reorder steps. 2. **Choose what starts it** — Run it by hand on a document, from a connected agent, or automatically on each document you move into a chosen folder. 3. **Approve at review steps** — The run pauses at a review step. Open it to see the extracted values with the page they came from, correct them, and approve or reject. 4. **Collect the result** — Download the export from the run, or have it delivered to your webhook endpoint (Business). #### Review gates and agents Review steps wait until a person decides. By default only a person can approve, in the dashboard. You can allow agent approval on a specific review step; then an agent connection key with workflow write access may approve that step and no other. Rejecting at a review step stops the run; nothing after it runs. Extracted values are saved with your corrections, so exports use what the reviewer approved. #### Retries and failures Temporary failures — a busy AI provider, a timeout, a processing hiccup — are retried up to three times with growing pauses (about 30 seconds, then 2 minutes). Problems a retry can't fix, such as an exhausted monthly allowance, a missing document or invalid settings, stop the run right away with the reason. A failed run can be retried from the step that failed; a canceled or rejected run can't. #### What it costs A workflow itself has no per-run fee. Each step uses the same allowance as doing it by hand: OCR uses OCR pages, extraction, summaries and redaction suggestions use AI credits, and agent tool calls count as agent calls. Saved workflows per account: 1 on Free, 20 on Pro, unlimited on Business. #### What it doesn't do - Steps run one after another; there is no branching, looping or running steps in parallel. - A workflow is not an autonomous agent: it can't decide to do anything beyond its saved steps, and it never applies redactions on its own — redaction suggestions still need review and applying in the editor. - Review steps wait until someone approves, rejects or cancels — there is no automatic timeout. - Folder triggers start when a document is moved into the folder. Documents uploaded elsewhere don't start a run until they're filed there. - Scanned pages have no text until OCR runs; extraction and summaries on scans without an OCR step find little or nothing. - Editing a workflow doesn't change runs already in progress; they finish with the steps they started with. #### FAQ **Does a workflow run on its own on every upload?** Only if you set its trigger to a folder: each document you move into that folder starts one run. Otherwise you start runs by hand on a document, or an agent starts them through the MCP connection. **Can I automate invoice processing with it?** Yes. The Invoices preset runs OCR, extracts the fields of an extraction schema you choose (such as invoice number, dates, total and line items), stops for a person to check the values against their page quotes, and exports a CSV. Moving each invoice into the workflow's folder starts it. **Can an AI agent approve the review step for me?** Only when you turn on agent approval for that specific review step. Otherwise an agent gets an error telling it a person must approve in the dashboard. **What happens if I run out of AI credits or OCR pages in the middle of a run?** The step stops with the allowance message and the run is marked failed; it isn't retried automatically. After topping up or upgrading, use Retry on the run to continue from that step. **Are my extracted values or document text stored in the run history?** No. Run history keeps ids and counts — which extraction, which revision, how many fields were found — and at most a short excerpt of a summary. The values themselves stay in the extraction record you can open and export. **Can I change a workflow while it's running?** Yes. Runs keep a copy of the steps they started with, so the change applies to the next run. **How do I get the exported file into another system?** Download it from the run, or choose webhook delivery on the export step: a signed webhook event carries a link to the file that works for 24 hours. Webhooks are part of the Business plan. ### Ask questions across multiple PDFs, with citations URL: https://pdfbetter.com/features/document-workspaces/ · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 To ask questions across multiple PDFs, put them in a PDFBetter document workspace and ask in plain language. The answer draws on every document, cites the document, the version it was read from and the page for each claim, with a quote checked word for word against that page, and says so when the documents don't cover the question. An answer costs 2 AI credits, and the same workspace can turn the documents into a brief, slide outline, audio brief or quiz. #### What a workspace does Add documents you already have in PDFBetter — your own, your team's, or ones shared with you for editing — and give each a short label such as “Lease 2025” that appears in citations. Ask across documents finds the most relevant passages in each document, so one long file can't crowd out the others, and writes an answer with numbered citations. When the documents don't answer the question, it says so instead of guessing. Briefs, slide outlines, quizzes and audio briefs are saved in the workspace with their citations, so you can come back to them, download the PDF or MP3, and follow every source link. 1. **Create a workspace** — Name it after the project or question, for example “Office move” or “Q3 supplier review”. 2. **Add documents** — Pick documents from your library. Pin a document to its current version, or let it follow the latest version. 3. **Ask or generate** — Ask a question (2 AI credits) or generate a brief (4), quiz (2) or audio brief (6). 4. **Check the sources** — Each citation shows the document label, version and page, and opens the document in the editor. #### Version-aware citations PDFBetter documents keep versions as you edit them. A workspace either pins a document to one version or follows the latest one, and every answer records which version it read. A quote is kept only when it appears word for word on the cited page of that version. Citations that fail the check are removed and the output says how many — they are never redirected to a nearby page. Pinning is useful when you compare drafts: pin the signed version of an agreement and add the new draft that follows the latest version, then ask what changed. #### Who can see what A workspace belongs to the person who created it; it isn't shared with a team. Its documents follow the normal document permissions: you can only add documents you can open, and access is checked again every time the workspace is used. If a document is deleted or you lose access to it, the workspace keeps the entry but skips it and tells you, rather than reading it. #### Limits by plan Free: 2 workspaces with up to 10 documents each. Pro: 50 workspaces, 50 documents each. Business: unlimited workspaces, 200 documents each. AI features also read a limited number of pages per document per plan; pages beyond that limit, and scanned pages without a text layer, are listed as not read. #### What it doesn't do - It isn't a shared drive: documents stay where they are, and a workspace only references them. - It isn't full enterprise search: it searches the documents in one workspace, not your whole account or other systems. - Scanned PDFs need OCR before they can be searched or cited; text in images and charts isn't read. - Answers and briefs can be wrong or incomplete. Citations are checked for exact quotes, not for whether the conclusion drawn from them is right. - Workspaces can't be shared with team members yet. #### FAQ **How is this different from Chat with PDF?** Chat with PDF talks to one document inside the editor. A workspace holds several documents, searches each of them so one long file can't crowd out the others, and every citation names which document and version it came from. **How many PDFs can I ask across?** Up to 10 documents per workspace on Free, 50 on Pro and 200 on Business. Each document is read up to your plan's AI page limit; pages beyond it are listed as not read. **What happens when I edit a document that's in a workspace?** If the workspace follows the latest version, the next answer reads the edited version. If it's pinned, it keeps reading the pinned version until you unpin it. **Can I ask across documents from different people?** Yes, if you can open them in PDFBetter — your own, your team's, or documents shared with you for editing. Access is re-checked every time. **What does it cost?** Workspaces are included in the plan limits above. AI actions use credits: 2 per answer, 4 per brief or slide outline, 2 per quiz, 6 per audio brief. **What if the documents don't answer my question?** The answer says the documents don't cover it and shows no citations. It doesn't fall back to general knowledge. **Can an agent use workspaces?** Yes. With an agent connection key, MCP tools can list workspaces, add documents, ask across them and generate cited briefs. ### See who viewed your shared PDF, without tracking people URL: https://pdfbetter.com/features/document-analytics/ · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 To see who opened a PDF you shared, create the link in PDFBetter's Share dialog and open Activity: it shows, per link and per day, when the document was viewed, downloaded, commented on or filled in, alongside responses to your published forms. For links limited to specific people, each event shows the verified email of the account that opened it. For anyone-with-the-link links you see counts, a coarse browser family and country — visitors are counted with a hash that changes every day, so no one can be followed across days, and no IP address is stored. #### What is recorded For each share link: when it was viewed, downloaded, commented on or filled in through the link, when someone entered a wrong password, and when someone opened it after it expired. Public form submissions are counted from the responses you already collect. With each event we keep a coarse browser family such as “Chrome on macOS”, the country your CDN reports (when it does), and a visitor hash: an HMAC of the network address and browser family, keyed with a secret that changes every day. The same visitor on the same day gets the same hash, so repeat views within 30 minutes count once and a day's unique visitors can be counted. Tomorrow the hash is unrelated. On links restricted to specific email addresses, the event records the email address the visitor signed in and verified. That shows which invited account opened it — it is not proof of who was at the keyboard. #### What is not recorded No IP address and no raw user-agent string is stored. Nothing about the document's content, what was typed into fields, or how long someone read a page is recorded — PDFBetter does not measure read time or scroll depth. Visitors whose browser sends Do-Not-Track or Global Privacy Control are recorded as an event and a time only: no hash, browser, country or email. #### How to use it Activity is on by default for share links you create with a free account. 1. **Share a document** — Create a share link from the editor's Share dialog, or publish a fillable form. Optionally set an expiry date, a password, or turn off downloads. 2. **Limit it to specific people (optional)** — Turn on “Only specific people” and list their email addresses. They sign in with those emails to open the link, and Activity shows which of them did. 3. **Open Activity** — Links are ranked by most recent activity, with a per-day chart of views, downloads and submissions. 4. **Pick a link** — See its timeline and recent events, then follow up or turn the link off from the document. #### How long activity is kept Events are deleted automatically after your plan's share-activity history period, and the Activity page only lets you look back that far. Activity is kept for 14 days on Free, 90 days on Pro, 365 days on Business. #### What it doesn't do - A view is not verified identity. Anyone with the link can open it, and a shared network or browser can make two people look like one visitor. - Link previewers and bots can still register views. PDFBetter filters common crawlers and preview fetchers by user agent; this filter is basic and not exhaustive. - Because the visitor hash changes daily, the same person returning on two days counts as two visitor-days. Unique people over a longer period can't be counted — by design. - Activity is recorded from the moment this feature is enabled; earlier views only appear in the link's simple view counter. #### FAQ **Can I see who opened my document?** Not by name for “anyone with the link” links — only that a visitor opened it, roughly where and with what browser family. For links limited to specific emails, you see the verified email address of the account that opened it. **How long is the activity history kept?** Activity is kept for 14 days on Free, 90 days on Pro, 365 days on Business. **Do you store IP addresses?** No. The network address is used for a moment to compute a daily-rotating hash and is then discarded. **Do you track read time or which pages were read?** No. PDFBetter does not record read time, scroll depth or page-by-page reading. **What happens with Do-Not-Track?** The event is kept with its type and time only, without a visitor hash, browser, country or email. **Why do I see a view I don't recognise?** It may be a link-preview service (chat apps and email scanners fetch links) that our basic bot filter didn't recognise, or someone the link was forwarded to. **Can my agent read this activity?** Yes. An agent connected over MCP with the analytics:read scope can call get_share_activity and list_form_submissions. ### Private AI for confidential documents URL: https://pdfbetter.com/features/private-document-ai/ · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 To use AI on confidential documents in PDFBetter, switch Settings → Data & privacy → AI processing mode to Private AI. Private mode reads your document for one request and keeps nothing afterwards: no stored text index, no embeddings, no saved chat. If the deployment's operator has configured their own model endpoint, model calls go there; if not, they go to the hosted AI provider with storage turned off, and the settings page tells you which applies. Tools that run in your browser are more private still, because the file never leaves your device. #### Three levels of privacy, stated plainly Browser tools (merge, split, rotate, extract pages, images to PDF and others) run on your device. The file is not uploaded, so there's nothing on our servers to keep or delete. Private AI mode processes your document on our servers for the length of one request. Page text and search data stay in memory and are discarded when the answer is sent. Chat answers aren't saved. Standard AI mode also sends document text to the hosted AI provider with storage turned off, but it keeps each document's extracted text and search index in our database. That makes repeat questions faster and cheaper, and it saves chat history so you can come back to a conversation. #### Where model calls go PDFBetter can be configured with a private, OpenAI-compatible model endpoint: for example a self-hosted vLLM or Ollama server in the operator's own environment. In private mode, summaries, chat, translation and other text features are sent there instead of the hosted provider. If no private endpoint is configured, private mode still applies its no-retention rules, but model calls go to the hosted provider's API with storage turned off. The settings page shows whether a private endpoint is configured. It shows a yes or no only; the endpoint address is never displayed. 1. **Open Data & privacy settings** — In your account, go to Settings → Data & privacy and find the AI processing section. 2. **Choose Private AI** — Switching deletes the stored AI index for every document you own right away. Your documents themselves are not touched. 3. **Check the endpoint line** — It says whether model calls in private mode go to an operator-run endpoint or to the hosted provider with storage off. 4. **Use AI tools as usual** — Summaries, chat and search work the same way, but each request reads the document again and nothing is saved afterwards. #### What changes in private mode Search by meaning uses the private endpoint's embedding model when one is configured. Otherwise search matches keywords, which finds exact terms but not paraphrases. Features that send page images (form-field detection and AI text recognition for scans) work only if the private endpoint accepts images. Scan restoration, which uses a third-party image service, is always off in private mode. We're testing small document-parsing models, such as Granite Docling, and layout-aware parsers to see whether they can run privately at good quality. They are evaluation candidates, not features you can use today. #### What it doesn't do - Private mode is not a compliance certification. PDFBetter doesn't claim HIPAA, GDPR or SOC 2 certification for it and doesn't sign BAAs. - Without an operator-configured private endpoint, document text still goes to the hosted AI provider (with storage turned off). Only retention changes. - Documents are read again for every request, so long documents are slower and very long ones may need fewer pages per request. - Chat doesn't remember earlier questions in private mode, because nothing is saved between messages. - Your documents themselves are still stored in your workspace until you delete them. Private mode covers AI-derived data, not the files you upload. #### FAQ **Does private mode mean my document never leaves my computer?** No. Private AI runs on servers. Only browser tools keep the file on your device. Private mode means nothing derived from the document (text index, embeddings, chat answers) is kept after the request. **Who runs the private model endpoint?** The operator of the PDFBetter deployment configures it, for example a self-hosted model server in their own environment. If none is configured, the settings page says so, and private mode uses the hosted provider with storage turned off. **What happens to my existing AI index when I switch?** It's deleted immediately for every document you own. You can also delete it at any time with “Delete stored AI index now”, and optionally delete saved AI chat history too. **Why is scan restoration unavailable in private mode?** Restoration sends page images to a third-party image service. Private mode never does that, so the feature is turned off. OCR on our conversion servers still works. **Does private mode cost more AI credits?** No. Each action costs the same credits listed on the pricing page. Private mode just repeats the reading step on every request instead of reusing a stored index. **Can I use it for medical, legal or client records?** That depends on your own obligations, not on a setting. PDFBetter makes no compliance or certification claims for private mode and doesn't sign BAAs. If your rules forbid sending text to a third-party model, use private mode only with an operator-run endpoint, or keep to browser tools. **Should I redact a document before asking AI about it?** If the AI doesn't need the personal details to answer, yes. AI redaction review suggests names, ID numbers, card numbers and IBANs to remove, and once you apply them, AI tools read the redacted version of the document. **Are Granite Docling or other small models used today?** Not yet. We're measuring them against the current text extraction on invoices, scans, tables and Turkish and English documents. We'll only switch a workload if the results are better. ## Tool pages ### Edit PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/edit-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Click the words you need to change, type the correction, and download a PDF that looks like the original with your fix in place. To edit a PDF, open it in an editor that can change the text already printed on the page, not just type on top of it. In PDFBetter you upload the file, click any line of original text and retype it; the editor covers the old words and sets the new ones in the closest matching font, size and color. This is the right tool for local corrections when you no longer have the Word or InDesign source: a misspelled name in a lease, a wrong unit price on an invoice, last year's date on a flyer, an outdated phone number in a brochure. If the same mistake appears many times, Find and replace fixes every copy in one pass. If you need to add new words where there were none, Add text places a fresh text box instead. A PDF stores positioned characters, not paragraphs, so every edit is local. Your replacement is drawn inside the original line's box and the text around it does not move or reflow. The original characters are hidden under an opaque cover rather than deleted from the file, which is fine for corrections but not for removing confidential information. For that, use Redact PDF, which rebuilds the page without the marked content. The link opens with original-text editing already selected, so there is no hunting through menus. You can make every change without an account; guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after you create them. Downloading the edited file needs a free account, which includes 3 edited-document downloads a month without a watermark. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Drop a PDF up to 25 MB and 200 pages without an account (50 MB and 500 pages on a free account). Unlock password-protected files first. 2. **Click the text to change** — Original text becomes editable line by line. Select the words and type the correction; use the style bar if the matched font, size or color needs a nudge. 3. **Check the rest of the document** — Scroll through the page thumbnails or search for other copies of the same error. Undo and redo cover every change. 4. **Download** — Create a free account to download. Choose whether to keep form fields fillable or flatten everything into the page. #### Settings - Font family: Sans-serif (Helvetica), serif (Times) or monospace (Courier), with bold and italic. The editor preselects the family closest to the original. - Size and color: Point size and text color, prefilled from the line you clicked. - Cover color: The color painted over the old text. Change it when the line sits on a tinted panel instead of white paper. - Alignment: Left, center or right inside the original line's box — useful for centered headings and right-aligned totals. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Fonts embedded in the PDF cannot be reused for new characters. Replacements use the closest of three standard families (sans, serif, monospace), so brand or display typefaces will look different on edited lines. - Edits do not reflow paragraphs. A longer replacement wraps inside the original box and can collide with the next line; shorten the wording or resize the box. - The original text stays in the file underneath the cover, so copy-paste, search and screen readers may still find it. Use Redact PDF to remove sensitive text. - Scanned pages are images with no text layer. Run OCR first (see Edit scanned PDF) before original text becomes clickable. - The cover is a solid color, so text printed over photos, gradients or patterns leaves a visible patch. #### FAQ **Will the replacement font match the original exactly?** Only if the original is Helvetica/Arial, Times or Courier style. Otherwise the editor picks the closest family and matches size and color; on body text the difference is usually hard to spot, on logos and headlines it is not. **Does editing delete the old text from the file?** No. The old characters are covered and new ones drawn on top. That keeps the layout intact but means the original can still be extracted, so use Redact PDF when the old text must be gone. **Can I edit a PDF that someone has digitally signed?** You can, but any change to a certificate-signed PDF makes readers report the signature as invalid or altered. Make corrections before signing, or ask the signer to sign the corrected version. **Will form fields still work after I edit the page text?** Yes. Existing fillable fields stay interactive unless you choose to flatten when you download. **Can I rewrite whole paragraphs?** You can, but long rewrites are easier in Word because PDFs do not reflow. Convert with PDF to Word, edit, then convert back with Word to PDF. **Do I need an account to try it?** No. You can upload and make every edit as a guest. A free account is needed only when you download, and it keeps the draft you already made. ### Create a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/create-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Pick a page size and page count, get a blank document in the editor, and build your PDF with text, images, tables and fields. To create a PDF from scratch, start a blank document at the page size you need and place content on it: text boxes, images, tables, checkmarks, dates and, if people will fill it in, form fields. PDFBetter opens the blank pages straight in the editor so you are building, not converting. Starting blank makes sense for short, layout-driven documents: a one-page notice, a sign-up sheet, a simple order form, a cover page for a packet, a printable checklist. If the content already exists in Word, Excel or PowerPoint, converting it (Word to PDF and friends) keeps your formatting with far less work. If you want a finished document to adapt, the template library has invoices, NDAs, leases and intake forms ready to fill. If you want help drafting the words, AI document creator writes a first version for you to edit. Page size is set when you start and is the main decision: US Letter (8.5 × 11 in, 612 × 792 points) for the US and Canada, A4 (210 × 297 mm) almost everywhere else, Legal for some US contracts and court filings. You can add, remove, reorder and rotate pages later from the Pages panel, so a landscape table page can sit between portrait pages. Everything you type is real, selectable text, so the finished file is searchable and readable by assistive technology. You can build as a guest; downloading the result uses a free account's monthly allowance of edited-document downloads. #### Steps 1. **Choose a page size and count** — US Letter, Legal, Tabloid, A3, A4 or A5, and how many pages to start with. You can add more pages later. 2. **Add your content** — Use Text for headings and paragraphs, Image for logos and photos, Table for grids, and Fields if someone will fill the document in. 3. **Arrange the pages** — Open Pages to insert blank pages, import pages from another PDF, rotate a page to landscape or reorder. 4. **Download or share** — Name the document and download it as a PDF with a free account, or keep editing later from your documents list. #### Settings - Page size: US Letter (8.5 × 11 in), US Legal (8.5 × 14 in), Tabloid (11 × 17 in), A3, A4 or A5. - Number of pages: How many blank pages the document starts with; add or remove pages at any time. - Title: Stored as the PDF's document title, which readers show in the window bar and search engines may use. Input: Blank page. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - This is a page-layout editor, not a word processor: text in a box does not flow onto the next page, and there are no paragraph styles, footnotes or automatic table of contents. Long reports are easier to write in Word and convert. - Text uses three standard font families (sans-serif, serif, monospace). Custom font uploads are not supported. - Images must be PNG or JPG; convert HEIC, WebP or SVG files before inserting them. #### FAQ **Which page size should I pick?** Use US Letter if the document will be printed in the US or Canada and A4 elsewhere. Legal is longer (14 in) and is mainly used for some US contracts and court forms. **Can I turn the blank PDF into a fillable form?** Yes. Switch to Fields and place text boxes, checkboxes, dropdowns, dates and signature fields. For collecting responses online, Form builder can publish the form as a link. **Can I mix portrait and landscape pages?** Yes. Rotate individual pages in the Pages panel; each page keeps its own orientation in the downloaded PDF. **Will the text be searchable?** Yes. Typed text is stored as real text, so it can be searched, selected and copied in any PDF reader. **Can I start from a template instead of a blank page?** Yes. The template library has original invoices, service agreements, NDAs, leases and intake forms that open in the same editor. **Is anything saved if I close the tab?** As a guest, drafts are kept for 1 hour after you create them. With a free account the document is saved to your list and keeps 7 days of version history. ### Find and replace text in a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/find-replace-pdf-text/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Type what to find and what to put instead, review the list of matches, then replace the ones you choose across the whole document. To find and replace text in a PDF, search the document's text layer for a word or phrase, review each match in context, and swap in the new wording either one match at a time or for all matches at once. PDFBetter shows every hit with its page number and surrounding words before anything changes. Use it when the same correction repeats: a company renamed after a merger, a product name changed in a 40-page manual, a client's name in a reused proposal, an old email address in every footer. For a single fix, clicking the text with Edit PDF is quicker. To simply locate words without changing them, Search PDF is the read-only version. Replace one versus replace all matters. Stepping through matches lets you skip places where the word means something else — replacing “Lee” in a contract should not touch “Leeds” or “lessee”, which is what Whole words and Match case are for. Replace all is right when you have checked the match list and every hit should change. Each replacement is an original-text edit: the old words are covered and the new ones drawn in the closest standard font, so surrounding text does not move. Matches inside images, logos or scanned pages are not text and will not be found; run OCR first if the PDF is a scan. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The editor opens with the find-and-replace panel already showing. 2. **Enter the search and the replacement** — Turn on Match case or Whole words if the term is short or appears inside other words. 3. **Review the matches** — Each hit is listed with its page and context. Click one to jump to it on the page. 4. **Replace one or all** — Replace the current match and move to the next, or replace every listed match at once. Undo reverses a replace-all in one step. 5. **Download** — Sign in to a free account to download the corrected PDF. #### Settings - Match case: Only matches with identical capitalization, so “Apple” does not catch “apple”. - Whole words: Ignores matches inside longer words, so “art” does not catch “start” or “party”. - Replace / Replace all: Change the selected match only, or every match in the list after you have reviewed it. Input: PDF (with a text layer). Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Only the text layer is searched. Words inside images, logos, charts and scanned pages are not found until the file is OCR'd. - Phrases broken across a line end, hyphenated, or stored with unusual letter spacing may be extracted as separate pieces and not match a multi-word search. Search for a shorter part of the phrase. - Replacements do not reflow text. A much longer replacement may overflow its line; check each page after a replace-all. - Replaced words are covered, not deleted, so the old wording can still be extracted from the file. Use Redact PDF if the original must be removed. #### FAQ **Is there a limit to how many matches I can replace?** The match list shows up to 2,000 matches per search, across every page within your plan's page limit (200 pages as a guest, 500 on a free account). For more, narrow the search and run it again. **Can I preview what will change before replacing?** Yes. Every match is listed with its page number and surrounding words, and clicking a match scrolls to it on the page. **Does replace all work across every page?** Yes. It applies to every match in the list, on every page, and Undo reverses all of them together. **Will the replaced text use the same font?** It uses the closest standard family (sans, serif or monospace) at the original size and color. Unusual typefaces will not match exactly. **Can I find and replace in a scanned PDF?** Not directly. Run OCR to add a text layer, then search; replacements on OCR'd scans are drawn over the image, so check them visually. **Does it search form field values and comments?** It searches the page text. Values typed into form fields and comment threads are edited in the Fill and Comments panels. ### Add text to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-text-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Click anywhere on a page, type, and position a text box that stays exactly where you put it in the downloaded PDF. To add text to a PDF, choose the text tool, click the spot on the page, and type; the text box can then be moved, resized and styled. PDFBetter opens with this tool selected, so you can start typing on the page as soon as the file loads. This is how you fill a form that has no fillable fields — a printed application that was scanned, a flat government PDF, a handout with blank lines — and how you add notes, labels, addresses or a short paragraph to any document. It also covers what people search as “type on PDF” or “write on PDF”: the result is typed text, not handwriting. Adding text is different from editing text. Add text puts new words on top of the page and leaves everything underneath alone; Edit PDF changes words that are already there. It is also different from a fillable text field: an added text box is fixed content you type now, while a text field (Add text fields) is an empty box someone else fills in later. Boxes either grow with your typing or wrap at a fixed width, so a paragraph stays inside a column. What you see in the editor is what the download contains, at the same position, font and size. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Flat forms, scans and normal PDFs all work; the text tool is selected when the editor opens. 2. **Click and type** — Click where the text should start. Press Enter for a new line inside the same box. 3. **Style and position** — Change font, size, color, bold, italic and alignment. Drag to move; drag the side handle to set a wrap width. 4. **Download** — Create a free account to download. Choose flatten if the text must not be editable in other PDF apps. #### Settings - Font: Helvetica-style sans-serif, Times-style serif or Courier-style monospace, each with bold and italic. - Size, color and line height: Any point size; hex colors; line spacing for multi-line boxes. - Auto-size or fixed width: Auto-size grows the box as you type. Fixed width wraps lines inside the box, useful for paragraphs and columns. - Alignment: Left, center or right inside the box. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Three font families are available; you cannot match a document's custom typeface with added text. - Text boxes do not push existing page content aside. If a blank is too short, the text overlaps whatever is next to it — shrink the font or widen the box. - Text added to a scan sits on top of the image; it is selectable, but the scanned words around it are not unless you run OCR. #### FAQ **Is “type on PDF” the same as adding text?** Yes. Typing on a PDF, writing on a PDF and adding a text box all describe placing new typed text on a page, which is what this tool does. **Can I add text to a PDF that is not fillable?** Yes. The text tool works on any page, which is the usual way to complete flat or scanned forms. **Can someone else edit my added text later?** In PDFBetter, yes, until you download. In the downloaded file, text added without flattening is page content most readers cannot edit; flattening makes that certain. **How do I make the text fit on a narrow line?** Lower the font size or use a fixed-width box; the editor previews the wrap before you download. **Can I add handwriting instead of typed text?** Use the drawing tool for freehand marks, or Sign PDF for a signature. This tool is for typed text. **Will added text be searchable?** Yes. It is stored as real text, so it can be searched and copied in other PDF readers. ### Add an image to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-image-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a PDF, drop in a PNG or JPG, and resize and position it exactly where it belongs on the page. To add an image to a PDF, open the page in an editor, insert a PNG or JPG, then drag it into position and resize it from a corner so its proportions stay correct. PDFBetter opens with the image tool selected so the file picker is one click away. Typical jobs: putting your company logo on a quote or letterhead, adding a product photo to a spec sheet, inserting a scanned stamp or seal, or attaching a photo of a receipt to an expense form. For a signature, use Sign PDF instead — it creates a signature object you can reuse and that sits on the signature line, rather than a loose picture. Use PNG for logos, stamps and anything that needs a transparent background; transparency is preserved, so a logo sits cleanly on colored paper. Use JPG for photos. The opacity slider turns any image into a faint background mark; for a repeating mark on every page, Add watermark is the right tool. If you want to build a PDF out of images rather than add one to an existing page, JPG to PDF turns each photo into its own page. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The editor opens with the image tool active. 2. **Choose an image** — Pick a PNG or JPG from your device. It is placed on the current page at a sensible size. 3. **Resize and position** — Drag corners to resize with the aspect ratio locked; drag the image to move it. Set opacity if needed. 4. **Download** — Sign in to a free account to download the PDF with the image embedded. #### Settings - Size and position: Corner handles scale proportionally; the position is stored in PDF points so it lands identically in the download. - Opacity: Fade an image to sit behind text, for example a faint seal or background logo. - Duplicate: Copy a placed logo to other pages at the same position. Input: PDF, PNG, JPG. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Only PNG and JPG are accepted. Convert HEIC (iPhone photos), WebP, GIF or SVG files before inserting. - Images are embedded at their uploaded resolution. A very large photo makes the PDF larger; Compress PDF can shrink it afterwards. - An inserted image is a picture, not text: words inside it cannot be searched or edited. #### FAQ **Which image formats can I add?** PNG and JPG. PNG keeps transparency, which is best for logos; JPG is best for photos. **Can I put the same logo on every page?** Duplicate it onto each page, or use Add watermark with an image to place it on a whole page range in one step. **Can I put an image behind the text?** Lower its opacity so the text stays readable. For a true background on many pages, Add watermark has a behind-content option. **Will the image be blurry?** It keeps the resolution you upload. For a sharp print, use an image with at least 300 pixels per inch of printed size. **Can I add a picture of my signature this way?** You can, but Sign PDF is better: it places the image as a signature on the line, locks it once applied, and lets you save it for reuse. **Can I crop the image inside the PDF?** Not in the editor. Crop the image before uploading, or place it and cover unwanted edges — cropping keeps the file smaller. ### Check spelling in a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/check-pdf-spelling/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Run a spelling review over the PDF, see every suspected mistake with a suggestion, and apply only the fixes you accept. To check spelling in a PDF, run a proofreading pass over the document's text and review the flagged words one by one. PDFBetter lists each issue with its page, the original text, a suggested correction and a short reason, and applies a fix only when you accept it. This helps when a PDF is the only copy you have — a finished brochure, a client's contract, a report exported from software without a spell checker — and you want to catch typos before sending it. It flags misspellings, repeated words (“the the”) and obvious typos such as “recieve”; it is not a style editor and does not rewrite sentences. Suggestions come from a language model rather than a fixed dictionary, so names, product terms and industry jargon are judged in context rather than flagged blindly. The model detects the document's language automatically and works best on English and other widely used languages; review suggestions with extra care in specialised or less common languages. Page text is sent to our AI provider under API terms that exclude training on your data. Accepted fixes are applied as original-text edits, the same mechanism as Edit PDF: the misspelled word is covered and the correction set in the closest matching font. Proofreading uses AI credits — 1 credit per page — from your monthly allowance; guests get a small number to try it. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The editor opens with the spelling panel ready. Choose all pages or a page range to check. 2. **Run the check** — Each page costs 1 AI credit. Issues appear in a list grouped by page. 3. **Review each suggestion** — Click an issue to see it on the page, then accept the suggestion, type your own fix, or skip it. 4. **Download** — Accepted fixes become normal text edits. Sign in to download the corrected PDF. #### Settings - Pages: Check the whole document or a range such as 1-3,7 to save credits. - Accept, edit or skip: Every suggestion needs your decision; skipped issues leave the page untouched. Input: PDF (with a text layer). Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Only text the PDF stores as text is checked. Scanned pages, text inside images and outlined headlines are skipped unless you run OCR first. - Suggestions are generated by a language model and can be wrong, especially for names, technical terms and less common languages. Nothing is applied without your approval. - Accepted fixes use the original-text edit mechanism, so they inherit its limits: the closest standard font is used and lines do not reflow. - This feature is in beta: page text is sent to our AI provider for analysis, and each checked page uses 1 AI credit. #### FAQ **Does the spell checker change my PDF automatically?** No. It only lists suggestions. A word changes only when you accept a suggestion or type your own correction. **Which languages are supported?** The language is detected from the text. English and other widely used languages work well; for specialised or less common languages, treat suggestions as hints and review them carefully. **Does it check grammar?** It catches misspellings, repeated words and obvious word-level mistakes like its/it's. It does not rewrite sentences or enforce a style guide. **How many credits does a check use?** 1 AI credit per page checked. Free accounts include 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. **Is my document used to train AI models?** No. Text is processed by our AI provider under API terms that exclude training on customer data. **Can I add words to a dictionary?** There is no personal dictionary. Skip suggestions for names and terms you want to keep; consistent proper nouns are usually not flagged. ### Add page numbers to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-page-numbers/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Choose where the numbers go, which pages get them and what number to start from, then download the numbered PDF. To add page numbers to a PDF, pick a position (for example bottom center), a format such as “{n}” or “Page {n} of {total}”, the pages to number and the starting number, then apply. PDFBetter does this in your browser, so the file never leaves your device and no account is needed. Most real documents need numbering to skip something. Set the page range to “3-” to leave a cover and table of contents unnumbered, and the start number to 1 so the first numbered page reads 1 rather than 3. {total} counts only the numbered pages, so “Page 1 of 36” is correct even when two front pages are skipped. The format is free text around the tokens, so “Exhibit B – {n}” or “{n} / {total}” both work. Position, font size, color and distance from the page edge are adjustable, and the preview shows the result on real pages before you download. Numbers are stamped into the page content, so they print and appear in every reader. If you are still reordering or deleting pages, number last — or add numbering inside the editor, where numbers are applied to the final page order on download. #### Steps 1. **Add your PDF** — Drop the file. It is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded. 2. **Choose the format and position** — Pick one of six positions and type a format using {n} for the number and {total} for the count. 3. **Set pages and start number** — Use a range like 2- or 3-20 to skip covers or appendices, and choose the number the first numbered page should show. 4. **Preview and download** — Check the preview thumbnails, then download the numbered PDF. #### Settings - Format: Any text with {n} (current number) and {total} (count of numbered pages), e.g. “Page {n} of {total}”. - Position: Top or bottom; left, center or right. - Pages: All, odd, even, or a range like 3- or 1-10,15-; pages outside the range get no number. - Start at: The number shown on the first numbered page. - Size, color and margin: Font size in points, text color, and distance from the page edge. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Existing page numbers are not detected or removed. If the PDF already has numbers in the chosen spot, the new ones overlap them — pick another position. - Only Arabic numerals are generated; Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) are not supported. For zero-padded Bates numbers (ABC000123) that run on across several files, use Add Bates numbering. - Numbers become part of the page content; to change them later, start again from the un-numbered file. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first. #### FAQ **How do I skip the cover page?** Set Pages to 2- and Start at to 1. The cover stays blank and the second page shows 1. **What does {total} count?** Only the pages that receive a number, so skipped cover and contents pages are not counted. **Is my file uploaded?** No. Numbering runs in your browser and the file never leaves your device. **Can I number landscape and rotated pages?** Yes. Check the preview thumbnails for those pages; if a number lands somewhere awkward, change the position or margin before downloading. **Can I use different numbering for the appendix?** Run the tool twice: first number the main section with one range, then number the appendix range with its own format such as “A-{n}”. **Do I need an account?** No. This tool is free without an account, up to 25 MB and 200 pages per file. ### Add Bates numbers to PDFs URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-bates-numbering/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-18 Put your files in order, set a prefix, start number and digits, and download every PDF numbered in sequence with a log of each file's first and last number. To add Bates numbers, drop one or more PDFs, put them in production order, choose a prefix (a client or matter code, for example), the starting number and how many digits to pad to, then apply. Every page gets a unique number such as SMITH000001, and each file continues where the previous one stopped. The work happens in your browser, so privileged or confidential material never leaves your device. Bates numbering gives every page of a document production a fixed identifier that can be cited in a deposition, a brief or a privilege log. Numbering a batch is the point: number 40 files in one pass and file 2 starts at SMITH000046 because file 1 ended at SMITH000045. A CSV log lists each file with its first and last number, ready for a production index. Prefix and suffix are free text and accept {date} and {filename}, so “{filename}_” or “-CONFIDENTIAL” both work. Numbers are zero-padded to the digits you choose (6 gives 000123) and are never cut off when the count grows past them. Pick one of six positions, the size, color and distance from the edge, and check the preview on real pages before you download. Bates numbers are not page numbers. Add page numbers restarts in every document and supports formats like “Page 3 of 12”; Bates numbers run unbroken across a whole production and usually sit in the bottom-right corner. Courts, agencies and opposing counsel may set their own format in an ESI protocol or local rule, so check it before you produce. #### Steps 1. **Add your PDFs** — Drop one file or many. They are read in your browser; nothing is uploaded. 2. **Put them in production order** — Drag the files into order. Numbering runs through them from top to bottom. 3. **Set the number format** — Type a prefix and an optional suffix, the start number and the digits, for example ABC, 1 and 6 for ABC000001. 4. **Choose position and pages** — Pick a corner or edge, the size and margin, and optionally a page range that applies inside each file. 5. **Download the files and the log** — Download each numbered PDF or a ZIP of all of them, plus a CSV log with every file's first and last number. #### Settings - Prefix and suffix: Free text before and after the number; {date} and {filename} are filled in for each file. - Start at: The number on the first numbered page of the first file. To continue an earlier production, enter the next number in that series. - Digits: Zero-padding width: 6 turns 123 into 000123. Longer numbers are printed in full. - Position: Top or bottom; left, center or right. Bottom right is the usual place. - Pages in each file: All pages, or a range such as 2- applied inside every file. Pages outside it get no number and don't use one up. - Size, color and margin: Font size in points, text color and distance from the page edge. - Output names: Keep each file's name with “-bates” added, or name each file by its range, e.g. ABC000001-ABC000045.pdf. Input: PDF. Output: PDF, CSV. #### Limitations - Numbers are stamped into the page content. They can't be renumbered later; to change them, start again from the un-numbered files. - Existing numbers or footers are not detected. If something already sits in the chosen corner, the Bates number overlaps it; pick another position or a larger margin. - Each stamp is one line: prefix, number and suffix. A second endorsement line such as “CONFIDENTIAL – SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER” needs a second pass with Header & footer. - Large productions are limited by your browser's memory and by 20 files per run. Split a very large set into several runs and start each one at the next number shown. - PDFBetter doesn't check numbers against a court's or agency's production rules; follow the format in your ESI protocol or local rules. - Chinese, Japanese or Korean characters in the prefix or suffix need a font subset from Google Fonts: only those characters are sent, never the PDF. Offline they print as “?”. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first. #### FAQ **What is a Bates number?** A unique identifier stamped on every page of a set of documents, usually a prefix plus a zero-padded number such as ABC000123. It lets everyone cite an exact page and shows whether a page is missing from a production. **Can I number several PDFs in one sequence?** Yes. Add them all and put them in order; each file continues from the last number of the one before it. The CSV log lists the first and last number of each file. **How do I continue from an earlier production?** Set Start at to the number after the last one you produced. After every run the tool shows the next number to use. **Can the stamp include the date or the file name?** Yes. Use {date} or {filename} in the prefix or suffix: “{filename}_” gives Contract_000001 for Contract.pdf, and {date} becomes today's date as YYYY-MM-DD. **Is my file uploaded?** No. Numbering runs in your browser and the files never leave your device. **Do I need an account?** No. Bates numbering is free without an account, up to 20 files per run. **Is this the same as adding page numbers?** No. Page numbers restart in each document; Bates numbers run unbroken across every file in a production. Use Add page numbers for formats like “Page 3 of 12”. **Can I stamp one exhibit number per file instead of per page?** Yes. Set Pages in each file to 1, a prefix such as “Exhibit ”, Digits to 0 and the position to top right. Only the first page of each file is stamped, and the files are numbered Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2 and so on in your order. ### Add a header and footer to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-header-footer-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-18 Type text into any of six slots, use tokens for page numbers, date, title or file name, choose the pages, and download the finished PDF. To add a header or footer to a PDF, type text into any of six slots (left, center and right at the top and at the bottom), choose the pages, and apply. Tokens are filled in per page: {n} the page number, {total} the last page number, {date} today's date, {title} the document title and {filename} the file name. PDFBetter does this in your browser; the file isn't uploaded. Typical layouts: a project name top left and “Page {n} of {total}” bottom right on a report; “Confidential – {date}” across the top of a board pack; the file name in the footer so a printed page can be traced back to its file. Each slot is independent, so fill one or all six. For double-sided printing, limit text to odd or even pages, or mirror the layout so left and right swap on even pages and the page number stays on the outside edge. A page range skips a cover, and setting the number on page 1 to 0 makes the page after the cover read 1. The text is stamped into the page content, so it prints and shows in every reader. To add page numbers only, Add page numbers is quicker; for legal productions numbered across many files, use Bates numbering. #### Steps 1. **Add your PDF** — Drop the file. It is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded. 2. **Fill the slots** — Type into any header or footer slot. Use {n}, {total}, {date}, {title} and {filename} where the text should change per page or per file. 3. **Choose the pages** — Leave the range empty for every page or type one like 2-; optionally limit to odd or even pages or mirror even pages. 4. **Preview and download** — Flip through pages in the preview, adjust size, color and margins, then download the PDF. #### Settings - Six slots: Header left, center and right; footer left, center and right. Empty slots are skipped. - Tokens: {n} page number, {total} last page number, {date} today (YYYY-MM-DD), {title} document title (else the file name), {filename} file name. - Pages: All pages, or a range such as 2- or 1-10; pages outside it are left as they are. - Odd/even and mirror: Limit text to odd or even pages, or swap left and right slots on even pages for facing-page layouts. - Number on page 1: What {n} shows on the first physical page; 0 makes page 2 read 1. - Size, color and margins: Font size in points, text color, and separate side and top/bottom distances from the page edge. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Each slot holds one line of text. Line breaks, images and logos are not supported; use Add watermark or Add image for a logo. - Existing headers and footers are not detected or removed. If the PDF already has text there, the new text overlaps it; increase the margins or use other slots. - Long texts in neighboring slots can run into each other. Keep left and right short when the center slot is used. - Chinese, Japanese or Korean characters need a font subset from Google Fonts: only those characters are sent, never the PDF. Offline they print as “?”. - {title} reads the title stored in the PDF's properties and falls back to the file name. {date} is today's date as YYYY-MM-DD; type a date into the slot if you need another format. - The text becomes part of the page content; to change it later, start again from the original file. Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first. #### FAQ **Can odd and even pages have different text?** Yes. Run the tool twice, once with Odd only and once with Even only. For page numbers on the outside edge, tick Mirror on even pages instead. **How do I skip the cover page?** Set the range to 2-. To make that page read 1, set the number on page 1 to 0. **What does {total} show?** The number of the last page, so “Page {n} of {total}” reads correctly. It follows the number you set for page 1. **Which date format does {date} use?** Today's date as YYYY-MM-DD, for example 2026-10-18. For another format, type the date into the slot. **Is my file uploaded?** No. Everything runs in your browser and the file never leaves your device. **Do I need an account?** No. This tool is free without an account. ### Add checkmarks to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-checkmark-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Click any box on the page to drop a checkmark, X or dot exactly where it belongs, then download the marked PDF. To add a checkmark to a PDF, choose the checkmark tool and click the box or line you want to tick; the mark is placed at that spot and can be resized or recolored. PDFBetter also has a cross (X) and a dot for forms that ask you to “mark with an X” or fill in a bubble. This is the tool for answering forms that were printed and scanned, or PDFs whose boxes are just drawn squares: medical history questionnaires, inspection checklists, consent forms, survey printouts. Click once per box and move on; the mark snaps to the size you last used, so a column of answers looks consistent. A checkmark is a permanent visual mark, not a checkbox. It shows that you ticked something but cannot be unticked by the next person, and its value is not exported as data. If you are building a form for others to complete, use Add checkbox instead: that creates an interactive field people can toggle in any PDF reader, and its yes/no value can be collected. If the PDF already has real checkboxes, you do not need this tool — click them in Fill PDF and they toggle on and off. #### Steps 1. **Upload the form** — The checkmark tool is selected when the editor opens. 2. **Pick check, X or dot** — Switch between the three marks in the toolbar. 3. **Click each box** — Each click places a mark. Drag to adjust, use the corner handle to resize, and change the color if needed. 4. **Download** — Sign in to a free account to download the completed form. #### Settings - Mark type: Checkmark (✓), cross (✗) or filled dot (●). - Size and color: Resize to match the box; black and dark blue read best on printed forms. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Marks are static. Recipients cannot untick them, and the checked state is not stored as form data. - On scanned forms, boxes are not detected automatically; you click each one. Zoom in for small boxes. #### FAQ **What is the difference between a checkmark and a checkbox?** A checkmark is a drawn tick that stays in the document as you placed it. A checkbox is an interactive field that anyone can toggle in a PDF reader and that stores a checked/unchecked value. **Can I use an X instead of a tick?** Yes. Switch to the cross mark; there is also a filled dot for bubble-style answers. **Can I change the color of the checkmark?** Yes. Pick any color; dark colors are easiest to read once the form is printed or faxed. **My PDF already has checkboxes. Should I use this?** No. Open it in Fill PDF and click the existing checkboxes; they keep working as fields in the downloaded file. **Will the checkmark still be there if someone opens the PDF in another app?** Yes. The mark is part of the downloaded page and appears in every PDF reader. ### Insert a table in a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/insert-table-in-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Draw a table on the page, set its rows, columns and borders, and type your content straight into the cells. To insert a table into a PDF, drag out a rectangle with the table tool, choose the number of rows and columns, then type into each cell; borders, a shaded header row and column widths are adjustable. PDFBetter opens with the table tool active so you can draw immediately. Tables are useful for adding structured information to an existing document: a price list on a quote, a delivery schedule on a letter, a parts list on an inspection report, a sign-in grid on a blank page. They are drawn as normal page content, so they print exactly as shown. A PDF table is a layout object, not a spreadsheet. Cells hold text but no formulas, and the table does not grow onto a new page when it fills up. If you need totals that calculate as numbers change, build the document as a fillable form with number and formula fields (Form builder). If the data already lives in Excel, Excel to PDF keeps the sheet's formatting with less effort. Every table uses one text style (font, size, color, alignment) for its cells, which keeps it tidy; set a header fill color to make the first row stand out. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Or start from a blank page with Create PDF. 2. **Draw the table** — Drag a rectangle where the table should go, then set the row and column count. 3. **Shape it** — Drag column and row dividers to change widths and heights; set border color and thickness and an optional header fill. 4. **Type the content** — Click a cell and type; Tab moves to the next cell. Set font, size and alignment for the table. 5. **Download** — Sign in to download. The table is drawn into the page at the same position. #### Settings - Rows and columns: Any grid size that fits the area you drew. - Column widths and row heights: Drag the dividers; widths are kept as proportions of the table so resizing the table keeps the layout. - Borders: Border color and thickness, or a thin light border for a subtle grid. - Header fill: Background color for the first row. - Text style: Font family, size, color and left/center/right alignment for all cells. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - No formulas or automatic totals; type calculated values yourself or use formula fields in a fillable form. - A table does not split across pages. For long lists, draw a second table on the next page. - All cells share one font, size and alignment; you cannot bold a single cell or merge cells. - Long cell text is clipped to the cell; widen the column or reduce the font size. #### FAQ **Can I paste data from Excel into the table?** Type or paste cell by cell. For large sheets, Excel to PDF is faster and keeps the spreadsheet's formatting. **Can I edit a table that was already in the PDF?** Existing tables are just text and lines. Change their text with Edit PDF; this tool adds new tables. **Can the cells be fillable by someone else?** Not as a table. Place text or number fields over a drawn table with Add text fields, or build the whole form in Form builder. **Can I make a table without borders?** Yes. Set the border width to zero to align text in columns without visible lines. **Will the table look the same in other PDF readers?** Yes. It is drawn as lines and text in the page content, so it renders the same everywhere. ### Add a date to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-date-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Pick a date from the calendar, choose its format, and place it on the date line of your PDF. To add a date to a PDF, select the date tool, click the date line, pick the date from a calendar and choose a format; the date is placed as text in that format and can be moved or restyled. It defaults to today, so dating a form you are signing takes one click. Six formats cover most forms: 10/15/2026 (US), 15/10/2026 (UK and most of Europe), 2026-10-15 (ISO, unambiguous), October 15, 2026, 15 October 2026, and 15.10.2026 (Germany and much of central Europe). Picking the format the form expects avoids the classic mix-up where 03/04 means March to one reader and April to another. A date you add here is fixed: it stays exactly as typed. That is right when you are completing and signing a document yourself. When you send a document to someone else to sign, you usually want their signing date instead, so place a date field assigned to them in Request signatures; they complete it when they sign. Need the same date in a fillable form that other people complete? A date field from Add text fields or Form builder gives them a date picker and checks the format, instead of a stamp you filled in for them. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The date tool is selected when the editor opens. 2. **Click the date line** — Today's date appears in your last-used format. 3. **Change the date or format** — Pick another day from the calendar or switch among the six formats; adjust font and size to match the form. 4. **Download** — Sign in to a free account to download the dated PDF. #### Settings - Date: Defaults to today; pick any date from the calendar. - Format: MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, MMMM D, YYYY, D MMMM YYYY or DD.MM.YYYY. - Text style: Font, size and color, so the date matches handwriting-free form text. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - The date is static text. It does not update and is not tied to when anyone signed; use a recipient date field in a signing request for that. - Month names are in English; for other languages, type the date with Add text. - Dates are not validated against the form's own rules (for example a date of birth in the future); check them before downloading. #### FAQ **What is the difference between a fixed date and a date field?** A fixed date is text you place and it never changes. A date field is an interactive box that a recipient or form filler completes, with a picker and format check. **Can the date fill in automatically when someone signs?** Yes, but not with this tool. In Request signatures, assign a date field to the signer; they complete it as part of signing. **Which format should I use for an international document?** YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601) cannot be misread; otherwise spell the month out, e.g. 15 October 2026. **Can I change the date after placing it?** Yes. Click the date to pick another day or format until you download. **Does the date use my time zone?** The calendar defaults to today in your device's time zone; the stored value is just the calendar date, with no time. ### Mark up a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/markup-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Mark what needs fixing with shapes, lines and strikeouts, explain it in a note, and send back one marked-up PDF. To mark up a PDF, draw correction marks directly on the page — a box around the problem, a strikeout through wrong words, an arrow to where something should move — and add a short note saying what to change. PDFBetter opens with the rectangle tool selected and keeps every markup tool one click away. Markup is a correction workflow. A designer sends a print proof and you box the logo that is too small, strike out a duplicated line and draw an arrow to where the caption belongs. A contractor sends a floor plan and you circle the wrong door swing. Each mark is a separate object you can move, recolor or delete until you send the file back. It overlaps with annotation but is narrower. Annotate PDF is the overview for every reading and review tool, including highlighting and threaded comments. Markup is about pointing at exact spots that must change, so the tools here are shapes, lines, arrows, strikeout, underline and freehand ink. Use a consistent color code — red for must fix, blue for questions — and a reviewer can scan a 20-page proof in minutes. Keep comments unflattened on download if the recipient should be able to read and resolve your notes in their own PDF app. #### Steps 1. **Upload the proof or drawing** — The rectangle tool is active; the toolbar also has ellipse, line, arrow, strikeout, underline and pen. 2. **Mark each problem** — Draw a box or circle around it, strike out text to delete, or underline text to emphasize. 3. **Say what to change** — Add a sticky note or comment next to the mark with the instruction. 4. **Send it back** — Download with a free account, or share a review link so others can reply to your comments. #### Settings - Shapes: Rectangles and ellipses with stroke color, stroke width, optional fill and opacity. - Lines and arrows: Straight lines and arrows with a head at one or both ends. - Text marks: Strikeout and underline that follow the selected words. - Pen: Freehand ink for quick circles, carets and handwritten marks. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Marks sit on top of the page and do not change the underlying content. To actually fix the text, use Edit PDF. - Strikeout and underline need a text layer; on scanned pages draw a line or box instead. - If you flatten on download, marks and notes become part of the page and can no longer be moved or resolved by the recipient. #### FAQ **What is the difference between markup and annotation?** Markup is the subset of annotation used to point out corrections: shapes, lines, arrows, strikeouts and ink. Annotation also covers highlighting for reading and threaded comments for discussion. **Can the person I send it to see my notes in their own PDF app?** Yes, if you download without flattening and with comments included; notes and comments are kept as standard PDF annotations. **Can I mark up a scanned drawing?** Yes. Shapes, arrows and the pen work on any page, including scans and photos converted to PDF. **Can several people mark up the same file?** Share a link with comment permission so reviewers can add comments to the same document; each comment records its author. **Will my marks print?** Yes. Shapes, lines, strikeouts and ink print with the page. Note pop-up text may not print unless you flatten. ### Highlight a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/highlight-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Select the passages that matter and highlight them in the colors you choose; on scanned pages, drag a highlight box over the area. To highlight text in a PDF, choose the highlighter, then drag across the words; the highlight follows each line of the selection, exactly like a marker on paper. PDFBetter opens with the highlighter ready and remembers your last color. On a normal digital PDF, highlighting is text-aware: it snaps to the selected words and wraps line by line, and the highlighted words are stored with the mark so they show up in comment lists. On a scanned page there is no text to select, so the highlighter switches to an area highlight — drag a rectangle over the region instead. If you want text-aware highlights on a scan, run OCR first. Use colors as a code: yellow for key facts, green for figures to verify, pink for questions. Students do this with readings, lawyers with contracts, and reviewers with reports before a meeting. Highlights are translucent, so the text stays readable when printed. Highlighting is for drawing attention, not for discussion. To add an explanation, attach a comment to the highlight (Add comments); for an overview of every review tool, see Annotate PDF. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The highlighter is selected when the editor opens. 2. **Pick a color** — Choose yellow, green, blue, pink, orange or any custom color and an opacity. 3. **Drag across the text** — On digital PDFs the highlight snaps to the words; on scans, drag a box over the area. 4. **Download or share** — Download with a free account, or share a link so others see the same highlights. #### Settings - Color: Preset highlighter colors or any hex color. - Opacity: How strongly the color tints the text; lower values keep dense text readable. - Text or area: Text-aware highlighting on digital pages; rectangle area highlighting on scans and images. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Text-aware highlighting needs a text layer. On scanned pages only rectangular area highlights are possible until you run OCR. - Multi-column layouts can make a drag select across columns in reading order; highlight each column separately if the selection jumps. - Highlights do not change or protect text; they are for emphasis only. #### FAQ **Why can't I select text to highlight on my PDF?** The page is a scan or image. Drag an area highlight over it, or run OCR PDF first to make the text selectable. **Can I use more than one highlight color?** Yes. Change color at any time; each highlight keeps its own color. **Can I remove a highlight?** Yes. Click it and press Delete, or use Undo, at any point before you download. **Will highlights show in other PDF readers?** Yes. They are included in the downloaded PDF and display in standard PDF readers. **Can I list everything I highlighted?** Highlights on text keep the selected words, so they appear in the review panel with their page numbers. **Is highlighting the same as underlining?** They are separate marks. Underline and strikeout are in Markup PDF; highlight tints the background of the text. ### Add comments to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-comments-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Select an area, write a comment, and keep a threaded discussion attached to that exact spot in the document. To add a comment to a PDF, choose the comment tool, select the area you are talking about, and type; the comment is anchored to that region and others can reply beneath it. PDFBetter opens with the comment tool active and shows all threads in a side panel by page. Comments are for conversation: “Is this date right?”, “Legal needs to approve this clause”, “Use the 2026 figures here”. Each comment records who wrote it and when, replies stay in the same thread, and a thread can be marked resolved once it is handled, so the open list shrinks as the review progresses. This differs from a sticky note, which is a single note pinned to a point with no replies, and from markup, which draws on the page. Use comments when more than one person is reviewing or when you expect an answer. Export behavior is explicit. Download with comments included and unflattened, and they arrive as standard PDF comment annotations other readers can open. Flatten, and they are drawn into the page. Turn comments off, and you get a clean copy with no review traces — useful for the final version. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The comment tool is selected when the editor opens. 2. **Select an area and write** — Drag over the text, figure or table you mean, then type your comment. 3. **Reply and resolve** — Reviewers reply in the same thread; resolve a thread when the issue is fixed. 4. **Share or download** — Share a link with comment permission for others to join, or download with or without comments. #### Settings - Include comments on download: Keep comments as PDF annotations, or leave them out for a clean copy. - Flatten: Draw comments into the page so they appear the same everywhere but can no longer be replied to. - Resolved: Mark a thread handled; resolved threads are hidden from the open list. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Comment authors are shown by the name on the account or share session that wrote them; PDFBetter does not verify identity beyond that. - Replies from other PDF apps are not synced back. If someone replies in a desktop reader, upload their file to see their replies. - Flattened comments can no longer be replied to or resolved in any reader. #### FAQ **Can other people reply to my comments?** Yes. Share the document with comment permission; reviewers reply in the same threads and each reply shows its author and time. **What is the difference between a comment and a sticky note?** A comment is anchored to an area and supports replies and resolving. A sticky note is a single note pinned to a point. **Do comments stay in the downloaded PDF?** Only if you choose to include them. They are saved as standard PDF annotations, or drawn into the page if you flatten. **Can I download a version without any comments?** Yes. Turn off comments in the download options to get a clean copy without changing the working document. **Will comments from Acrobat or Preview show up?** Comments already in an uploaded PDF are displayed with the page. To discuss them in threads, add your reply as a new PDFBetter comment. **Does a reviewer need an account?** Viewing and commenting through a share link follows the link's permission; downloading the edited file is what needs an account. ### Add arrows to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-arrows-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Drag from start to end to draw an arrow, then adjust its endpoints, color and thickness so it points exactly where you mean. To add an arrow to a PDF, select the arrow tool and drag from where the arrow should start to the point it should hit; the head is drawn at the end you release. Drag either endpoint afterwards to re-aim it. Arrows connect explanation to evidence. In review they link a margin note to the exact cell or word it is about; on drawings and maps they show direction of travel, flow or the spot where a fixture goes; in instructions they guide the eye through steps on a screenshot. Thickness and color matter more than people think. A 1 pt dark arrow is precise on dense text; a 3 pt red arrow reads from across a table on a printed plan. Double-headed arrows mark a span — a dimension, a range of rows — and a plain line (same tool family) underlines or separates without pointing. Arrows are one of several markup tools. Combine them with a sticky note or text box for the instruction itself, or see Markup PDF for the full correction workflow. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The arrow tool is active when the editor opens. 2. **Drag to draw** — Press at the tail, release at the point. Hold steady for a straight line at any angle. 3. **Adjust** — Drag the endpoints to re-aim, change color and thickness, or add a second head. 4. **Add the explanation** — Place a text box or note at the tail so readers know why the arrow is there, then download. #### Settings - Endpoints: Each end can be dragged independently after drawing. - Arrowheads: Head at the end (default), at the start, or both for a span. - Color and thickness: Any color; stroke width in points. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Arrows are straight; curved or elbow connectors are not available (draw freehand with the pen if needed). - Arrows do not stay attached to text if the page content changes elsewhere; they are positioned on the page, not linked to words. - If you flatten on download, arrows become part of the page and can no longer be adjusted in other apps. #### FAQ **Can I make an arrow with heads on both ends?** Yes. Turn on the start head as well as the end head to show a span or dimension. **Can I draw a line without an arrowhead?** Yes. Use the line tool next to the arrow tool, or remove both heads. **How do I make an arrow perfectly horizontal?** Zoom in and drag the endpoints until they line up; the coordinates are stored precisely in PDF points. **Will my arrows print?** Yes. They are included in the downloaded PDF and print like any other page content. **Can I add text to the arrow itself?** Place a text box or sticky note at the tail; the arrow and text stay where you put them. ### Add sticky notes to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-sticky-notes-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Click anywhere to pin a note, type your message, and choose whether it shows open or as a small icon. To add a sticky note to a PDF, choose the note tool and click the spot you want to annotate; a note icon is pinned there and a text box opens for your message. Close it and it collapses to a small icon that expands when clicked. Sticky notes are the digital version of a paper Post-it: a reminder to yourself, a quick question for a colleague, an instruction for whoever handles the file next. Because they collapse, a page can carry many of them without hiding the content. Collapsed versus expanded is the decision to make before sharing. Leave notes collapsed and the page looks clean while readers can open each one. Leave a note open and its text shows next to the icon. Printing is where people get surprised: when notes stay as PDF annotations, most readers print the icon or nothing, not the note's text. If the words must be on paper, flatten on download or use a text box instead. A note has no replies. For a discussion that needs answers and a resolved state, use Add comments. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The note tool is active when the editor opens. 2. **Click to pin a note** — Click the exact spot; the note opens for typing. 3. **Set color and state** — Pick a color per topic and choose open or collapsed. 4. **Download** — Keep notes as annotations for other readers, or flatten them into the page for printing. #### Settings - Color: Yellow by default; use colors to group notes by topic or reviewer. - Open or collapsed: Collapsed shows only the icon; open shows the note text next to it. - On download: Keep notes as PDF annotations, flatten them into the page, or leave them out. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Unflattened note text usually does not print; most readers print only the icon. Flatten or use a text box when the words must appear on paper. - Notes have no reply threads. Use comments for back-and-forth discussion. - Exact note icon appearance depends on the PDF reader the recipient uses. #### FAQ **What is the difference between a sticky note and a comment?** A sticky note is one message pinned to a point. A comment is anchored to an area and supports replies and a resolved state. **Will my sticky notes print?** Kept as annotations, most readers print only the icon. Choose flatten on download, or use a text box, if the note text must print. **Can I change a note's color?** Yes. Each note can have its own color, which helps separate topics or reviewers. **Can recipients open my notes in other PDF apps?** Yes, if you download without flattening and with comments included; notes are standard PDF note annotations. **Can I hide all notes for a clean copy?** Turn off comments and notes in the download options; your working copy keeps them. ### Add circles to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-circles-to-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Drag an ellipse around anything on the page, set its border and fill, and fine-tune its size and position. To circle something on a PDF, choose the ellipse tool and drag a box around the item; the editor draws an ellipse that fits that box. Make the box square for a true circle or stretch it to wrap a whole line of text. Circling is the fastest way to say “look here” — a total on an invoice, a measurement on a plan, an answer on a test, a person in a photo. It works the same on digital PDFs and scans because it does not depend on selectable text. Border and fill are separate. A thin colored border with no fill keeps whatever is inside readable. A translucent fill (low opacity) shades an area, like a soft highlight on a drawing. A solid fill hides content visually — but never use it to hide sensitive information, since the content underneath remains in the file; Redact PDF is for that. Circles are part of the markup set; pair one with an arrow or note when the reason is not obvious. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The ellipse tool is selected when the editor opens. 2. **Drag around the item** — The ellipse fills the box you drag; keep the box square for a circle. 3. **Style it** — Choose border color and thickness, an optional fill and its opacity. 4. **Position precisely** — Drag to move, use the handles to resize, and zoom in for small targets; then download. #### Settings - Border: Stroke color and width, or no border for a filled shape. - Fill and opacity: No fill, a translucent tint, or a solid color. - Size and position: Handles on all sides; positions are stored in PDF points so the download matches. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - A filled ellipse only covers content visually; the text or image underneath is still in the file. Use Redact PDF to remove information. - Circles are positioned on the page, not linked to the words they surround. - Only ellipses and rectangles are available as closed shapes; for irregular outlines use the pen. #### FAQ **How do I draw a perfect circle?** Drag a square box; the ellipse fits it exactly. You can type equal width and height in the shape settings if you need precision. **Can I circle text on a scanned PDF?** Yes. Shapes do not need a text layer, so they work on scans and photos. **Can I change the circle color after drawing it?** Yes. Select it and change border, fill or opacity at any time before you download. **Can I use a filled circle to hide something?** Only visually. The content underneath stays in the PDF and can be extracted, so use Redact PDF for anything private. **Can I draw rectangles too?** Yes. The rectangle tool is next to the ellipse and has the same border and fill options. ### Annotate a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/annotate-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Open the PDF with every annotation tool at hand — highlight, comment, note, draw — and keep or strip the annotations when you download. To annotate a PDF, open it in an editor with review tools and add marks on top of the content — highlights, comments, sticky notes, shapes, arrows and freehand ink — without changing the original text. PDFBetter starts with the highlighter selected and keeps the full annotation toolbar visible. Annotation tools do different jobs. Highlight marks what matters while reading. Comments start a conversation that others can reply to and resolve. Sticky notes leave a single pinned message. Shapes, arrows, strikeouts and ink point at exact fixes, which is the markup workflow. Choosing the right one keeps a reviewed document easy to act on. A practical pattern: read and highlight first, then go back and add comments only where you need an answer, then use markup for concrete corrections. Teachers use this for grading, legal teams for contract review, and students for study notes. Annotations stay separate from the page until you decide. Download with annotations kept, flattened into the page, or removed for a clean copy — the working document keeps them either way. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The editor opens with the highlighter active and the review panel listing annotations by page. 2. **Pick the right tool** — Highlight for reading, comment for questions, note for reminders, shapes and arrows for corrections. 3. **Review the list** — Jump between annotations from the panel; resolve comment threads as they are handled. 4. **Share or download** — Share for others to comment, or download with annotations kept, flattened or removed. #### Settings - Tools: Highlight, underline, strikeout, comment, sticky note, rectangle, ellipse, line, arrow and pen. - Download: Keep annotations editable, flatten them into the page, or exclude comments and notes. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Annotations do not change the document's content. To fix text, use Edit PDF; to remove sensitive information, use Redact PDF. - Text-based tools (highlight, underline, strikeout) need selectable text; use shapes or area highlights on scans. - How unflattened annotations look and print depends partly on the reader the recipient uses. #### FAQ **Which annotation tool should I use?** Highlight to mark important text, comments for questions that need answers, sticky notes for reminders, and shapes or arrows to point at corrections. **Can I annotate a scanned PDF?** Yes. Shapes, arrows, notes, comments, ink and area highlights all work on scans. Text-aware highlighting needs OCR first. **Can I remove all annotations before sending?** Turn off comments and notes in the download options, or delete marks you no longer need; your working copy is unchanged. **Will annotations made in other apps show up?** Annotations already in the uploaded PDF display with the page. New annotations you add are managed in PDFBetter. **Can several people annotate the same file?** Share it with comment permission so reviewers add comments to the same document; each comment is attributed to its author. **Do I need an account to annotate?** No. You can annotate as a guest; a free account is needed to download the annotated file. ### Measure distances and areas on a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/measure-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-18 Set the drawing's scale once, then click points on the plan to get distances, perimeters and areas labelled in feet, inches, metres, centimetres or millimetres. To measure on a PDF, open it with the measure tool, choose Distance, Perimeter or Area, and click the points on the drawing; the value appears on the page as you go. Distance is a dimension line between two points, Perimeter adds up a path of several segments, and Area closes the points into a polygon and reports its surface in square units. Measurements are only as good as the scale. Type the scale printed in the title block (1/4 in = 1 ft, 1 in = 20 ft, 1:50, 1:100) or calibrate: draw over a dimension you know, such as a door opening or a dimensioned wall, and enter its real length. PDFBetter works out the scale from that line, and every new measurement on the document uses it. Typical uses are take-offs and quick checks: the floor area of a room on a plan, the length of fence on a site plan, the run of a cable tray, or whether furniture fits a drawn space. Each measurement stays editable: drag its corners, change the unit or the number of decimals, add a caption like “Kitchen”, or delete it. Measurements download as part of the PDF, drawn as lines and labels that look the same in every viewer, and they appear in the Review panel and in Export comments with their values. #### Steps 1. **Upload the drawing** — The measure tool is active when the editor opens. 2. **Set the scale** — Type the scale from the title block, pick a common one, or choose Calibrate and draw over a known dimension. 3. **Measure** — Drag or click two points for a distance. For perimeter or area, click each corner, then double-click or press Enter. 4. **Adjust and download** — Drag corners to refine, switch units or decimals, add captions, then download the PDF or export the list of measurements. #### Settings - Distance, perimeter, area: A straight dimension line, an open path of segments, or a closed polygon with its area. - Scale: Typed (1 in = 10 ft, 1:100), picked from common architectural and metric scales, or calibrated on a known length. Default is actual size: 1 pt = 1/72 in. - Units and decimals: Inches, feet, millimetres, centimetres or metres (square units for areas), 0 to 4 decimals, in your language's number format. - Captions: A short name before the value, such as “Wall A: 4.20 m”. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Accuracy depends on the scale the drawing declares and on how it was produced: drawings that were scanned, faxed or printed “fit to page” are often not at their stated scale. Calibrate on the longest dimension you know. - Scale and measurement information embedded in a PDF by CAD software (viewport and measure dictionaries) is not read. Set or calibrate the scale yourself. - Points are placed by eye; they do not snap to the lines in the drawing. Zoom in for precise placement. - Areas are polygons with straight sides: curved edges must be approximated with extra corners, and outlines that cross themselves give a wrong area. - Measurements are saved into the PDF as drawn lines and labels, not as PDF measurement annotations, so other apps cannot recalculate them. #### FAQ **How do I set the scale of a PDF drawing?** Type the scale printed on the drawing, such as 1/4 in = 1 ft or 1:100, or pick a common one. If you are unsure, choose Calibrate and draw over a dimension you know; PDFBetter calculates the scale from it. **What scale is used if I don't set one?** Actual size on paper: one PDF point is 1/72 of an inch, so you measure the printed page itself. **Can I measure an area in square feet or square metres?** Yes. Choose Area, click each corner of the space and finish with a double-click or Enter. The label shows the area in the square of the unit you pick. **Can I change a measurement after drawing it?** Yes. Select it to drag its corners, change the unit, decimals, color or scale, add a caption, or delete it. The value updates as you edit. **Does it read the scale stored in CAD-exported PDFs?** No. Embedded viewport and measure dictionaries are not read yet, so set the scale from the title block or calibrate on a known dimension. **Do measurements work on rotated pages?** Yes. Points are stored in page coordinates, so a measurement gives the same value whether the page is shown upright or rotated, and labels stay readable. **Can I get a list of all measurements?** Yes. Use Export comments to get every measurement with its value and scale as a summary PDF, a CSV for spreadsheets, or JSON. ### Export PDF comments and annotations URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/export-pdf-comments/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-18 Turn a reviewed PDF into one list of everything reviewers wrote and marked, page by page, ready to send, file or work through in a spreadsheet. To export the comments from a PDF, open it in PDFBetter, choose Export comments in the Done menu or the Review panel, and pick a format. The summary PDF has one section per page listing each annotation's type, author, date, text and replies; for highlights it shows the highlighted words when they were captured. The CSV has one row per annotation and one per reply, with the reply linked to its thread, so a review can be sorted, filtered and assigned in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. JSON carries the same data for scripts and other systems. Options let you leave out resolved threads, shapes and drawings, or measurements. The export is built in your browser from the document you have open; nothing is sent anywhere else. It needs a free account, like any download, but it does not use your monthly downloads because it is a list of annotations, not the edited document. #### Steps 1. **Upload the reviewed PDF** — It opens with the Review panel and the export options. 2. **Check the annotations** — The Review panel lists notes, comment threads, highlights, shapes and measurements by page; resolve or delete what you don't need. 3. **Choose a format** — Summary PDF to read or send, CSV for a spreadsheet, or JSON for other software. 4. **Export** — The file downloads right away, named after the document. #### Settings - Summary PDF: A report with a section per page: type, author, date, text, replies, highlighted text and measurement values. - CSV: One row per annotation and per reply (with a “Reply to” column), UTF-8 with headers in your language. - JSON: Versioned, structured data with the same fields, timestamps in ISO 8601. - Filters: Include or leave out resolved threads, shapes and drawings, and measurements. Input: PDF. Output: PDF, CSV, JSON. #### Limitations - Only annotations made in PDFBetter are exported. Comments already inside an uploaded file (from Acrobat, Preview or another app) are shown on the page but not listed. - Highlighted text is included only when the highlight was made over selectable text. Highlights drawn on scans or images list no words. - Shapes, lines, arrows and drawings have no text; they are listed by type, page, author and date, without a picture. - The summary PDF is a list, not an annotated copy of the document. To keep the comments on the pages themselves, download the PDF with comments included. - Dates in the summary PDF use your device's time zone; CSV and JSON keep ISO 8601 timestamps. #### FAQ **How do I export all comments from a PDF?** Open the PDF in PDFBetter, choose Export comments in the Done menu or the Review panel, pick Summary PDF, CSV or JSON, and select Export. **Can I export PDF comments to Excel?** Yes. Choose CSV: each annotation and each reply is a row with page, type, author, date and text. The file is UTF-8 so accents and Japanese open correctly in Excel. **Are replies included?** Yes. In the summary PDF replies appear under their comment; in the CSV each reply is its own row that points to the thread it answers. **Does exporting comments use one of my downloads?** No. It needs a free account, like downloading, but it does not count toward the monthly download limit. **Can I leave out resolved comments?** Yes. Turn off “Include resolved comments” before exporting. You can also leave out shapes and drawings or measurements. **Will comments made in Acrobat be in the export?** No. Only annotations added in PDFBetter are listed. Comments already in the uploaded file stay visible on the page but are not exported. ### Read a PDF online URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-reader/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Open any PDF in the browser and move through it with thumbnails, zoom, search and fit-to-width reading. To read a PDF online, open it in a browser-based viewer that renders each page and gives you navigation: thumbnails, page jump, zoom, fit to width and search. PDFBetter's reader opens in a distraction-free mode with the editing toolbar tucked away until you need it. It is useful when you are on a shared or locked-down computer with no PDF app, on a Chromebook, or when the built-in browser viewer struggles with a large or complex file. Pages render as you scroll, so a 300-page manual opens quickly and stays responsive; thumbnails let you jump to a chapter instead of scrolling. Search finds exact words and shows every match with its page; scanned documents need OCR before their words can be searched. Zoom keeps text sharp at any level because pages are re-rendered rather than enlarged as images. Reading is free without an account. When you want to do something with the file — highlight, comment, sign, fill — the tools are one click away in the same window, and only downloading an edited copy needs a free account. #### Steps 1. **Open the PDF** — Upload a file up to 25 MB and 200 pages as a guest, or larger with an account. 2. **Navigate** — Use thumbnails, type a page number, or scroll; pages load as they come into view. 3. **Zoom and fit** — Fit to width for reading, fit to page for layouts, or zoom in on fine print. 4. **Search** — Find words and step through matches; switch to editing tools whenever you need them. #### Settings - Fit to width / fit to page: Width for comfortable reading on wide screens; page to see whole layouts. - Zoom: Step zoom or pinch on touch devices; text is re-rendered at each level. - Thumbnails: A page strip for jumping around long documents. - Search: Exact text search across all pages, with a match list. Input: PDF. Output: On-screen view. #### Limitations - The file is uploaded to PDFBetter to open in the reader; guest drafts are deleted after 1 hour. For a fully offline reader, use a desktop PDF app. - Password-protected PDFs need the password to open; unlock them first. - Search works on the text layer only; scanned pages need OCR before words can be found. - Guest files are limited to 25 MB and 200 pages; larger documents need an account. #### FAQ **Do I need to install anything?** No. The reader runs in any current browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS and Android. **Can it open very large PDFs?** Pages render as you scroll, so long documents stay responsive. File limits are 25 MB and 200 pages as a guest, 50 MB and 500 pages on a free account, and more on paid plans. **Why can't I search my PDF?** It is probably a scan with no text layer. Run OCR PDF to make it searchable. **Does the reader keep my place?** With an account, documents are saved to your list so you can reopen them; guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after they're created. **Can I print from the reader?** Yes. Use Print PDF from the same window for page range and scaling options. **Is reading free?** Yes. Opening and reading a PDF does not need an account or count toward any allowance. ### Search a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/search-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Type a word or phrase and get every match in the PDF, listed by page with surrounding text, ready to click through. To search a PDF, type the word or phrase into the search box; every exact match in the document's text layer is highlighted and listed with its page number and a snippet of the surrounding text. Click a result to jump there, or step through matches in order. Exact search is the right tool when you know the words: a clause number, a part number, an invoice ID, a person's name in meeting minutes. Match case and whole-word options cut the noise — searching “Art” with both on skips “start” and “article”. Search only finds text the PDF stores as text. If the document is a scan or a photo of pages, there is nothing to match; the search panel says so, and OCR PDF adds a text layer so the same search works. Exact search finds strings, not meaning. To ask “where does it talk about early termination?” when the document says “cancellation before the end date”, use AI search, which finds passages by meaning and cites pages. To change what you find, Find and replace works from the same panel. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The editor opens with the search box focused. 2. **Type your search** — Turn on Match case or Whole words for short or ambiguous terms. 3. **Review matches** — See every match with its page number and context; the count shows how many there are. 4. **Jump to results** — Click a match or use next/previous; switch to highlighting or replace if you need to act on them. #### Settings - Match case: Only matches with the same capitalization. - Whole words: Skips matches inside longer words. - Results list: All matches grouped by page with surrounding text. Input: PDF (with a text layer). Output: On-screen results. #### Limitations - Scanned pages and text inside images are not searchable until you run OCR. - Phrases split across lines, hyphenated words or unusually spaced text may not match as a whole phrase; search a shorter part. - Search is exact, not semantic: it does not find synonyms or related wording. #### FAQ **Why does search find nothing in my PDF?** The pages are probably images. Run OCR PDF to add a text layer, then search again. **Can I search for a phrase?** Yes. Type the phrase; if it breaks across a line in the PDF, search a shorter part of it. **Does it find words with different endings?** No. “pay” finds “payment” only if Whole words is off, and it never finds “paid”. Use AI search for meaning-based results. **Can I search several PDFs at once?** Search works inside one document. Merge PDF first if you need to search a set of files together. **Is searching free?** Yes. Opening a PDF and searching it does not need an account. ### Compare two PDFs URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/compare-pdf/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Add the old and new versions, and see every word that was added or removed, highlighted side by side. To compare two PDFs, load the original and the revised version; the tool extracts the text from both, lines them up, and highlights words that were added (in the new file) and removed (from the old one), with a list of changes you can click through. PDFBetter runs the comparison in your browser, so neither file is uploaded. This answers the question “what did they change?” — a contract sent back by the other side, a policy revised by HR, a vendor's updated price sheet, a new edition of a form. Reading both versions side by side by eye misses a changed “may” to “shall”; a text comparison does not. Know what it ignores. The comparison works on text, so changes in formatting (bold, font, color), images, logos, signatures and drawings are not reported. Moving a paragraph shows up as a deletion in one place and an addition in another. Scanned documents have no text to compare until they are OCR'd. Use the side-by-side view to eyeball layout changes the text comparison cannot see, and treat the change list as a guide, not a legal redline certification. #### Steps 1. **Add both versions** — Drop the original on the left and the revised file on the right. Both are read in your browser. 2. **Run the comparison** — Text is extracted and aligned; additions and deletions are highlighted on each side. 3. **Review the changes** — Click through the change list; both views scroll to the same spot. 4. **Check what text can't show** — Scan the side-by-side pages for image, signature or layout changes. #### Settings - Side-by-side view: Original and revised pages next to each other, scrolling together. - Change list: Each insertion and deletion with its page, for quick review. Input: Original PDF, Revised PDF. Output: On-screen comparison. #### Limitations - Only text is compared. Changes to images, signatures, logos, colors, fonts and layout are not detected. - Scanned PDFs must be run through OCR first, and OCR errors can show up as false differences. - Moved paragraphs appear as a deletion and an addition rather than a move. - Headers, footers and page numbers that changed with repagination may appear as differences. #### FAQ **Are my files uploaded?** No. Both files are read and compared in your browser. **Does it detect formatting changes like bold or font size?** No. The comparison is text-only; formatting, image and layout changes are not reported. **Can I compare a Word file with a PDF?** Convert the Word file with Word to PDF first, then compare the two PDFs. **Can I compare scanned documents?** Run OCR PDF on each scan first. OCR mistakes may appear as small false differences, so review them. **Is this a legal redline?** It is a review aid that highlights textual differences; it does not certify that nothing else changed. PDFBetter is not a law firm. **Do I need an account?** No. Comparison is free without an account. ### Edit a Word document online URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/edit-word/ · Category: View & edit · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a .docx, get a faithful PDF of it in the editor, make your changes, and download a PDF (or convert back to Word). To edit a Word document online without Microsoft Word, PDFBetter converts the .docx or .doc to PDF on our servers and opens that PDF in the editor, where you can change text, fill blanks, add signatures and annotate. It does not edit the DOCX file in place. This works well when the Word file is really a finished document you need to complete: a contract to sign, an application to fill, a letter to correct and send as a PDF, a template someone emailed you. The converted PDF keeps the page layout, fonts and images as Word would print them, and you get every PDF tool from there. It is not a word processor. Paragraphs do not reflow when you edit, track changes and Word comments are not kept, and styles, fields and tables of contents become fixed page content. If you need a DOCX back, PDF to Word converts the edited PDF, but that round trip rebuilds the document's structure from the layout and is not identical to the original file. For heavy rewriting, a word processor is still the better tool. Conversion uses one of your monthly Office conversions (guests get a couple to try). Downloading the edited PDF uses a free account's edited-document allowance. #### Steps 1. **Upload the Word file** — DOCX and DOC are converted to PDF on our document processor; this takes a few seconds per document. 2. **Check the conversion** — The PDF opens in the editor. Compare it with what you expected before editing. 3. **Edit, fill or sign** — Change text, type into blanks, add a signature or date, insert images or comments. 4. **Download** — Download the PDF with a free account, or run PDF to Word on it if you need an editable DOCX again. Input: DOCX, DOC. Output: PDF, DOCX via PDF to Word. #### Limitations - The Word file is converted to PDF; the original DOCX structure (styles, track changes, comments, fields, table of contents) is not kept in the editor. - Fonts that are not available on our converter are substituted, which can shift line breaks; check the converted pages before editing. - Converting back to Word with PDF to Word does not restore the original file exactly; expect to tidy formatting. - This tool is in beta and uses the Office conversion allowance on your plan. #### FAQ **Do I edit the actual Word file?** No. The Word file is converted to a PDF and you edit the PDF. The original .docx on your device is unchanged. **Can I get a Word file back after editing?** Yes, by converting the edited PDF with PDF to Word. The result is a new DOCX rebuilt from the layout, not the original file with your edits. **Are track changes and Word comments kept?** No. The conversion produces the document as it would print; tracked changes and Word comments are not carried into the PDF. **Is my Word file sent to a server?** Yes. Conversion runs on PDFBetter's document processor, and the file is stored with your draft under our retention rules. **Does it work with Google Docs?** Download the Google Doc as .docx (File → Download → Microsoft Word), then upload it here. **Which is better for signing a Word contract — this or Sign PDF?** Use this to get the Word contract into PDF form; signing then happens in the same editor with the same signature tools. ### Sign a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/sign-pdf/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-17 Create your signature once, click the signature line to place it, add initials or a date, and download the signed PDF. To sign a PDF online, create a signature — type your name in a handwriting-style font, draw it with a mouse, trackpad or finger, or upload a photo of your ink signature — then click the signature line to place it and download the signed file. PDFBetter opens straight into the signature wizard so you can be done in a minute. This page is about signing a document yourself. If someone else has to sign — a client, a tenant, a co-founder — use Request signatures instead: it emails each person a private signing link, collects signatures in the order you set, has every signer sign with their own cryptographic key, and returns a signed PDF that is digitally sealed and time-stamped, with the evidence and a certificate of completion built in. You can do both on one document by adding yourself as a signer in the request. The three methods suit different situations. Typed is fastest and always legible. Drawn looks most like your handwriting and works well on a phone or tablet. Uploaded reuses the signature you already have on paper — sign on plain white paper, photograph it in good light and crop tightly; a PNG with a transparent background looks best. Initials work the same way for forms that ask you to initial each page, and the date tool stamps the signing date next to the line. On the law: in the US, the ESIGN Act (2000) and state UETA laws generally give electronic signatures the same effect as handwritten ones, and the EU's eIDAS Regulation (No 910/2014) recognizes electronic signatures while reserving some uses for advanced or qualified signatures. Some documents — wills, certain family-law and court papers, some notices — are commonly excluded. PDFBetter is not a law firm; check what your document requires. What you apply here is an electronic signature mark, not a certificate-based digital ID signature, and the downloaded file is not digitally sealed. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The signature wizard opens. Sign as a guest, or sign in to reuse a saved signature. 2. **Create your signature** — Type your name and pick a style, draw it, or upload a photo. Choose black or blue ink. 3. **Place it on the line** — Click where it belongs and resize it to fit. Add initials or the date the same way. 4. **Download the signed PDF** — Create a free account to download. Applied signatures are locked in place so they are not moved by accident. #### Settings - Typed: Your name in one of several handwriting-style fonts. - Drawn: Freehand with mouse, trackpad, stylus or finger; clear and redraw until it looks right. - Uploaded: A PNG or JPG photo or scan of your ink signature. - Initials: A separate, smaller mark for forms that ask for initials on each page. - Save for reuse: With an account, keep your signature and initials so the next document takes one click. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Self-signing applies a visual electronic signature, not a certificate-based (digital ID) signature. If a recipient requires a digital ID or a qualified electronic signature, this is not it. - Self-signing does not produce an audit trail, a certificate of completion or a digital seal. Use Request signatures when you need evidence of who signed and when: each signer signs with their own device key, and the completed PDF is sealed and time-stamped so any later change shows in PDF readers. - If the PDF was already digitally signed by someone else, adding your signature changes the file and readers will flag their signature as altered. Sign before they do, or use a signing request for everyone. - Uploaded signature photos with shadows, lined paper or a colored background will show those artifacts; re-take the photo on plain white paper. #### FAQ **Is an electronic signature legally binding?** In many places, including the US under the ESIGN Act and UETA and the EU under eIDAS, electronic signatures are generally valid for most business documents, with exceptions such as wills. PDFBetter is not a law firm; check the rules for your document and jurisdiction. **What is the difference between signing and requesting a signature?** Signing means you add your own signature to a PDF. Requesting means you send the PDF to other people, who sign through their own links, each with their own cryptographic key, while PDFBetter tracks progress, records an audit trail, and seals and time-stamps the completed PDF with the evidence inside. **Is a typed signature as valid as a drawn one?** Laws like ESIGN focus on intent to sign rather than how the mark looks, so a typed signature is generally treated like a drawn one. Some organizations still ask for a drawn signature, so follow their instructions. **Can I sign on my phone?** Yes. The editor works in mobile browsers, and drawing with your finger usually gives the most natural signature. **Can someone move or copy my signature from the downloaded PDF?** Applied signatures are locked in the editor. In the download they are part of the page; flatten on download if you want to be sure no reader treats them as movable objects. **The PDF has a “click to sign” digital signature field. Will this fill it?** No. That kind of field expects a certificate-based digital ID. You can place your electronic signature over it visually, but the field itself stays unsigned. **Do I need an account to sign?** You can create and place your signature without one. Downloading the signed PDF needs a free account, which also lets you save your signature. ### Request signatures on a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/request-signatures/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-17 Add the people who need to sign, place each person's fields, send, and get the completed PDF plus a certificate of completion when everyone is done. To request signatures on a PDF, add each recipient's name and email, place the fields they must complete (signature, initials, date, text, checkboxes), choose the signing order, and send; each person gets a private link, signs in the browser without an account, and everyone receives the completed PDF when the last signature is in. This is what people mean by “send to sign” or “get a document signed”. Recipients have roles. Signers complete their fields. Approvers review and approve without placing a signature. CC recipients receive the completed copy. Fields are color-coded per recipient, so you can see at a glance that the landlord's signature is on page 6 and the tenant's initials are on every page. Signing order is either sequential — the second person is invited only after the first finishes, useful when a manager countersigns — or parallel, where everyone gets the link at once. You can set automatic reminders every few days and an expiry date. The request page shows each recipient as sent, viewed, signed or declined; a decline includes the reason, and you can remind, cancel or resend. Every signer signs with their own cryptographic key. Their browser generates an ECDSA P-256 key that never leaves their device and signs a statement binding the document's SHA-256 fingerprint to exactly what they entered; PDFBetter's certificate authority certifies that key, and its fingerprint is printed on the certificate of completion. Signature requests are designed to the technical requirements of an advanced electronic signature (eIDAS art. 26): a unique key per signer, under their sole control, linked to the document so any change is detectable. Signers are identified by email (and an optional emailed code), not by ID documents or SMS. Before signing, each signer reads the full ESIGN consumer disclosure (what the consent covers, how to get a paper copy, how to withdraw consent or change their email, and the hardware and software needed) and can choose to sign electronically, ask for paper or decline. You can require any signer to enter a 6-digit code emailed to them before they can open the document, on every plan including Free. When you send, the document is locked: its exact bytes are fingerprinted so nobody can change the text under the signatures. On completion, every signed PDF and its certificate of completion are digitally sealed with a PAdES signature from “PDFBetter Document Seal” and, when the service is reachable, independently time-stamped under RFC 3161 by DigiCert. Change one byte and PDF readers show the file as modified. The certificate lists each event (sent, viewed, consented, signed) with time, email and IP address, chained by hashes, and the sealed PDF carries the signing evidence inside it: the signed statements, device signatures, key certificates, entered values and audit trail. Completed evidence is kept for 7 years, even if you delete the document or your account. You can prepare everything as a guest; sending needs a free account, which includes 3 signature requests a month (unlimited on Pro). #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The signing setup opens with a panel for recipients. 2. **Add recipients** — Name, email and role (signer, approver or CC) for each person; choose sequential or parallel order. 3. **Place each person's fields** — Pick a recipient, then drop signature, initials, date, text or checkbox fields where they should act. Mark fields required. 4. **Write a message and send** — Add a subject and note, optional reminders and expiry, then send. Create a free account at this step if you have not. 5. **Track and download** — Watch status per recipient; download the completed PDF and certificate when everyone has signed. #### Settings - Roles: Signer, approver or CC for each recipient. - Signing order: Sequential (one after another) or parallel (all at once). - Reminders and expiry: Automatic reminder emails every few days, and a date after which the request expires. - Recipient verification: Email link by default; an emailed 6-digit one-time code on every plan; an access code you share by phone or text on Pro and Business. - Field assignment: Every field belongs to one recipient; they only see and complete their own fields. Input: PDF. Output: Signed PDF, Certificate of completion (PDF). #### Limitations - Invitations and one-time codes go by email only. There is no SMS delivery or SMS codes, phone authentication, in-person kiosk signing or notarization. - Signer identity is checked by access to the email inbox, plus an optional emailed one-time code or access code. Knowledge-based questions and government ID checks are not offered. - A sent document cannot be edited. To change wording or fields, cancel the request and send a new one. - Signatures are not qualified electronic signatures (QES). Documents that legally need a QES, notarization, wet ink or witnesses still need those. - The seal certificate comes from PDFBetter's own certificate authority, which is not yet on Adobe's trust list, so Acrobat shows the seal's identity as not verified; change detection still works. - The Free plan includes 3 signature requests a month; bulk sending to many recipients is a Business feature. #### FAQ **Do signers need a PDFBetter account?** No. Each recipient opens their private link, agrees to sign electronically, completes their fields and finishes, all in the browser. **Can I sign the document too?** Yes. Add yourself as a recipient and put yourself first or last in the order, depending on whether you sign before or after the others. **What happens if someone declines?** The request stops, you see their reason on the request page, and other recipients are not asked to continue. You can fix the issue and send a new request. **Is this an advanced electronic signature?** Signature requests are designed to the technical requirements of an advanced electronic signature (eIDAS art. 26): a unique key per signer, under their sole control, linked to the document so any change is detectable. Signers are identified by email (and an optional emailed code), not by ID documents or SMS. They are not qualified electronic signatures, and whether a signature meets a legal requirement depends on the applicable law. **What is the certificate of completion?** A PDF listing each recipient and each event — sent, viewed, consent, signed — with times, emails and IP addresses, fingerprints of the original and completed documents, and each signer's device-key certificate fingerprint. It is sealed like the signed PDF. **Why does Acrobat say the seal's validity is unknown?** The seal certificate is issued by PDFBetter's own certificate authority, which is not yet on Adobe's trust list, so Acrobat cannot confirm who applied it unless you trust PDFBetter's certificate. It still detects changes: if the file is edited after completion, the reader shows it as modified. **How do automatic reminders work?** You choose an interval in days when sending. Recipients who have not finished get a reminder email at that interval until they sign, decline or the request expires. **How many signature requests can I send for free?** A free account includes 3 signature requests a month. Pro and Business include unlimited requests. ### Online form builder URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/form-builder/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn a document into a live form people fill out from a link, QR code or your website, and collect every response in one place. An online form builder lets you place fields on a document, set rules for what people can enter, and publish it so respondents fill it out from a link — and you collect their answers as data. PDFBetter builds forms on top of your own document (PDF, Word file or a photo of a paper form) or a blank page, so the published form looks exactly like the paper version people already know. There are 23 field types: text, name, email, number, date, signature, initials, checkbox, radio, dropdown, image, formula, USD and EUR currency, title, company, US ZIP, US phone, EIN, SSN, age, gender and US state. Each field can be required or read-only, carry help text and a placeholder, and enforce limits such as minimum and maximum, maximum length or a custom pattern. A preview mode shows exactly what respondents will see, in the tab order you set. Branching and math are built in. Conditional rules show a field only when other answers match (“Show ‘Allergy details’ when ‘Any allergies?’ is Yes”); hidden fields never block submission. Formula fields calculate from other fields with sum, avg, min, max, round, if and basic arithmetic, so an order form totals itself. Publishing gives you a link, a QR code and an embed code; settings cover requiring an email, notifying you on each response, a response cap, a closing date, a confirmation message or redirect, and whether respondents may download their filled copy. Responses are listed per form and export to CSV or Excel. Each publish is an edition: if you change a live form, earlier responses stay attached to the edition they were submitted against. If you only need a fillable PDF to email around, Create fillable PDF is simpler; to complete a form yourself, use Fill PDF. A free account includes 1 live form and 50 responses a month; Pro includes 10 live forms and 1,000 responses. #### Steps 1. **Start from a document or blank page** — Upload a PDF, Word file or photo of a paper form, or start blank in the editor. Word files and images are converted to PDF first. 2. **Add fields** — Drag fields from the panel onto the page, or use auto-detect to propose fields and review them. 3. **Set rules** — Mark required fields, add validation, conditional visibility and formulas; set the tab order. 4. **Preview** — Fill the form yourself in preview to check rules, totals and order. 5. **Publish and collect** — Publish to get a link, QR code and embed code; watch responses arrive and export them to CSV or Excel. #### Settings - Field types: 23 kinds, from text and checkboxes to formulas, currency and US-specific formats like ZIP, EIN and SSN. - Validation: Required, read-only, min/max, max length, and custom patterns. - Conditional logic: Show a field when all or any rules match: equals, contains, is empty, greater than, checked and more. - Formulas: Calculated fields using other field names, e.g. qty * price, with sum, round and if. - Publishing: Link, QR code and embed code; response cap, closing date, email requirement, notifications and confirmation message. Input: PDF, DOCX, PNG, JPG, Blank page. Output: Published form link, Responses as CSV or XLSX, Filled PDF per response. #### Limitations - Conditional logic and formulas run in PDFBetter's form and signing pages. If you download the form as a fillable PDF, the fields remain but other PDF readers will not evaluate the rules. - Format presets (ZIP, phone, EIN, SSN, state) follow US conventions; for other countries use text fields with your own pattern. - Word files and images are converted to PDF before building; Word conversion uses one of your monthly Office conversions. - Live forms and monthly responses are limited by plan: 1 form and 50 responses on Free, 10 forms and 1,000 responses on Pro. #### FAQ **Do respondents need an account?** No. Anyone with the link or QR code can fill and submit the form in a browser. **Where do the responses go?** Each response is saved to the form's response list in your account, and you can export all responses to CSV or Excel. You can also get an email for each new response. **What happens to responses if I edit a live form?** Republishing creates a new edition. Earlier responses stay linked to the edition they were submitted on, so their data is not mixed up. **Can I put the form on my website?** Yes. Copy the embed code from the publish dialog and paste it into your page, or link to the form directly. **Can respondents sign the form?** Yes. Add a signature field, or turn on the require-signature setting, and respondents sign in the browser before submitting. **Will my conditional fields work if someone opens the PDF in Acrobat?** No. Conditional rules and formulas are evaluated in PDFBetter's online form. A downloaded fillable PDF keeps all fields visible and static. **How is this different from Create fillable PDF?** Create fillable PDF gives you a PDF file with fields to download and send. Form builder publishes the form online and collects responses as data. ### Add text fields to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-text-fields-to-pdf/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Draw text fields over the blanks in your PDF and download a form that anyone can type into, in any PDF reader. To add a text field to a PDF, open the fields panel, choose Text, and drag a box over the blank line; the box becomes an interactive form field that anyone can click and type into in Acrobat Reader, Apple Preview, browser PDF viewers and most mobile apps. A text field is not the same as added text. Added text (Add text to PDF) is content you type now and it is fixed on the page. A text field is an empty box for someone else to fill later, with a name, rules and an optional default value. Use fields when you are preparing a form; use added text when you are completing one. Each field has a unique name — its “database name” — which is what shows up when responses are exported or when a spreadsheet fills the form. Set it to something meaningful like applicant_last_name rather than Text1. Other settings: single or multi-line, maximum length, required, read-only, placeholder and help text, font size and a tab order so the cursor moves through the form in a sensible sequence. Specialized text kinds save effort: email, number, date, US phone, ZIP, SSN and EIN fields validate their format when filled in PDFBetter. For a complete form with checkboxes, dropdowns and logic, see Form builder. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — The fields panel opens on the right. 2. **Draw text fields** — Choose Text (or Name, Email, Number…) and drag a box over each blank. 3. **Configure each field** — Give it a clear name, set single or multi-line, max length, required and help text. 4. **Set the tab order and preview** — Check that Tab moves through fields in reading order, then try filling it in preview. 5. **Download** — Download with a free account; keep fields interactive (do not flatten). #### Settings - Name: Unique field name used in exports and spreadsheet filling. - Single or multi-line: Multi-line wraps text for addresses, comments and descriptions. - Max length: Limit characters, e.g. 2 for a state code or 5 for a ZIP. - Required / read-only: Required fields are flagged when empty; read-only fields show a preset value. - Help text and placeholder: Hints shown to the person filling the form. Input: PDF. Output: Fillable PDF (AcroForm). #### Limitations - Format checks (email, phone, patterns) run when the form is filled in PDFBetter. Other PDF readers accept the field but may not enforce those checks. - Text longer than a fixed-size field scrolls or is cut off in some readers; size boxes generously and use multi-line for long answers. - Field names must be unique in the document. Two fields with the same name would share one value, so the editor prevents duplicates. #### FAQ **What is the difference between a text field and a text box?** A text box is fixed text you add to the page. A text field is an empty, interactive box that someone else types into later. **Will my fields work in Adobe Acrobat Reader?** Yes. Fields are saved as standard PDF form fields, which Acrobat Reader, Preview, browser viewers and most mobile PDF apps can fill. **Can I make a field required?** Yes. Required fields are flagged when empty in PDFBetter, and they are marked as required in the PDF for readers that enforce it. **Why should I rename fields?** Names identify each answer when you export responses or fill the form from a spreadsheet. “client_email” is easier to map than “Text7”. **Can I add fields to a scanned form?** Yes. Fields sit on top of the page, so they work on scans; zoom in to align them with the printed lines. **Can I change a text field into a different type later?** Yes. Select the field and change its type, for example to Number or Date; its name and position are kept. ### Add radio buttons to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-radio-buttons-to-pdf/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Group options so only one can be selected, give each option a value, and download a PDF form that enforces a single choice. To add radio buttons to a PDF, place one radio field per option and put them in the same group; choosing one option automatically clears the others, so exactly one answer is recorded. PDFBetter's fields panel creates the group for you as you add options. Use radio buttons for mutually exclusive questions: Yes/No, Male/Female/Prefer not to say, Payment monthly/quarterly/annually, Contact by phone/email/text. If several answers may apply (“Which services do you need?”), use checkboxes instead. If there are more than six or seven options, a dropdown takes less space. Every button has an export value — the text recorded when it is chosen, such as “annual” — while the group has one name, such as billing_frequency. That pair is what appears in exported responses and what a spreadsheet maps to when filling the form in bulk. Mark the group required to make sure someone picks an option before submitting. Radio buttons stay interactive in the downloaded PDF, so they work in Acrobat Reader, Preview and browser viewers. In PDFBetter's published forms, a required group also blocks submission until something is chosen. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Open the fields panel and choose Radio. 2. **Place the first option** — Click beside the first choice and name the group (for example contact_method). 3. **Add the other options** — Place more buttons in the same group; give each an export value like phone, email, text. 4. **Make it required if needed** — Required groups must have one option chosen. 5. **Preview and download** — Click through options in preview to confirm only one stays selected, then download. #### Settings - Group name: All buttons sharing this name form one single-choice question. - Export value: The value saved when this button is chosen. - Required: One option in the group must be selected. - Default: Optionally preselect one option. Input: PDF. Output: Fillable PDF (AcroForm). #### Limitations - In most PDF readers a chosen radio button cannot be cleared back to “nothing selected”. Add a “Prefer not to say” or “N/A” option if a blank answer is acceptable. - How the selected dot looks (circle, check, filled) can vary slightly between PDF readers. - Buttons in a group must use distinct export values, or selecting one will appear to select both. #### FAQ **What is the difference between radio buttons and checkboxes?** Radio buttons in a group allow exactly one choice. Checkboxes are independent, so any number can be ticked. **How do I make several buttons work as one question?** Give them the same group name. Each button then needs its own export value. **Can I require an answer?** Yes. Mark the group required; PDFBetter forms will not submit until an option is chosen. **Can I deselect a radio button?** Usually not, which is standard PDF behavior. Include an N/A option if people may need to leave the question unanswered. **Will the radio buttons work outside PDFBetter?** Yes. They are standard PDF radio button fields and work in Acrobat Reader, Apple Preview and browser PDF viewers. ### Create a PDF template URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/create-pdf-template/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Set up a document once with its fields and fixed content, save it as a template, and start a clean copy every time you need it. To create a PDF template, prepare a document the way every copy should start — logo, fixed wording, fillable fields, signature fields — and save it as a template. Each time you use it, PDFBetter creates a new document from the template, so you fill or send the copy and the master stays untouched. Templates suit anything you send repeatedly: a monthly invoice, a standard NDA, a client onboarding packet, a lease addendum, an inspection report. Without a template, people reuse last month's filled copy and risk sending the previous client's details; with one, every copy starts clean. Fields carry over with their names, rules and positions, so a template pairs well with Fill PDF from Excel (one copy per spreadsheet row) and with signing requests, where the same fields are assigned to the signer each time. Editing the template later changes future copies only; documents already created from it keep their content. These are your own templates. PDFBetter also has a library of original templates — invoices, service agreements, NDAs, leases, applications and intake forms — that you can open, adapt and then save as your own template. A free account can keep 3 reusable templates; Pro and Business keep unlimited templates. #### Steps 1. **Upload or open the master document** — Start from your PDF or a library template. 2. **Add fixed content and fields** — Add your logo and standard text, then fillable fields and any signature fields. 3. **Save as template** — Name it; it moves to your templates list. Saving needs a free account. 4. **Use it** — Click Use template to create a new document from it; fill, sign or send that copy. #### Settings - Fields: All 23 field types, with names, rules and default values kept in every copy. - Use template: Creates a new, separate document; the template is never modified by filling a copy. Input: PDF. Output: Reusable template, New PDF documents. #### Limitations - Changing a template does not update documents already created from it. - Guests cannot save templates. A free account keeps 3; Pro and Business keep unlimited templates. - Templates are personal; sharing templates with a team needs the Business plan's shared workspace. #### FAQ **Will filling a copy change my template?** No. Use template always creates a separate document. The template changes only when you open and edit the template itself. **Can I use a template with Fill PDF from Excel?** Yes. Map spreadsheet columns to the template's field names to generate one filled copy per row. **Can a template include signature fields for other people?** Yes. Place signature and date fields, then assign them to recipients when you send a copy for signature. **What is the difference between my templates and the template library?** The library contains PDFBetter's original documents that anyone can open. Your templates are private masters you created and only you (or your team) can use. **How many templates can I save?** 3 on the Free plan, unlimited on Pro and Business. **Can I turn a template back into a normal document?** Use the template to create a copy; the copy is a normal document you can edit freely. ### Create a fillable PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/create-fillable-pdf/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Convert a static PDF into a form with real fields — detected automatically, checked by you — and download a fillable PDF. To create a fillable PDF, add interactive form fields — text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, dates and signature boxes — on top of a flat PDF and save it with those fields intact. PDFBetter can detect likely fields for you: it reads the page, proposes a field over each blank line and box, and lets you accept, adjust or delete each one before anything is saved. Detection is a starting point, not an autopilot. On a clean digital form it gets most fields right, and you fix names, types and sizes; on dense or scanned forms you may add a few by hand. Detection uses AI credits (3 per run) and sends page content to our AI provider; skip it and place fields manually if you prefer. The result is a standard fillable PDF (AcroForm). Recipients can fill it in Adobe Acrobat Reader, Apple Preview, Chrome, Edge and Firefox's built-in viewers, and most mobile PDF apps, then save or print it. Text, checkbox, radio and dropdown fields behave natively everywhere; signature fields export as clickable boxes rather than certificate-based digital ID fields. Choose this when you want to email or post a form file. If you want responses collected online as data, publish it with Form builder. If you simply need to fill a form yourself, use Fill PDF — no fields required. #### Steps 1. **Upload the flat PDF** — The fields panel opens with auto-detect ready. 2. **Detect fields (optional)** — Run detection on all pages or a range, or skip it and draw fields yourself. 3. **Review every proposal** — Accept, resize, retype (text → date, checkbox → radio) or delete each field; rename fields meaningfully. 4. **Preview** — Tab through the form as a filler would and fix the order. 5. **Download the fillable PDF** — With a free account, download without flattening so the fields stay interactive. #### Settings - Auto-detect: Proposes fields from blank lines, boxes and labels; you review before anything is added. - Manual fields: Text, checkbox, radio, dropdown, date, signature and the rest of the 23 field types. - Field properties: Name, required, read-only, max length, default value, help text and tab order. Input: PDF. Output: Fillable PDF (AcroForm). #### Limitations - Detection can miss fields, merge adjacent boxes or pick the wrong type, especially on scanned or crowded forms. Review every page. - Conditional logic and formulas you add are evaluated in PDFBetter only; other readers show the fields without running those rules. - Signature fields are exported as standard fields with an appearance, not as digital ID signature fields that apply a certificate. - Detection uses AI credits and sends page content to our AI provider; manual placement uses neither. #### FAQ **Will the fillable PDF work in Adobe Acrobat Reader?** Yes. Fields are standard AcroForm fields, which Acrobat Reader, Apple Preview, browser viewers and most mobile apps can fill and save. **Does auto-detection always get it right?** No. It handles clear printed forms well but can miss or mis-type fields. Nothing is added until you review it. **Can I make a scanned paper form fillable?** Yes. Fields sit on top of the page image. Detection works better on clean, straight scans. **How is this different from Form builder?** Both create fields. Create fillable PDF ends with a PDF file to share; Form builder publishes an online form and collects responses. **Can I add a dropdown list?** Yes. Add a dropdown field and type the options; it works in standard PDF readers. **Do I need an account?** You can build and review fields as a guest. Downloading the fillable PDF needs a free account. ### Remove fillable fields from a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/remove-pdf-fields/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Pick the fields to remove, decide whether their current values stay on the page, and download the PDF without them. To remove fillable fields from a PDF, list the form's fields, select the ones to delete (or all of them), choose whether to keep their current values as printed text, and save. PDFBetter does this in your browser, so the file never leaves your device. The value choice is the key decision. Removing fields without keeping values gives you a clean, non-fillable page — the printed labels and lines stay, the boxes are gone. Keeping values as text turns whatever was typed into ordinary page content, which is the same as flattening those fields. Use the first to strip a form back to paper, the second to lock in answers. Common reasons: a downloaded form has misaligned or broken fields you want to replace with your own; fields from a previous tool clutter a document you are rebuilding; or a completed form should be sent with some fields fixed and others still fillable. Removing selected fields covers that last case — Flatten PDF can only flatten everything at once, including annotations. Field removal changes only the interactive layer. Anything printed on the page itself, like box outlines or underscores, stays. #### Steps 1. **Add the PDF** — Fields are listed by name, type and page. Nothing is uploaded. 2. **Select fields** — Choose all fields or tick individual ones; click a field name to see it highlighted on the page. 3. **Choose what happens to values** — Keep current values as text, or discard them along with the fields. 4. **Download** — Save the PDF with the selected fields removed. #### Settings - Fields to remove: All fields, or a selection from the list. - Keep values as text: On: typed answers become page content (flattened). Off: fields and their values are deleted. Input: PDF with form fields. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Dynamic XFA forms (built with Adobe LiveCycle) are not standard form fields and cannot be processed; a message explains this. - Removing a digital signature field from a signed PDF invalidates that signature. - Printed box outlines, underscores and labels are page content and remain after the fields are removed. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first. #### FAQ **What is the difference between removing fields and flattening?** Removing deletes the interactive fields, with or without their values. Flattening always keeps the values as text and also burns in annotations like comments and highlights. **Can I remove just one field?** Yes. Select only that field in the list; all others stay fillable. **Will the typed answers disappear?** Only if you turn off Keep values as text. With it on, answers remain on the page as normal text. **Is my file uploaded?** No. Field removal runs entirely in your browser. **Can I undo it?** The original file on your device is unchanged; keep it if you might need the fields again. ### Fill PDF forms from Excel URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/fill-pdf-from-excel/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-18 Match spreadsheet columns to form fields, check a preview, and generate one filled PDF for every row. To fill PDF forms from Excel, choose a fillable PDF (or one of your templates), upload a spreadsheet with one row per record, map each column to a field, preview a few rows, and generate; you get one filled PDF per row, named from the row's data, in a single ZIP. It is mail merge for PDF forms. Typical runs: 40 certificates of completion with each attendee's name and date; offer letters for a hiring cohort; W-9 request packets for every vendor; inspection forms pre-filled with property addresses; shipping or labeling forms from an order export. Anything where the same form is completed many times from data you already have. Mapping is by column header: you pick which column fills each field, so headers that match your field names make it quick. Radio groups take the option's export value; checkboxes take a clear true value such as TRUE or Yes. A file name pattern such as {Last name}-{First name}-certificate.pdf keeps the output organized ({row} inserts the row number, and duplicate names get a (2) suffix). Before the batch runs, you can step through rows in a preview to see exactly what each PDF will contain. Rows that fail the form's own rules — a missing required value, an invalid email, an option that does not exist — are listed with the reason instead of silently producing a broken PDF. Runs of up to 50 rows are filled in your browser: free, no account, and neither the PDF nor the spreadsheet leaves your device. Larger runs are filled on PDFBetter's servers, split into ZIP files of up to 500 PDFs, need a free account and count toward your monthly spreadsheet fill rows (25 rows on Free, 500 on Pro and 5,000 on Business). To send each filled copy for signature instead of downloading it, Business plans include bulk send. #### Steps 1. **Choose the form** — Upload a fillable PDF or pick one of your templates. A PDF without fields needs fields first (Create fillable PDF). 2. **Upload the spreadsheet** — An .xlsx or .csv file with one header row and one row per record. 3. **Map columns to fields** — Choose a column for each field you want filled; unmapped fields stay empty. 4. **Preview records** — Step through rows to check placement, dates and checkboxes; set the file name pattern. 5. **Generate and download** — Run the batch and download the ZIP of PDFs, with a list of any rows that failed. Up to 50 rows are filled right in your browser. #### Settings - Column mapping: Which spreadsheet column fills which form field. - File name pattern: Build each file name from columns, e.g. {Company}-W9-request.pdf; {row} adds the row number. - Flatten output: On by default, so values are part of each page; turn it off to keep fields editable in every PDF. Input: Fillable PDF or template, XLSX, CSV. Output: ZIP of PDFs. #### Limitations - The spreadsheet needs a single header row. Merged cells, multiple header rows and data spread across several sheets should be cleaned up first. - Excel formulas are not recalculated; the stored cell values are used. Check that dates come through in the format you want in the preview, and format date columns as text if they do not. - The PDF must have fields. Text placed with Add text is not fillable from a spreadsheet. - Runs of more than 50 rows are filled on PDFBetter's servers: they need a free account and count toward the monthly limit (25 rows on Free, 500 on Pro and 5,000 on Business). #### FAQ **Which spreadsheet formats work?** Excel .xlsx files and .csv files. Export Google Sheets or Numbers to one of these first. **Can I fill a PDF that has no form fields?** Not directly. Add fields with Create fillable PDF or Add text fields, then come back and map columns to them. **How do I name each output file?** Set a file name pattern using column names in braces, such as {Last name}-{Invoice number}.pdf. **What happens if a row has a problem?** That row is skipped and listed with the reason; all other rows are still generated. **Can I send each filled PDF for signature?** Bulk send to individual recipients is a Business feature. On other plans, download the PDFs and send signature requests individually. **How many rows can I fill?** Up to 50 rows per run, as often as you like, free and without an account: those runs happen in your browser. Larger runs are filled on our servers and count toward 25 rows on Free, 500 on Pro and 5,000 on Business a month. ### Add checkboxes to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-checkbox-to-pdf/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Place interactive checkboxes on your PDF so people can tick any number of options, and download a form that remembers their choices. To add a checkbox to a PDF, choose the Checkbox field and click where it belongs; each checkbox is an interactive field that toggles between checked and unchecked when clicked in any PDF reader, and its state is saved with the file. Checkboxes are independent, so they suit questions where several answers can be true at once: “Which days are you available?”, “Select all symptoms that apply”, “Documents enclosed”. They also work alone for confirmations — an “I agree to the terms” box marked required means a PDFBetter form or signing request cannot be finished until it is ticked. This is different from a checkmark. Add checkmark draws a fixed tick that you put there; a checkbox is a blank control for someone else to choose. And it is different from radio buttons, where picking one option clears the others. If only one answer is allowed, use radio buttons. Each checkbox has its own name, which is what appears in exported responses and what a spreadsheet column maps to. In PDFBetter's online forms, a checkbox can also drive conditional logic: show the “Allergy details” field only when “I have allergies” is ticked. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Open the fields panel and choose Checkbox. 2. **Click to place each checkbox** — Put one on each printed square or option; resize to match. 3. **Name and configure** — Give each a clear name (e.g. available_monday), mark required ones, and set a default if needed. 4. **Add logic (optional)** — In forms you publish, show or hide other fields based on whether a box is checked. 5. **Download** — With a free account, download without flattening so the boxes stay clickable. #### Settings - Name: Unique name per checkbox for exports and spreadsheet filling. - Required: Must be ticked before a PDFBetter form or signing step can be completed. - Default: Start checked or unchecked. - Conditional logic: Use checked/unchecked as a rule to show other fields in published forms. Input: PDF. Output: Fillable PDF (AcroForm). #### Limitations - Conditional logic tied to checkboxes runs in PDFBetter's online forms and signing pages, not in other PDF readers. - Other PDF readers may not enforce a required checkbox; enforcement is guaranteed only when the form is filled through PDFBetter. - The checked mark's style (tick or cross) can look slightly different from one PDF reader to another. #### FAQ **What is the difference between a checkbox and a checkmark?** A checkbox is an interactive field anyone can tick or untick. A checkmark is a fixed drawing you place on the page yourself. **Can people select more than one checkbox?** Yes. Every checkbox is independent. Use radio buttons when only one choice should be allowed. **Can I make an “I agree” checkbox mandatory?** Yes. Mark it required; PDFBetter forms and signing requests cannot be completed until it is ticked. **Will the checkbox work in Acrobat Reader or Preview?** Yes. Checkboxes are standard PDF form fields and can be toggled and saved in common readers. **How do checkboxes map from a spreadsheet?** In Fill PDF from Excel, map a column to the checkbox and use a clear true value such as TRUE or Yes for rows that should be ticked; the preview shows the result before you generate. ### Fill out a PDF form URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/fill-pdf/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Open the form, move through every field with Tab, fill it in, and download a completed PDF that keeps or locks your answers. To fill out a PDF form online, upload it and click into each field — or press Tab to move from one to the next — to type text, tick checkboxes, choose radio options and pick from dropdowns. PDFBetter finds the form's existing fillable fields automatically and lists them in a panel so you can see what is left. Not every PDF form has fields. Many are flat printouts or scans. For those, the same editor lets you click anywhere and type, drop checkmarks into boxes, add today's date and sign — so one tool completes both kinds of form. If you want others to fill your form, see Create fillable PDF or Form builder instead. Required fields are flagged until they have a value, and fields with a format (such as a date) show an error if what you typed does not fit. Your entries are saved as you go, so you can close the tab and come back; guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after they're created, and an account keeps them in your document list. When you download, choose fillable (the next person can still change the values, for example an employer completing their part) or flattened (your answers become part of the page). A free account is needed to download and includes 3 edited-document downloads a month. #### Steps 1. **Upload the form** — Existing fields are detected and highlighted; the field list shows how many are required. 2. **Fill each field** — Click a field or press Tab to move through them in order. Tick boxes and choose options. 3. **Complete flat areas** — Where there are no fields, type with the text tool, add checkmarks, the date and your signature. 4. **Check required fields** — The panel shows any required field still empty or with an invalid value. 5. **Download** — Create a free account and download fillable or flattened. #### Settings - Field navigation: Tab and Shift+Tab through fields; the panel lists every field and its status. - Fillable or flattened download: Keep values editable in the form, or make them part of the page. Input: PDF. Output: PDF (fillable or flattened). #### Limitations - Dynamic XFA forms (often from older government and insurance systems) do not open as fillable forms. Ask the issuer for a standard PDF, or print the form to PDF and type on it. - Calculations built into a PDF with JavaScript, such as automatic totals on some tax forms, are not run. Check totals yourself. - Fonts in existing fields follow the form's settings; some forms use tiny or auto-sized text that can look different from other readers. - If the form is password protected against editing, unlock it first. #### FAQ **How do I know if my PDF is fillable?** Upload it. Existing fields are highlighted and listed; if none are found, the editor switches to typing anywhere on the page. **Can I fill a scanned form?** Yes. Click anywhere to type, use checkmarks for boxes, and add your signature and date. **Should I download fillable or flattened?** Fillable if someone else still needs to complete or change fields. Flattened when the form is final, so answers look the same everywhere and are harder to change. **Is my progress saved?** Yes. Entries save automatically. As a guest, drafts are kept for 1 hour after you create them; with an account they are kept in your documents. **Can I sign the form after filling it?** Yes. Switch to the signature tool in the same editor and place your signature on the line. **Do I need an account?** No account is needed to fill. Downloading the completed form needs a free account. ### Flatten a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/flatten-pdf/ · Category: Forms & signatures · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn every field, value and annotation into ordinary page content and download a PDF that cannot be changed by clicking. Flattening a PDF merges its interactive layers — form fields and their values, comments, highlights, stamps and drawn markups — into the page content, so the result is a plain PDF that displays identically in every reader and cannot be changed by clicking into a field. PDFBetter flattens in your browser, so the file never leaves your device. Flatten when a document is final: a completed application before you submit it, a signed form before archiving it, a reviewed contract whose markup should be printed exactly as shown. It also fixes a common annoyance — filled values or annotations that some viewers, printers or upload portals hide or display differently. Flattening is not security. The text stays selectable and copyable, and anyone with a PDF editor can still edit the page content. To restrict editing, use Protect PDF; to permanently remove information, use Redact PDF. Covering something with a field value or annotation and then flattening does not delete what is underneath. Flatten affects everything at once. To flatten only some fields, or remove fields while discarding their values, use Remove PDF fields instead. #### Steps 1. **Add the PDF** — It is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded. 2. **Flatten** — Fields, values and annotations are drawn into each page. 3. **Download** — Save the flattened PDF and keep the original if you might need to edit it again. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Flattening cannot be undone in the output file; keep the original if you may need the fields again. - It is not redaction or protection: text remains selectable, and covered content may still be in the file. - Flattening a PDF that carries certificate-based digital signatures invalidates those signatures. - Dynamic XFA forms are not standard fields and are not flattened; print them to PDF first. #### FAQ **What does flattening a PDF do?** It draws form field values and annotations into the page itself, removing the interactive layer, so the PDF looks the same everywhere and cannot be edited by clicking. **Is a flattened PDF secure?** No. Flattening prevents casual changes to fields, but the text can still be copied and edited with a PDF editor. Use Protect PDF or Redact PDF for security. **Can I flatten only some fields?** Not here; this flattens everything. Use Remove PDF fields with Keep values as text on just the fields you choose. **Can I unflatten a PDF?** No. Values become ordinary page content. Keep your fillable original if you might need to edit it. **Is my file uploaded?** No. Flattening happens in your browser and the file stays on your device. **Will flattening make the file smaller?** Usually it changes size only slightly. Use Compress PDF if file size is the goal. ### Merge PDF files URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/merge-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Drop in two or more PDFs, set the file and page order, and download one combined PDF. To merge PDFs, add the files, drag them into order and click Merge: PDFBetter joins them end to end into a single PDF on your device. It suits a signed contract plus its exhibits, a month of receipts, or chapters exported separately from a word processor. Before anything is generated you see the combined page order as thumbnails. Open the page view to move single pages between files, rotate a sideways scan, or drop a blank page, so the file you download matches what you previewed. Each page keeps its original size and orientation; a landscape spreadsheet page stays landscape next to portrait letters. Merge is for one output from a handful of PDFs. If you are building a packet from PDFs and photos with a bookmark per item, use Assemble PDF. If you need several merged files at once, say one per client, Batch merge runs separate merge groups in one go. To pull a few pages out of a file instead, use Extract pages. Because merging runs in your browser, your files are not uploaded and the download is free without an account. The trade-off is that very large jobs depend on your device's memory, which we explain below. #### Steps 1. **Add your PDFs** — Drop two or more PDFs, up to 20 files per job without an account (30 on the Free plan, more on paid plans). Files that need a password to open must be unlocked first. 2. **Set the order** — Drag files into order, or sort by name. Open “Pages” to reorder, rotate or remove individual pages across all files. 3. **Check the preview** — The thumbnail strip shows the final page sequence and total page count of the combined file. 4. **Merge and download** — Click Merge. The file is built on your device and the download starts when it finishes. #### Settings - File order: Drag to reorder, or sort A–Z by file name, which helps with numbered scans like scan_001.pdf. - Page-level order: Move, rotate or remove individual pages before merging; the output follows the page view exactly. - Output file name: Defaults to the first file's name with “-merged”; you can rename it before downloading. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Fillable fields that share a name across files are renamed (for example “Name_2”) so each stays independent and fillable. - Bookmarks, document-level JavaScript and file attachments from the source PDFs are not carried into the merged file. - Digital signatures in a source file are no longer valid after merging, because the signed bytes change. Merge first, then sign, or keep signed files separate. - Large jobs are limited by your device's memory; hundreds of image-heavy pages can be slow on a phone. #### FAQ **Can I merge PDFs with different page sizes?** Yes. Every page keeps its own size and orientation, so A4 and Letter pages can sit in the same file. If you need one uniform size, run the result through Resize PDF. **Are my files uploaded?** No. Merging runs in your browser with our PDF engine, so the files stay on your device and nothing is stored on our servers. **Do I need an account to download the merged file?** No. Browser tools like Merge download free without an account. An account only raises the files-per-job limit and lets you save the result to your documents. **What happens to form fields when I merge?** They stay fillable. If two files use the same field name, the later one is renamed so filling one does not overwrite the other. **Can I merge only some pages of a file?** Yes. Open the page view and remove the pages you do not want before merging; the original files are not changed. **Will the merged file be larger than the originals combined?** It is usually close to the sum of the inputs. Fonts and images shared between files are not de-duplicated, so use Compress PDF if the result is too big to email. ### Split a PDF into several files URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/split-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Choose where to cut, preview every resulting file, and download them as separate PDFs or one ZIP. Splitting cuts one PDF into several smaller PDFs. Enter page ranges such as 1-3, 4-10, 11- and you get three files; choose “every 5 pages” for a scanned stack of five-page forms; or choose “each page” to get one file per page. The result of a split is always more than one file, and together they cover the pages you chose. That is the difference from Extract pages, which copies a selection into a single new PDF, and from Remove pages, which deletes pages and gives you back one shorter file. A typical use is breaking a large scan into per-person or per-invoice files, or getting under an upload limit on a portal that rejects big files. Before you download, PDFBetter lists every output with its page numbers and a thumbnail of the first page, so a mistyped range is obvious. Everything happens in your browser. The file is not uploaded, and the split files download free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Upload one PDF** — Choose the file to split. Files that need a password to open must be unlocked first. 2. **Pick a split mode** — Custom ranges (for example 1-3, 4-10, 11-), every N pages, or one file per page. 3. **Review the outputs** — Each resulting file is listed with its page range, page count and first-page thumbnail. Rename files if you like. 4. **Download** — Download files one by one or all together as a ZIP. #### Settings - Custom ranges: Comma-separated ranges, one output per range. An open range like “11-” runs to the last page. Ranges may overlap if you need the same page in two files. - Every N pages: Fixed-size chunks. A 23-page file split every 5 pages gives four 5-page files and one 3-page file. - Each page: One single-page PDF per page, named with the page number. - File names: Outputs are named after the original with the page range appended, for example report_p1-3.pdf. Input: PDF. Output: PDF (several files), ZIP of PDFs. #### Limitations - Splitting does not reduce image quality, so a split part of a large scan can still be large. Use Compress PDF on parts that must meet a size limit. - Bookmarks and links that point to pages in another part stop working, because those pages are now in a different file. - Split mode cannot detect document boundaries by content (for example a new invoice number); you choose the ranges. #### FAQ **What is the difference between split and extract?** Split always produces several files that cover your ranges. Extract copies just the pages you select into one new PDF. If you want one file with pages 4, 9 and 12, use Extract pages. **Can I split a large PDF to get under an email size limit?** Yes, but pages are split, not compressed. Splitting a 40 MB scan in half gives two files of roughly 20 MB each; run Compress PDF on them if they are still too big. **Can I split odd and even pages?** Ranges also accept “odd” and “even”, so you can split a duplex scan into front sides and back sides as two files. **Do fillable fields survive a split?** Fields stay fillable in the part that contains their page. A field that appears on pages in two different parts is copied into both. **Is the original file changed?** No. Splitting works on a copy in your browser; your original file is untouched. ### Assemble a PDF packet URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/assemble-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Combine PDFs and photos into one packet with a bookmark per item, in the order you set. Assemble PDF builds one document packet from mixed sources: PDFs, phone photos and screenshots go in, one PDF comes out with a bookmark for each item so the reader can jump straight to “Proof of address” or “Pay stub, March”. Use it for applications and submissions that ask for several supporting documents in one upload: a rental application with ID, pay stubs and a reference letter, a reimbursement claim with receipt photos, or a court or HR filing with numbered exhibits. The difference from Merge PDF is the packet structure. Merge joins PDFs and nothing else. Assemble accepts images, places each photo on a page of the size you choose, names every item, and turns those names into the bookmark outline. You can also insert a blank separator page or a simple cover sheet before any item. The packet is built in your browser, so your documents are not uploaded and the download is free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Add PDFs and images** — Drop PDFs, JPGs and PNGs together, up to 20 files without an account. Photos from an iPhone in HEIC format should be converted with JPG to PDF first or exported as JPG. 2. **Name and order the items** — Drag items into order and give each a label, such as “Exhibit A: Lease”. Labels become bookmarks. 3. **Set image pages** — Choose the page size and margin for photos (for example Letter with a small margin) so they match the PDF pages around them. 4. **Preview and build** — Check the full page sequence and bookmark list, then build and download the packet. #### Settings - Item labels: Each item's label becomes a top-level bookmark pointing to its first page. Defaults to the file name. - Image page size: Letter, A4, Legal, A5 or “fit to image”. Photos are scaled to fit inside the margins without cropping. - Separator pages: Insert a blank page before any item, for example to keep exhibits starting on a right-hand page when printed double-sided. Input: PDF, JPG, PNG. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Bookmarks inside the source PDFs are replaced by one bookmark per item; deeper outlines from the originals are not kept. - Photos are placed as taken. Assemble does not deskew, crop or enhance phone photos; use Restore scanned PDF for that. - HEIC and WebP images are not accepted here directly; convert them with JPG to PDF, then add the resulting PDF. - Large photo packets can get big. Run Compress PDF afterward if a portal has an upload limit. #### FAQ **How is Assemble different from Merge?** Merge joins PDFs into one file. Assemble also accepts images and creates a named bookmark for every item, which is what reviewers expect in an application or exhibit packet. **Can I add a page number or exhibit stamp to every page?** Assemble builds the packet; then open the result in Add page numbers to number it, or the editor to add exhibit labels on the pages themselves. **Will my phone photos be compressed?** No. Images are embedded at their original resolution, which keeps them readable but can make the file large. **Can I reuse the same packet order next month?** Not as a saved recipe yet. Keep the assembled PDF, and next time open it in Organize PDF to swap out the pages that changed. **Are my documents uploaded?** No. Assembly runs in your browser, so IDs and financial documents stay on your device. ### Organize PDF pages URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/organize-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Fix a messy PDF in one pass: move, rotate, delete, duplicate and insert pages, then save one clean file. Organize PDF opens every page as a thumbnail so you can do all page housekeeping at once: drag pages into order, rotate the sideways ones, delete blanks, duplicate a page, and insert blank pages or pages from another PDF. Nothing is written until you save. It is the right tool for a scan that came out of the feeder in the wrong order with a few upside-down pages, or a report where you need to drop an outdated appendix and slot in a new one. Every change can be undone, and the page count updates as you work. If all you need is a new page order, Rearrange pages gives you a focused drag-and-drop view with range selection and nothing else. If you only need one operation on many pages, Rotate PDF and Remove pages are quicker. Organize is for doing several of them together. Organizing runs entirely in your browser. Your PDF is not uploaded, and the saved file downloads free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Upload your PDF** — Choose one PDF. Thumbnails load progressively, so long files are usable right away. 2. **Fix the pages** — Drag to reorder; use each page's controls to rotate, duplicate or delete; select several pages with Shift-click to act on them together. 3. **Insert what is missing** — Add blank pages at any position, or pull in pages from another PDF. 4. **Save** — Check the final order and page count, then save. Use Undo at any point before saving. #### Settings - Multi-select: Shift-click or Ctrl/Cmd-click pages, then move, rotate or delete the whole selection. - Insert blank or from file: Blank pages match the size of the neighboring page by default; pages from another PDF keep their own size. - Undo and redo: Every move, rotation, deletion and insertion can be undone until you save. - Zoom thumbnails: Enlarge thumbnails to tell similar pages apart before moving them. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Organize changes pages, not page content. To edit text or images on a page, open the editor. - Rotation is applied in 90° steps. Slightly skewed scans need Restore scanned PDF. - Pages inserted from another PDF bring their content but not that file's bookmarks or document-level settings. #### FAQ **What is the difference between Organize and Rearrange?** Rearrange is only for setting page order, with range selection and a clear final-order preview. Organize adds rotation, deletion, duplication and insertion in the same view. **Do comments and form fields move with their pages?** Yes. Annotations and fields belong to their page, so they move, rotate and duplicate with it, and they are removed if you delete the page. **Can I duplicate a page to make a copy for a second signer?** Yes. Duplicate creates an exact copy next to the original. Duplicated form fields are renamed so the two copies can hold different values. **Can I organize a password-protected PDF?** Unlock it first with Unlock PDF; you need the password to open it. **Is there a page limit?** Without an account, documents up to 200 pages; the Free plan allows 500 and paid plans more. Very large files also depend on your device's memory. ### Add pages to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-pages-to-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Insert blank pages, or pages from another PDF, exactly where they belong, then save one file. To add pages to a PDF, upload the main file, choose what to insert (blank pages or pages from another PDF) and pick the position: before page 1, after a specific page, or at the end. A marker in the thumbnail strip shows exactly where the new pages will land before you save. Common cases: a blank page for handwritten notes or a signature, a corrected page 7 from a newer version of the file, or a signed addendum slotted in after the contract's last clause. You can insert only some pages of the second PDF, for example pages 2–3 of an amendment. Inserted pages keep their own size, so a Letter-size addendum can sit inside an A4 report without being stretched. Blank pages copy the size of the page next to them unless you choose another size. Add pages differs from Merge in that it puts content inside a document at a position rather than joining files end to end. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded and the result is free to download. #### Steps 1. **Upload the main PDF** — This is the document you are adding pages to. 2. **Choose what to insert** — Blank pages (choose how many and their size) or another PDF, from which you can pick specific pages. 3. **Set the position** — Pick “before page”, “after page” or “at the end”; the preview marks the insertion point. 4. **Save the result** — Check the new page count and order, then save and download. #### Settings - Blank page count and size: Insert 1 or more blank pages. Size defaults to the neighboring page; Letter, A4, Legal, Tabloid, A3 and A5 are also available. - Pages from another PDF: Insert all pages or a range such as 2-3 from a second PDF. - Position: Before or after any page number, or at the start or end of the document. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Pages inserted from another PDF keep their own size; this tool does not scale them to match. Use Resize PDF afterward for uniform pages. - Bookmarks in the main file are kept, but bookmarks from the inserted PDF are not brought over. - If the main file is digitally signed, inserting pages invalidates that signature. #### FAQ **Can I add a page with an image instead of a PDF?** Convert the image with JPG to PDF or PNG to PDF first, then insert that PDF. Assemble PDF also accepts images directly if you are building a packet. **Can I add blank pages between every page for notes?** Not in one click here. Insert one blank page, then use Organize PDF to duplicate and place it; for long documents that is still quicker than editing elsewhere. **Do form fields in the inserted pages still work?** Yes. They stay fillable. If a field name already exists in the main PDF, the inserted one is renamed so both keep their own values. **Is this the same as adding text to a page?** No. Add pages inserts whole pages. To type on an existing page, use Add text to PDF. **Does inserting pages upload my files?** No. Both files are processed in your browser and are not stored by PDFBetter. ### Batch merge PDFs into several files URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/batch-merge-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Group many PDFs, then produce one merged PDF per group in a single run. Batch merge produces several merged PDFs in one run. Drop in all your files, sort them into groups, and you get one combined PDF per group: one packet per client, per employee or per month, without repeating the merge steps for each. Grouping can be done by hand, by dragging files into groups, or automatically by a shared file-name prefix. For example, files named ACME_invoice.pdf, ACME_po.pdf and ACME_receipt.pdf form an “ACME” group, while BETA_invoice.pdf and BETA_po.pdf form a “BETA” group. Use Merge PDF when you want a single output file. Use Batch merge when the same merge has to happen many times over different sets of files. Each group can be reordered on its own before the run, and the preview lists every output with its page count. The merging happens in your browser, so client documents are not uploaded, and the outputs download free as separate files or one ZIP. #### Steps 1. **Add all the PDFs** — Drop every file for every group at once, up to 20 files per job without an account (30 on Free, more on paid plans). 2. **Create the groups** — Group by file-name prefix automatically, or drag files into groups yourself. Rename each group; the name becomes the output file name. 3. **Order files in each group** — Set the order inside each group. The preview shows each output's page count. 4. **Run and download** — Merge all groups in one run and download the outputs separately or as a ZIP. #### Settings - Group by prefix: Uses the text before the first underscore, hyphen or space in the file name; you can change the separator. - Manual groups: Drag files between groups; a file can only belong to one group. - Output names: Each output is named after its group, for example ACME.pdf. Input: PDF. Output: PDF (one per group), ZIP of PDFs. #### Limitations - The files-per-job limit counts every file across all groups. - Automatic grouping only reads file names, not document content; files with inconsistent names need to be grouped by hand. - Like a single merge, bookmarks and attachments from the source files are not carried over, and digital signatures in the inputs are invalidated. #### FAQ **How is batch merge different from regular merge?** Regular merge makes one PDF from your files. Batch merge makes several PDFs at once, one per group, which saves repeating the same merge for every client or month. **Can the same file go into every group, like a cover letter?** Not automatically. Add a copy of the file for each group (for example cover_smith.pdf, cover_jones.pdf) so prefix grouping picks it up. **Can I put the timesheet first in every group?** Order is set per group. Sorting each group by name works if your file names share a consistent suffix order, otherwise drag the files. **Is there a limit on the number of groups?** Groups are limited only by the files-per-job limit, since each group needs at least one file. **Are the files uploaded?** No. All merging happens in your browser and nothing is stored on our servers. ### Rotate PDF pages URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/rotate-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn sideways or upside-down pages the right way and save the rotation into the file. Rotate PDF turns pages by 90°, 180° or 270° and saves that rotation into the file, so the pages open the right way in any viewer, printer or upload portal. Rotating in a PDF viewer only changes your view and is lost when you close it. You can rotate the whole document, a range such as 3-7, only odd or even pages, or click single pages. That covers the usual cases: a landscape table in a portrait report, a scan fed in upside down, or a phone photo that came out sideways. Rotation is stored as a page setting rather than by redrawing the page, so text stays selectable and searchable and image quality does not change. Annotations and form fields turn with their page. Rotation happens in your browser. The file is not uploaded and the download is free without an account. For rotation combined with reordering or deleting pages, use Organize PDF. #### Steps 1. **Upload your PDF** — Thumbnails show every page in its current orientation. 2. **Select pages** — Click pages, type a range like 3-7, or choose All, Odd, Even, Portrait or Landscape pages. 3. **Rotate** — Turn the selection left or right in 90° steps; thumbnails update immediately. 4. **Save** — Download the rotated PDF. The rotation is saved in the file. #### Settings - Page selection: Single pages, ranges (1-3,5,8-), odd or even pages, or all pages of one orientation. - Direction: 90° clockwise, 90° counterclockwise or 180°. Rotation is relative to each page's current orientation. - Reset: Return any page to its original orientation before saving. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Rotation is in 90° steps only. A scan that is a few degrees crooked needs deskewing with Restore scanned PDF. - If a PDF's text was drawn sideways inside an upright page, rotating the page turns the whole page, not just that text. - Rotating a digitally signed PDF invalidates the signature. #### FAQ **Is the rotation permanent?** Yes. The new orientation is saved in the downloaded file, so it opens the same way everywhere. Your original file is not changed. **Does rotating reduce quality?** No. The page content is not re-rendered; only the page's rotation setting changes, so text and images stay exactly as they were. **Can I rotate only the landscape pages?** Yes. Choose “Landscape pages” to select every page that is wider than it is tall, then rotate them together. **Will my form fields and comments rotate too?** Yes. They belong to their page and turn with it, so fields stay aligned with the boxes they fill. **Can I rotate pages in several PDFs at once?** One file at a time here. If the files belong together, merge them first, then rotate the pages you need. ### Remove pages from a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/remove-pdf-pages/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Select the pages you do not want, check the remaining page count, and save a shorter PDF. To delete pages from a PDF, upload it, click the pages to remove (or type a range like 2, 5-7) and save. You get one shorter PDF containing every page you did not select, in the original order. Before saving, PDFBetter shows the final page count and greys out the pages that will go, so you can catch a mistake such as removing page 17 instead of 71. Form fields, comments and links on the pages you keep stay as they were. Remove pages and Extract pages are mirror images: remove deletes a selection and keeps the rest, extract keeps a selection and leaves the rest behind. Split produces several files instead of one. Pick whichever makes the selection shorter to type. Deletion runs in your browser, so the file is not uploaded and the result downloads free without an account. Your original file is never modified. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Choose the file. Thumbnails show every page. 2. **Select pages to delete** — Click thumbnails or type a range such as 2, 5-7, or “even”. Selected pages are marked for removal. 3. **Check the result** — The counter shows how many pages remain. Deselect any page you marked by mistake. 4. **Save** — Download the PDF without the removed pages. #### Settings - Range input: Comma-separated pages and ranges, plus “odd” and “even”, for example 1, 4-6, 10-. - Invert selection: Swap selected and unselected pages if it is easier to pick the ones to keep. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Removing pages does not securely erase content elsewhere in the file. To remove sensitive text from pages you keep, use Redact PDF. - Bookmarks and links that pointed to a removed page no longer have a target. - You cannot remove every page; at least one page must remain. #### FAQ **Is deleting pages the same as extracting pages?** They are opposites. Remove pages keeps everything except your selection; Extract pages keeps only your selection. Both give you one PDF. **Do fillable fields on the remaining pages still work?** Yes. Fields on kept pages stay fillable with their current values; only fields that sat solely on removed pages are dropped. **Can I undo a deletion after downloading?** Your original file is untouched, so open it again. Nothing is changed until you save, and the download is a new file. **Can I delete pages from a scanned PDF?** Yes. Scanned pages are removed like any other. For duplex scans with blank backs, “even” selects every back side at once when all the backs are blank. **Can I delete pages from a password-protected PDF?** Unlock it first with Unlock PDF. You need the password to open it. **Does removing a page remove its content from the file completely?** The page and its content are dropped from the saved file. If you need to prove information is gone from pages you keep, use Redact PDF instead. ### Resize PDF pages URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/resize-pdf/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Change the paper size of some or all pages, or crop away margins, without converting the file. Resize PDF changes the page dimensions, for example from A4 to US Letter for a US portal, or makes a file with mixed page sizes uniform before printing. It can also crop pages to trim wide scanner margins or cut a receipt out of a full-page scan. Resizing is about paper size, not file size. A resized PDF is not smaller in megabytes; if you need a smaller file to email, use Compress PDF. When the new size has a different shape from the old one, you choose how content fits: Fit scales the page down or up so everything is visible with white bands where shapes differ; Fill scales to cover the new page and trims what overflows; Stretch fills the page exactly but distorts proportions. The preview shows the result on your own pages before you save. Resizing and cropping run in your browser, so nothing is uploaded and the download is free. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Each thumbnail shows that page's current size. 2. **Choose resize or crop** — Resize to a standard or custom size, or crop by dragging a box on a page. 3. **Pick fit mode and pages** — Fit, Fill or Stretch, for all pages or a range. Preview the result on the thumbnails. 4. **Save** — Download the resized PDF. #### Settings - Page size: US Letter, US Legal, Tabloid, A3, A4, A5, or custom width and height in inches or millimeters. - Fit mode: Fit (keep everything, add margins), Fill (cover the page, trim overflow), Stretch (exact fill, distorts). - Crop: Drag a crop box on one page and apply it to that page, a range or all pages. - Pages: Apply to every page or a selection, leaving other pages as they are. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Resizing does not reflow text. Content is scaled as a whole, so small text on a large page gets smaller when you shrink the page. - Cropping hides content outside the crop box; it does not delete it. Someone can recover hidden content with other software, so use Redact PDF for sensitive material. - Fill trims content that falls outside the new page shape, which can cut off headers or footers. Check the preview. #### FAQ **Will resizing make my PDF file smaller?** No. It changes paper dimensions, not file size. To reduce megabytes, use Compress PDF. **How do I convert A4 to Letter without cutting anything off?** Choose US Letter with Fit. A4 is slightly taller and narrower, so content is scaled a little to stay fully visible. **Do form fields and comments stay in place?** Yes. Fields and annotations are scaled and moved with the page content, so they stay over the boxes they belong to. **Can I crop just one page?** Yes. Draw the crop box on that page and apply it to that page only. **Is cropped content gone for good?** No. Cropping sets the visible area; the content outside it is still in the file. Use Redact PDF to remove content permanently. ### Rearrange PDF pages URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/rearrange-pdf-pages/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Put pages in the right order by dragging thumbnails or moving ranges, then save the reordered PDF. Rearrange pages is a focused tool for one job: changing page order. Drag a thumbnail to a new spot, select a range such as 12-15 and move it in one go, or reverse the whole document. A numbered preview shows the final order before you save. It is the quickest fix for a scan fed in back to front, a report whose appendix belongs before the references, or slides exported in the wrong sequence. You can also type a new order directly, for example 1, 5-8, 2-4, 9-. Rearrange does nothing else, which keeps the view uncluttered on long documents. If you also need to rotate, delete or insert pages, Organize PDF has all of those controls in the same kind of view. Reordering runs in your browser; the file is not uploaded and the download is free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Thumbnails appear numbered in the current order. 2. **Move pages** — Drag single pages, or Shift-click a range and drag it as a block. You can also type an order like 1, 5-8, 2-4, 9-. 3. **Check the final order** — The preview shows new positions alongside original page numbers so you can spot a misplaced page. 4. **Save** — Download the reordered PDF. #### Settings - Drag and drop: Move one page or a selected block; drop markers show the exact landing position. - Type an order: Enter a full sequence using pages and ranges; pages left out are appended at the end so nothing is lost. - Reverse order: Flip the whole document, useful for scans fed face up. - Collate duplex scans: Interleave a fronts-then-backs scan (1, 3, 5 … then 6, 4, 2) into reading order in one click. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Only order changes here. Rotation, deletion and insertion are in Organize PDF. - Bookmarks keep pointing to the same pages, so a bookmark outline may be out of sequence after a large reorder. - Duplex collation assumes the backs were scanned in reverse order; check the preview if your scanner works differently. #### FAQ **What is the difference between Rearrange and Organize?** Rearrange only changes page order, with range moves, typed orders and duplex collation. Organize combines reordering with rotating, deleting, duplicating and inserting pages. **Can I move several pages at once?** Yes. Shift-click to select a range, or Ctrl/Cmd-click separate pages, and drag them together. They keep their relative order. **Can I reorder pages across two PDFs?** Merge them first with Merge PDF, which also lets you reorder pages across files before generating the result. **Do links inside the PDF still work after reordering?** Internal links point to pages, not positions, so they still go to the same page content in its new position. **Is my file uploaded?** No. Reordering is done in your browser and the file stays on your device. ### Extract pages from a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/extract-pdf-pages/ · Category: Pages & organization · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Select specific pages and save them as a new PDF, without changing the original. Extract pages copies the pages you choose into one new PDF. Select pages 4, 9 and 12-14 of a 60-page report and you get a 5-page file with just those pages; the original stays exactly as it was. It is the right tool when you need to send part of a document: the signed page of a contract, one chapter of a manual, or the pages of a bank statement that a landlord asked for. The selection keeps its original order by default, or you can keep the order you clicked in. How it differs from its neighbors: Split always produces several files that together cover your ranges. Remove pages deletes a selection and keeps the rest. Extract gives you one file with only the pages you picked. Extraction runs in your browser; the file is not uploaded and the result downloads free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Thumbnails show every page with its number. 2. **Select pages** — Click thumbnails or type pages and ranges such as 4, 9, 12-14. 3. **Choose the order** — Keep document order, or use the order in which you selected pages. 4. **Save the new PDF** — Download the extracted pages as one file. The original is unchanged. #### Settings - Range input: Pages and ranges, plus “odd”, “even” and open ranges like “40-”. - Output order: Document order (default) or selection order. - Each page as a separate file: If you want every selected page as its own PDF instead, this switches to Split's “each page” mode for the selection. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Extracting does not hide or remove information on the pages you keep. Black out account numbers with Redact PDF before sending. - Links on extracted pages that pointed to pages you did not extract no longer have a target. - Bookmarks are not copied into the extracted file. #### FAQ **What is the difference between extract and split?** Extract makes one new file from the pages you select. Split makes several files, for example one per range or one per page. **Does extracting remove the pages from the original?** No. The original file is not changed. If you want the original without those pages, use Remove pages. **Do filled-in form fields come along?** Yes. Fields on the extracted pages stay fillable and keep their values. **Why do my page numbers not match what is printed on the pages?** Ranges use the page's position in the file. A document whose printed numbering starts after a cover and contents pages will be offset; check the thumbnails. **Can I extract pages from a scanned PDF?** Yes. Scanned pages extract like any other page. If you need the text, run OCR PDF on the result. ### Convert PDF files URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/convert-pdf/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a PDF, Office file or image and choose what to convert it into. Upload a file and PDFBetter shows the conversions that make sense for it: a PDF can become Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, PNG, CSV or plain text; a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file or a JPG or PNG can become a PDF. Each choice links to a dedicated tool page that explains its options and limits. Where a conversion runs depends on the format. PDF to JPG, PNG, TXT and CSV, and JPG or PNG to PDF, run in your browser: the file is not uploaded and the result is free without an account. Office conversions (to or from Word, Excel and PowerPoint) need desktop software we run on our own processing servers, so the file is uploaded for the job. Without an account you can run 2 of those to try them; the Free plan includes 10 a month and paid plans more. Pick the output by what you will do next. Need to edit wording? Word. Need numbers in cells? Excel, or CSV for importing into another system. Need a picture of a page for a slide or a website? PNG for crisp text and diagrams, JPG for photos and smaller files. Need just the words? TXT. Every converter shows what will happen before you run it, and each tool page lists what does not survive conversion, such as fonts that are not installed on our servers or layouts that cannot be represented in the target format. #### Steps 1. **Upload your file** — PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JPG or PNG. Password-protected files must be unlocked first. 2. **Choose the output format** — Only conversions that apply to your file are offered. Each is labeled “in your browser” or “on our servers”. 3. **Set options** — For example pages, image resolution, or OCR for scanned PDFs. 4. **Convert and download** — Browser conversions download right away. Server conversions show progress and then download. #### Settings - Output format: From PDF: Word (DOCX), Excel (XLSX), PowerPoint (PPTX), JPG, PNG, CSV, TXT. To PDF: from DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JPG, PNG. - Pages: Convert all pages or a range, for conversions out of PDF. - OCR for scans: For PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint, recognize text on scanned pages so it comes out editable. Input: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JPG, PNG. Output: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JPG, PNG, CSV, TXT. #### Limitations - Older formats (DOC, XLS, PPT, RTF, ODT, HEIC) are handled on their dedicated tool pages rather than this hub's upload box. - Office conversions run on our servers, so they need an internet connection and count toward your monthly conversion allowance; browser conversions do not. - No conversion between two non-PDF formats (for example Word to Excel). Convert to PDF first only if that matches what you need. #### FAQ **Which conversions are free without an account?** PDF to JPG, PNG, TXT and CSV, and JPG or PNG to PDF, run in your browser and are free without an account. Office conversions allow 2 tries without an account and 10 a month on the Free plan. **Is my file uploaded?** Only for Office conversions, which run on our processing servers; files from sessions without an account are deleted after 24 hours. Browser conversions never upload your file. **Can I convert a scanned PDF to Word?** Yes. Choose Word and turn on OCR so the scanned text becomes editable. Without OCR, a scan converts to pictures of pages. **Which is better for a page image, JPG or PNG?** PNG keeps text and line art sharp and supports transparency; JPG makes smaller files and suits photos. See PDF to PNG and PDF to JPG for details. **Can I convert several files at once?** This hub converts one file at a time. JPG to PDF and PNG to PDF accept many images in one go. ### Convert PDF to Word URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-word/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Get an editable DOCX from a PDF, including scanned pages when OCR is on. PDF to Word rebuilds the content of a PDF as an editable DOCX: text becomes paragraphs you can retype, ruled tables become Word tables, and pictures become images in the document. Open it in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice and edit normally. A PDF stores where each letter sits on the page, not paragraphs and styles, so the converter has to infer structure. Single-column letters, reports and contracts usually convert cleanly. Multi-column newsletters, forms with text boxes, and pages with text over images are harder: expect to fix some line breaks, spacing or reading order. For scanned PDFs, turn on OCR. Without it a scan has no text to extract and you would get pictures of pages. With OCR, recognized text becomes editable; accuracy depends on scan quality, and handwriting is not recognized. This conversion runs on our processing servers, so the file is uploaded. Without an account you can run 2 conversions to try it; the Free plan includes 10 a month and Pro 500. If you only need to change a few words, editing the PDF directly in the PDF editor keeps the layout exactly as it is. #### Steps 1. **Upload your PDF** — Up to 25 MB without an account (50 MB on the Free plan). Unlock password-protected files first. 2. **Choose pages and OCR** — Convert all pages or a range. OCR is suggested automatically when pages have no text layer. 3. **Convert** — The file is processed on our servers; progress shows on the page. 4. **Download the DOCX** — Open it in Word or any editor that reads DOCX and review tables and line breaks. #### Settings - Pages: All pages or a range such as 1-5. - OCR: Off (default), Auto (only pages without usable text) or On (all pages). Use On for PDFs that are part scan, part digital. Recognized pages count as OCR pages. - OCR languages: Up to four languages that appear in the document, so accented characters and non-Latin scripts are recognized correctly. Input: PDF. Output: DOCX. #### Limitations - Fonts are matched to the closest font available on our servers when the original is not installed there, so line breaks and page breaks can shift. - Complex layouts (multiple columns, text boxes, text wrapped around images) may come out as a single flow of paragraphs in a different reading order. - Headers and footers are converted as body text on each page rather than as Word header and footer sections. - Form fields, comments, signatures and other annotations are not converted into Word equivalents. - This is a beta conversion; complex documents may need manual cleanup. #### FAQ **Will the Word document look exactly like the PDF?** Close, but not always identical. Text, tables and images carry over; fonts that are not available on our servers are substituted and complex layouts may reflow. Check it before sending. **Can I convert a scanned PDF to Word?** Yes, with OCR on. Printed text is recognized into editable text; handwriting, stamps and very low-resolution scans are not reliably recognized. **Do I need an account?** You can run 2 conversions without an account. The Free plan includes 10 conversions a month, Pro 500. **Can I convert only one page?** Yes. Enter a page range, such as 3, before converting. **Is my file kept on your servers?** It is uploaded for processing. Files from sessions without an account are deleted after 24 hours; signed-in users can delete documents at any time. **Should I convert to Word or edit the PDF?** For small text fixes, edit the PDF directly; the layout stays exactly the same. Convert to Word when you need to rewrite large sections or reuse the content. ### Convert PDF to JPG URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-jpg/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn chosen PDF pages into JPG images at the resolution you need. PDF to JPG renders each page you choose as a JPG image. Pick the pages, the resolution and the quality, and download a single image or a ZIP with one JPG per page. JPG is a lossy format: it keeps files small, which suits photos, scanned pages and images for email, chat or a web page. The cost is slight softness around text and fine lines, more visible at lower quality settings. If you need crisp text, diagrams or a transparent background, use PDF to PNG instead. Resolution decides how large the image is. 72 DPI is enough for a thumbnail, 150 DPI for on-screen reading, and 300 DPI for printing. A US Letter page at 150 DPI is 1275 × 1650 pixels; at 300 DPI it is 2550 × 3300. Rendering happens in your browser with the same engine that shows the preview, so the file is not uploaded and the images download free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Thumbnails show every page. 2. **Pick pages** — All pages, a range such as 1-3, or click the pages you want. 3. **Set resolution and quality** — 72, 150 or 300 DPI, and a JPG quality level. The panel shows the pixel size of the first selected page. 4. **Download** — One page downloads as a JPG; several download as a ZIP named by page number. #### Settings - Resolution: 72 DPI (thumbnails), 150 DPI (screen), 300 DPI (print). - JPG quality: High, medium or low. Lower quality gives smaller files and more visible artifacts around text. - Pages: All, a range, odd or even, or hand-picked pages. - Packaging: Single JPG for one page; ZIP with files named file_page-01.jpg and so on for several. Input: PDF. Output: JPG, ZIP of JPGs. #### Limitations - JPG has no transparency; areas the PDF leaves unpainted are rendered white. - JPG compression softens small text and thin lines. For documents meant to be read, PNG or 300 DPI at high quality gives cleaner results. - Very large pages (posters, engineering drawings) at 300 DPI can exceed the image size your browser allows, in which case they are rendered at the largest size it supports. - Images are page renders, not the original photos embedded in the PDF; to reuse an embedded photo at its original quality, open the PDF in the editor. #### FAQ **JPG or PNG: which should I choose?** JPG for photos, scans and anything that should be small. PNG for text-heavy pages, charts and line art, or when you need a transparent background. **What DPI should I use?** 150 DPI for viewing on screen or sharing, 300 DPI for printing. 72 DPI is only for small previews. **Can I convert just one page?** Yes. Select a single page and it downloads as one JPG instead of a ZIP. **Is the PDF uploaded?** No. Pages are rendered in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers. **Will form field values and comments appear in the images?** Yes. The image shows the page as it looks in a viewer, including filled values and visible annotations. ### Convert PDF to PowerPoint URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-ppt/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Get a PPTX with one slide per PDF page, looking like the original, with editable text boxes. PDF to PowerPoint makes one slide per PDF page. Each slide uses a picture of the page so it looks like the original, and adds editable text boxes on top where the converter finds text. You can present it as is, change wording, or add your own slides around it. Be clear about what is editable. Text boxes are; charts, diagrams, tables and shapes are part of the page picture, so you can move or crop them but not edit their data. That is the right trade-off for presenting a PDF report in a meeting or reusing a few slides from a deck that was only sent as PDF. It is not a way to recover the original PowerPoint file. Slides take the shape of the PDF page: a deck exported to PDF at 16:9 comes back as 16:9 slides, while a portrait report becomes tall slides. Scanned PDFs need OCR for any text boxes to appear. The output is a PPTX file, which every current version of PowerPoint, Keynote and Google Slides opens. Conversion runs on our processing servers; without an account you can run 2 conversions, and the Free plan includes 10 a month. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Up to 25 MB without an account, 50 MB on the Free plan. 2. **Choose pages and OCR** — Convert all pages or a range. Turn on OCR for scanned PDFs. 3. **Convert** — Each page becomes a slide; progress shows on the page. 4. **Download the PPTX** — Open it in PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides. #### Settings - Pages: All pages or a range; each selected page becomes one slide. - Editable text boxes: Add real text boxes over each slide's page image so wording can be edited; turn off to keep each slide an exact picture of the page. - OCR: Off (default), Auto (only scanned pages) or On (all pages), with up to four languages, so scanned pages get editable text boxes too. Input: PDF. Output: PPTX. #### Limitations - Charts, tables, diagrams and shapes are not rebuilt as PowerPoint objects; they stay in the page picture. - Animations, transitions and speaker notes cannot be recovered, because a PDF does not contain them. - Editable text boxes use the closest available font, so wording may wrap differently from the picture underneath. - This is a beta conversion; results on dense or unusual layouts vary. #### FAQ **PPT or PPTX: which do I get?** A PPTX file. It is the current PowerPoint format and opens in PowerPoint 2007 and later, Keynote and Google Slides. Save as PPT from PowerPoint if a system needs the older format. **Can I edit charts after converting?** No. Charts are part of the page picture. Rebuild them in PowerPoint if you need to change the data. **Will speaker notes come back?** No. Speaker notes are not stored in a PDF, so there is nothing to recover. **Why are my slides a strange shape?** Slides match the PDF page shape. A portrait A4 or Letter page becomes a tall slide; resize the slides in PowerPoint if you need 16:9. **Do I need an account?** You can run 2 conversions without an account. The Free plan includes 10 conversions a month. ### Convert PDF to Excel URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-excel/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Pull the tables out of a PDF into an Excel workbook you can sort, filter and sum. PDF to Excel finds the tables in a PDF and writes them into an XLSX workbook as real rows and columns. Bank statements, price lists, invoices with line items and financial reports are typical inputs. Choose one sheet per table when a page holds several separate tables, or one sheet per page when a long table runs across pages and you want to keep page boundaries visible. Cells that contain plain numbers are written as numbers, so SUM and sorting work straight away. Tables with ruled lines between cells convert most reliably. Tables laid out only with spacing, cells merged across columns, and headers that span two rows need more care; check those parts of the sheet. Scanned statements need OCR first, which this tool can run for you. If you only need the data for another system rather than a spreadsheet, PDF to CSV gives a plain delimited file and runs in your browser. PDF to Excel runs on our processing servers; without an account you can run 2 conversions, and the Free plan includes 10 a month. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Up to 25 MB without an account, 50 MB on the Free plan. 2. **Choose layout and pages** — One sheet per table or per page, and the page range. 3. **Turn on OCR for scans** — Needed when the PDF is a scan or photo of a printed table. 4. **Convert and check** — Download the XLSX and spot-check totals against the PDF. #### Settings - Sheet layout: One sheet per detected table (default), one sheet per PDF page with its tables stacked, or every table on a single sheet. - Pages: All pages or a range, useful for skipping cover pages and terms. - OCR: Off (default), Auto (only pages without usable text) or On, with up to four languages. Scanned pages are recognized first, then their tables are extracted; recognized pages count as OCR pages. Input: PDF. Output: XLSX. #### Limitations - Text outside tables, such as paragraphs and headings, is not the focus and may be left out or placed in single cells. - Merged header cells are split, which can leave a header in only the first of the columns it spanned. - Values with currency symbols, units or footnote marks may arrive as text rather than numbers. - Fonts, colors and cell shading from the PDF are not reproduced. - This is a beta conversion; check totals before relying on the output. #### FAQ **Can it handle a table that spans several pages?** Yes. With one sheet per table, rows from continuation pages are appended to the same table when the columns line up. Repeated header rows may need deleting. **Will my formulas come back?** No. A PDF only contains the printed results, so you get values. Add formulas again in Excel. **Excel or CSV: which should I use?** Excel keeps several tables in separate sheets and stores numbers as numbers. CSV is a single plain table for importing into accounting or database software. **Can I convert a scanned bank statement?** Yes, with OCR on. Check the figures carefully; OCR can misread similar characters like 5 and S on poor scans. **Do I need an account?** You can run 2 conversions without an account. The Free plan includes 10 conversions a month, Pro 500. ### Convert PDF to PNG URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-png/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Save PDF pages as sharp, lossless PNG images, optionally with a transparent background. PDF to PNG renders the pages you choose as PNG images. PNG is lossless: text edges, thin lines and flat colors stay exactly as rendered, with none of the blur JPG compression adds. That makes it the better choice for text pages, charts, diagrams, logos and screenshots for documentation. PNG also supports transparency. By default pages are rendered on white, as a PDF viewer shows them. Choose a transparent background and any area the PDF does not paint is left transparent, which is useful for placing a logo or signature page over a colored slide. Pages that paint their own white background stay white. The trade-off is file size. A text page as PNG is often small, but a page full of photos can be several times larger than the same page as JPG. If you are exporting scanned or photo-heavy pages, PDF to JPG usually makes more sense. Rendering happens in your browser, so the PDF is not uploaded and the images are free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Every page appears as a thumbnail. 2. **Select pages** — All, a range like 2-4, or click individual pages. 3. **Choose resolution and background** — 72, 150 or 300 DPI; white or transparent background. 4. **Download** — One page downloads as a PNG, several as a ZIP named by page number. #### Settings - Resolution: 72 DPI (previews), 150 DPI (screen), 300 DPI (print). A Letter page at 300 DPI is 2550 × 3300 pixels. - Background: White (as in a viewer) or transparent (unpainted areas left clear). - Pages: All, a range, odd or even, or hand-picked pages. Input: PDF. Output: PNG, ZIP of PNGs. #### Limitations - Transparency only applies where the PDF paints nothing. Many PDFs, especially scans and exports from office apps, paint a white page background, which stays white. - PNG files of photo-heavy or scanned pages are much larger than JPG. - Very large pages at 300 DPI can exceed the image size your browser allows and are then rendered at the largest size it supports. #### FAQ **Is PNG better quality than JPG?** For text and graphics, yes: PNG is lossless and keeps edges sharp. For photos the visible difference is small and JPG files are much smaller. **Can I get a transparent background?** Yes, choose Transparent. Areas the PDF does not paint become transparent; areas the PDF fills with white stay white. **Which DPI for a slide or a web page?** 150 DPI is usually plenty for screens. Use 300 DPI if the image will be printed or cropped heavily. **Is the file uploaded?** No. Pages are rendered in your browser and stay on your device. **Can I convert PNGs back into a PDF?** Yes, with PNG to PDF, which also keeps transparency on a background you choose. ### Convert PDF to CSV URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-csv/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn tables in a PDF into CSV files ready to import into a spreadsheet, database or accounting tool. PDF to CSV reads the tables in a PDF and writes them as comma-separated values, the plain-text format almost every spreadsheet, database and accounting import accepts. You preview the detected rows and columns before downloading. CSV is deliberately plain. It holds one table of text values per file: no sheets, fonts, colors, merged cells or formulas. That is what makes it reliable for imports, and also why it loses layout. If you want a formatted workbook with several tables in separate sheets, use PDF to Excel. If you want all the text rather than tables, use PDF to TXT. Three settings matter for imports. The delimiter (comma, semicolon or tab) must match what the importing program expects; many European spreadsheet setups expect semicolons. Fields that contain the delimiter, quotes or line breaks are wrapped in double quotes. The file is UTF-8; add a byte-order mark if Excel shows accented characters as gibberish. The standard mode runs in your browser by grouping text into rows and columns by position, so the file is not uploaded and the result is free. For ruled tables, merged cells or crowded columns, switch on Accurate tables, which uses our server-side table extractor and counts as one Office conversion. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Text-based PDFs work in the browser. Scanned PDFs need OCR first. 2. **Check the detected tables** — The preview shows rows and columns for each table found. Turn on Accurate tables if columns look wrong. 3. **Set delimiter and encoding** — Comma, semicolon or tab; UTF-8 with or without a byte-order mark. 4. **Download** — One CSV for a single table, or a ZIP with one CSV per table. #### Settings - Delimiter: Comma (default), semicolon or tab. - Encoding: UTF-8, or UTF-8 with byte-order mark so older Excel versions open accented characters correctly. - Tables: One CSV per table (ZIP), or all tables stacked in one CSV with a blank line between them. - Accurate tables: Runs extraction on our processing servers for ruled tables, merged cells and tight columns. The file is uploaded and it counts as one server conversion (2 without an account, 10 a month on Free). - Pages: All pages or a range. Input: PDF. Output: CSV, ZIP of CSVs. #### Limitations - CSV holds plain values only: formatting, merged cells, multiple sheets and anything outside the tables are not kept. - The browser mode groups text by position, so tables without ruled lines and with uneven spacing can produce shifted columns. Accurate tables handles these better but is not perfect either. - Scanned PDFs contain no text to extract; run OCR PDF first, then convert. - Number formats are copied as printed (for example “1.234,50”), not converted to one convention. #### FAQ **What is the difference between PDF to CSV and PDF to Excel?** CSV is one plain table per file for importing into other software. Excel keeps several tables in sheets and stores numbers as numbers. Use CSV for imports, Excel for working in a spreadsheet. **Why do some values have quotes around them?** Values that contain the delimiter, a quote or a line break must be quoted so the columns stay aligned. Spreadsheets remove the quotes when they open the file. **Is my file uploaded?** Not in the standard mode, which runs in your browser. Accurate tables uploads the file to our processing servers. **Can I convert a scanned PDF to CSV?** Run OCR PDF first to add a text layer, then convert. Check figures afterward, since OCR can misread characters. **Which delimiter should I choose?** Comma unless the importing program says otherwise. Use semicolon if your values use commas as decimal separators, and tab for pasting into other tools. ### Convert PDF to text URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-txt/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Get all the words from a PDF as a plain text file you can search, paste or process. PDF to TXT pulls the text out of a PDF and saves it as a plain .txt file in UTF-8, so any language and script is kept. It is useful for pasting into an email or CMS, feeding a script or search index, or checking what text a PDF actually contains. A PDF stores text as positioned fragments, so order has to be reconstructed. Reading order mode joins lines into paragraphs and follows columns, which suits articles and reports. Keep layout mode adds spaces so text sits roughly where it does on the page, which suits tables and forms you want to read in a monospaced editor. Plain text drops everything else: fonts, bold and italic, images, links and table borders. If you need structure, PDF to Word or PDF to CSV keep more of it. Scanned pages are pictures and contain no text; they come out empty. Run OCR PDF first to add a text layer. Extraction runs in your browser, so the file is not uploaded and the result is free. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Text-based PDFs work immediately. Pages without text are flagged as likely scans. 2. **Choose the mode** — Reading order for prose, Keep layout for tables and forms. 3. **Preview** — Scroll the extracted text page by page before saving. 4. **Download or copy** — Save a .txt file or copy all text to the clipboard. #### Settings - Mode: Reading order (paragraphs, columns followed) or Keep layout (spacing approximates the page). - Page separators: None, a line with the page number, or a form-feed character between pages. - Line endings: LF for macOS, Linux and most tools, or CRLF for Windows Notepad and some legacy systems. - Pages: All pages or a range. Input: PDF. Output: TXT (UTF-8). #### Limitations - Scanned pages produce no text until OCR has been run on them. - Headers, footers and page numbers are extracted along with body text; remove them afterward if you need clean prose. - Unusual layouts (text on curves, sidebars, text inside images) can come out in an unexpected order. - Some PDFs use fonts without a proper character mapping, which extracts as wrong or missing characters; OCR is the workaround. #### FAQ **Does PDF to TXT keep formatting?** No. Plain text has no fonts, bold, images or tables. Use PDF to Word to keep formatting. **Will it work on a scanned PDF?** Not directly; scans have no text layer. Run OCR PDF first, then extract the text. **What encoding is the file?** UTF-8, which supports every language. Most editors detect it automatically. **Is the PDF uploaded?** No. Text extraction runs in your browser. **Can I extract text from just a few pages?** Yes. Enter a page range before extracting. ### Convert Word to PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/word-to-pdf/ · Category: Convert to PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn a Word document into a PDF that looks the same on every device. Word to PDF converts a DOCX, DOC, ODT or RTF document into a PDF. Page size, margins, headers and footers, page numbers, tables, images and hyperlinks are kept, and the result looks the same on every phone, computer and printer, which is the point of sending a PDF instead of a Word file. We convert with LibreOffice on our processing servers. The biggest source of difference from what you see in Word is fonts: if your document uses a font we do not have, a substitute with similar letter widths is used, and line or page breaks can move. Fonts embedded in the DOCX (Word's “Embed fonts in the file” option) are used when their license allows it. Your source file is not changed; you get a new PDF. Before converting, accept or reject tracked changes and update the table of contents in Word, because the PDF shows the document as it was last saved. Without an account you can run 2 conversions; the Free plan includes 10 a month, Pro 500. Need to edit a Word file and keep working in PDF? Edit Word converts it and opens it in the PDF editor. #### Steps 1. **Prepare the document** — In Word, accept or reject tracked changes, update fields such as the table of contents, and save. 2. **Upload the file** — DOCX, DOC, ODT or RTF up to 25 MB without an account, 50 MB on the Free plan. 3. **Convert** — The document is converted on our servers; progress shows on the page. 4. **Check and download** — Preview the PDF page by page, especially page breaks, then download. Input: DOCX, DOC, ODT, RTF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Fonts we do not have are replaced with similar ones, which can shift line and page breaks. Embedded fonts help when their license allows embedding. - Tracked changes may appear as markup if the document was saved showing them, and comments are not included. - Fields such as the table of contents and cross-references show their last saved values; they are not updated during conversion. - Files that need a password to open, and documents with macros, are not converted; macros never run. #### FAQ **Will the PDF look exactly like my Word document?** Usually very close. Differences come almost entirely from fonts we do not have; using common or embedded fonts gives the closest match. **Are hyperlinks and the table of contents clickable?** Yes. Web links and internal links, including table-of-contents entries, stay clickable in the PDF. **Can I convert DOC files from older Word versions?** Yes. DOC (Word 97–2003), DOCX, ODT and RTF are supported. **Are comments included?** No. Comments are left out of the PDF. Delete or resolve them anyway if the PDF goes to someone outside your team. **Do I need an account?** You can run 2 conversions without an account. The Free plan includes 10 conversions a month. **Is my document stored?** It is uploaded for conversion. Files from sessions without an account are deleted after 24 hours; signed-in users can delete documents at any time. ### Convert JPG to PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/jpg-to-pdf/ · Category: Convert to PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Put one or many photos into a single PDF with the page size, orientation and margins you choose. JPG to PDF places your photos on PDF pages, one image per page, in the order you set. Use it for receipts and documents photographed with a phone, a set of whiteboard photos after a meeting, or ID scans a form asks for as a single PDF. You control the layout: page size (fit each page to its image, or Letter, A4, Legal and others), orientation (automatic per photo, or all portrait or all landscape) and margins. The preview shows every page exactly as it will be saved, so a sideways photo is caught before you download. JPG photos are placed without being re-compressed, so quality matches the originals. iPhone HEIC photos and WebP images are converted in your browser first, which re-encodes them. If you also need PDFs in the same file, Assemble PDF accepts both; if your images are PNG screenshots with transparency, PNG to PDF covers background handling. Everything happens in your browser, so photos of documents never leave your device, and the PDF is free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Add your photos** — Select or drop JPG, JPEG, JFIF, WebP or HEIC files, up to 20 at a time without an account. 2. **Set the order** — Drag thumbnails into order, or sort by file name or date taken. Rotate any photo that is sideways. 3. **Choose page layout** — Page size, orientation and margin. The preview updates on every change. 4. **Create the PDF** — Download one PDF with a page per photo. #### Settings - Page size: Fit to image (each page matches its photo), or US Letter, US Legal, Tabloid, A3, A4, A5. - Orientation: Auto (portrait or landscape per photo), Portrait or Landscape for all pages. - Margin: None, small or large. Photos are scaled to fit inside the margins without cropping. - Order: Drag to reorder, or sort by file name or date taken. Input: JPG, JPEG, JFIF, WebP, HEIC. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - No automatic cropping, deskewing or contrast cleanup; photos are placed as taken. Restore scanned PDF can improve them afterward. - HEIC and WebP images are re-encoded during conversion, so they are not bit-for-bit identical to the originals. - Some HEIC variants, such as images with depth or HDR data from newer phones, may not decode in every browser. Export them as JPG from your Photos app if that happens. - Large numbers of full-resolution photos produce a large PDF; use Compress PDF if you need to email it. #### FAQ **Will my photos lose quality?** JPG photos are embedded as they are, without re-compression. HEIC and WebP photos are converted first, which re-encodes them at high quality. **Can I put several photos on one page?** Not here; each photo gets its own page. For collages, arrange them in the editor after creating the PDF. **Which page size should I pick?** Fit to image keeps each page the shape of the photo. For forms and printing, choose Letter or A4 so every page is the same size. **Can I convert iPhone photos?** Yes. HEIC photos are accepted and converted in your browser. If one fails, export it as JPG and try again. **Are my photos uploaded?** No. The PDF is built in your browser and photos stay on your device. **Can I add more photos to the PDF later?** Yes. Convert the new photos, then use Merge PDF or Add pages to PDF to combine them with the earlier file. ### Convert PPT to PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ppt-to-pdf/ · Category: Convert to PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn a PowerPoint 97–2003 presentation into a PDF with one page per slide. PPT to PDF converts presentations in the older PowerPoint 97–2003 format (.ppt, and .pps slide shows) into a PDF with one page per slide. It is for decks that come out of archives, older templates or systems that still save in the legacy binary format. For current .pptx files, PPTX to PDF covers the format-specific issues. Each PDF page takes the slide's own size and shape: a 4:3 deck, common in older PPT files, becomes 4:3 pages, and a widescreen deck becomes wide pages. Slides are exported as they look at the end of their animations, with every build step visible. Speaker notes are not included, and hidden slides are left out. Conversion uses LibreOffice on our processing servers. Older decks often use fonts that are no longer common and embedded objects such as Excel charts from the same era; those are drawn from the preview picture stored in the file, and missing fonts are substituted with similar ones. A .pps file is the same format saved to open directly as a slide show; it converts exactly like a .ppt. Without an account you can run 2 conversions; the Free plan includes 10 a month. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PPT or PPS** — Up to 25 MB without an account, 50 MB on the Free plan. 2. **Convert** — Slides are rendered to PDF pages on our servers. 3. **Review the pages** — Check slides with unusual fonts, embedded charts or media. 4. **Download the PDF** — Share it, print it as handouts, or combine it with other files. Input: PPT, PPS. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Speaker notes and hidden slides are not included in the PDF. - Animations, transitions, audio and video do not play in a PDF; each slide shows its final state, and media appears as a still frame or placeholder. - Fonts that are not available on our servers are substituted, which can change text wrapping on slides with tight layouts. - Presentations saved with an open password, and files from PowerPoint versions before 97, cannot be converted. #### FAQ **What is the difference between PPT and PPTX to PDF?** The conversion engine is the same. This page covers the older binary .ppt and .pps formats and their quirks; PPTX to PDF covers embedded fonts, SmartArt and other features of the newer format. **Are speaker notes included?** No. The PDF contains the slides only. To share notes, export notes pages from PowerPoint as PDF. **Can I get several slides per page as handouts?** Not in this conversion. Convert to PDF, then print with several pages per sheet from your PDF viewer's print dialog. **What page size will the PDF have?** The slide size of the deck. A 4:3 deck gives 10 × 7.5 inch pages; widescreen decks give wide pages. **Do I need an account?** You can run 2 conversions without an account. The Free plan includes 10 conversions a month. ### Convert Excel to PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/excel-to-pdf/ · Category: Convert to PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn a spreadsheet into a PDF with the sheets you pick, columns that fit the page, and print areas respected. Excel to PDF converts a workbook (XLSX or XLS) or a CSV file into a PDF for sharing, printing or attaching to a report. Unlike a Word document, a spreadsheet has no fixed pages, so the settings below decide where page edges fall. Pick which sheets to include; hidden sheets are skipped. If a sheet has a print area defined in Excel, only that range is converted, along with the page breaks, headers and footers set in Page Layout. Without a print area, the used range of the sheet is converted. The most common problem is a wide sheet split across several pages, with the last columns on a page of their own. “Fit all columns on one page” scales each sheet so its full width fits one page, and landscape orientation gives wide sheets more room. The preview shows page count and breaks before you download. Conversion uses LibreOffice on our processing servers and shows formula results as last saved in the file. Without an account you can run 2 conversions; the Free plan includes 10 a month. #### Steps 1. **Upload the workbook** — XLSX, XLS or CSV up to 25 MB without an account, 50 MB on the Free plan. 2. **Choose sheets** — All visible sheets, or only the ones you select. 3. **Set fit and orientation** — Keep the workbook's page setup, or fit all columns to one page width and choose portrait or landscape. 4. **Preview and download** — Check page breaks in the preview, then download the PDF. #### Settings - Sheets: All visible sheets (default) or a selection. Each sheet starts on a new page. - Fit to width: Use the workbook's own scaling, or fit all columns of each sheet on one page width. - Orientation: As set in the workbook, or force portrait or landscape. Input: XLSX, XLS, CSV. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Formulas are not recalculated; the PDF shows the values last saved in the file. Open and save in Excel first if they depend on today's date or external data. - Fitting a very wide sheet to one page width can make text too small to read. Consider selecting fewer columns as a print area in Excel. - CSV files are read as comma-separated UTF-8. Semicolon-separated files should be opened and saved as XLSX first. - Cell comments, data validation drop-downs and slicer interactivity do not carry over; the PDF is a static printout. - Workbooks that need a password to open cannot be converted. #### FAQ **Can I convert only one sheet?** Yes. Select just that sheet before converting. **Does it respect print areas and page breaks?** Yes. Print areas, manual page breaks, headers, footers and repeated title rows set in Excel are used. **Are gridlines printed?** Only if “Print gridlines” is turned on in the sheet's page setup, the same as printing from Excel. **Will charts be included?** Yes. Charts placed on a sheet are included where they sit; chart sheets become their own pages. **Can I convert a CSV file?** Yes. It is treated as one sheet. Use “Fit all columns” if it has many columns. **Do I need an account?** You can run 2 conversions without an account. The Free plan includes 10 conversions a month. ### Convert PPTX to PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pptx-to-pdf/ · Category: Convert to PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Turn a PPTX deck into a PDF with one page per slide that looks the same everywhere. PPTX to PDF converts a PowerPoint deck in the current .pptx format into a PDF, one page per slide, at the deck's slide size. Use it to send a deck to someone without PowerPoint, attach slides to a report, or keep a fixed version of what was presented. To be clear: this runs the same LibreOffice conversion as PPT to PDF. The page exists because .pptx decks use features the older format did not have, and those are where conversions usually go wrong: embedded fonts, SmartArt, equations, linked or embedded video, and speaker notes. The limitations and troubleshooting below are about those features. Fonts matter most. PowerPoint can embed fonts in a .pptx (File > Options > Save > Embed fonts in the file); embedded fonts are used when their license allows it. Otherwise a font we do not have is replaced with one of similar width, which can push text out of its box on tight slides. SmartArt and charts are drawn from the picture PowerPoint stores with them, so they normally match what you saw. Animations are flattened to each slide's final state, and speaker notes are not included. Without an account you can run 2 conversions; the Free plan includes 10 a month. #### Steps 1. **Prepare the deck** — Embed fonts in PowerPoint if you use non-standard ones, and save. 2. **Upload the PPTX** — Up to 25 MB without an account, 50 MB on the Free plan. 3. **Convert** — Slides are rendered to PDF pages on our servers. 4. **Check and download** — Review slides with SmartArt, equations or media, then download. Input: PPTX. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Speaker notes are not included; the PDF contains slides only. - Video and audio do not play in a PDF. A still frame or placeholder appears where the media was. - Fonts that are neither embedded nor available on our servers are substituted. Some embedded fonts are marked by their license as not embeddable for conversion and are substituted too. - Newer PowerPoint features such as Morph transitions, Zoom slides and 3D models appear as static content or may be simplified. - Decks saved with an open password cannot be converted. #### FAQ **Is PPTX to PDF different from PPT to PDF?** The engine is the same. This page focuses on features of the newer .pptx format, such as embedded fonts, SmartArt and video, and how they convert. **Can I include speaker notes?** Not in this conversion. Use PowerPoint's “Notes Pages” print layout and save as PDF if you need them. **Will embedded fonts be used?** Yes, when the font's license allows it. Otherwise a similar font is used, which can change text wrapping. **What happens to animations?** Each slide is shown in its final state with all animated items visible, since a PDF page cannot animate. **Are hyperlinks kept?** Yes. Links to websites stay clickable in the PDF. **Do I need an account?** You can run 2 conversions without an account. The Free plan includes 10 conversions a month. ### Convert PNG to PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/png-to-pdf/ · Category: Convert to PDF · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Combine PNG images into one PDF, keeping them lossless and choosing what shows behind transparent areas. PNG to PDF puts PNG images on PDF pages, one image per page, in the order you set. It suits screenshots for a bug report or tutorial, exported diagrams and charts, and scans saved as PNG. PNG is lossless, and the images are embedded without lossy compression, so text in screenshots stays sharp. That is the main difference from JPG to PDF, which handles camera photos where small files matter more than pixel-perfect edges. PNGs can have transparent areas, a logo or diagram with no background for example. In the PDF, transparency is kept, and you choose the page background it sits on: white by default, or any color. The preview shows the result, so a dark-on-transparent logo is not lost on a dark page. Conversion runs in your browser, so screenshots that may contain private information never leave your device, and the PDF downloads free without an account. #### Steps 1. **Add your PNGs** — Select or drop PNG files, up to 20 at a time without an account. 2. **Order the images** — Drag thumbnails, or sort by file name, which keeps numbered screenshots in sequence. 3. **Set page and background** — Page size, orientation, margin, and the background color behind transparent areas. 4. **Create the PDF** — Preview, then download one PDF with a page per image. #### Settings - Page size: Fit to image, or US Letter, US Legal, Tabloid, A3, A4, A5. - Orientation: Auto per image, Portrait or Landscape. - Margin: None, small or large; images are scaled to fit without cropping. - Background: Page color behind transparent areas: white (default) or a color you pick. Input: PNG. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Lossless PNGs make larger PDFs than JPGs, especially for photos. Use Compress PDF if the file is too large to send. - Animated PNGs (APNG) are converted as their first frame. - Text inside screenshots is part of the image and is not searchable until you run OCR PDF on the result. #### FAQ **Does PNG to PDF reduce quality?** No. PNGs are embedded losslessly, so screenshots and diagrams look the same as the originals. **What happens to transparent backgrounds?** Transparency is kept in the PDF and shown over the page background you choose, white by default. **PNG to PDF or JPG to PDF?** Use PNG to PDF for screenshots, diagrams and images with transparency. Use JPG to PDF for camera photos and HEIC files from phones. **Can I make the text in my screenshots searchable?** Yes. After creating the PDF, run OCR PDF to add a searchable text layer. **Are my images uploaded?** No. The PDF is created in your browser. ### Convert PDF to PDF/A URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-pdfa/ · Category: Convert from PDF · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-18 Get an archive copy of a PDF in PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b that looks the same today and in twenty years. PDF/A is the ISO 19005 version of PDF made for archiving. A PDF/A file has to carry everything it needs to display: its fonts, a colour profile, and metadata that says which PDF/A part it follows. Things that could change or break later, like JavaScript, links that launch programs, and encryption, are not allowed. Courts, public administrations, universities and records departments often ask for PDF/A when you file or hand over documents. PDF to PDF/A rewrites the file's structure, not its pages. Content streams, images and transparency stay exactly as they are; fonts that aren't embedded are replaced by metric-compatible ones (Liberation Sans, Serif and Mono for Helvetica/Arial, Times and Courier), so text keeps its position. Document JavaScript, script and launch actions, hidden annotations and comments without a fixed appearance are removed; the remaining annotations are set to print; an sRGB output intent and PDF/A identification metadata are added. Choose PDF/A-2b for nearly everything. Choose PDF/A-3b when the PDF carries attached files that must stay with it, such as the XML of an e-invoice (ZUGFeRD, Factur-X): PDF/A-3 keeps attachments as associated files, while PDF/A-2b removes them. Conversion runs on our processing servers with pikepdf and fontTools. After writing the file we re-open it and check the PDF/A markers and the rules we enforce: XMP identification, output intent, embedded fonts, device colour, no scripts, annotation flags. That is our own check, not an independent validation with veraPDF or Acrobat Preflight. If a portal requires a validation report, run the result through veraPDF. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Password-protected PDFs open after you enter the password; the PDF/A copy has no password, because PDF/A doesn't allow encryption. 2. **Pick the level** — PDF/A-2b in most cases, PDF/A-3b if attachments must stay in the file. 3. **Convert** — The file is processed on our servers; you see what was changed, for example which fonts were embedded. 4. **Download the PDF/A file** — The download is named after your file with “-pdfa” added. Keep the original if you may need its scripts or attachments again. #### Settings - Level: PDF/A-2b (ISO 19005-2, visual appearance preserved; attachments removed) or PDF/A-3b (ISO 19005-3; attachments kept as associated files). Input: PDF. Output: PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-3b. #### Limitations - Conformance is checked by PDFBetter's own tests of the PDF/A markers and rules, not independently validated with veraPDF or Acrobat Preflight. - Only PDF/A-2b and PDF/A-3b are produced. PDF/A-1b (no transparency allowed) and the accessible “a” and Unicode “u” levels are not offered. - Fonts that aren't embedded can be replaced only for Helvetica/Arial, Times/Times New Roman and Courier/Courier New. Any other missing font (Symbol, ZapfDingbats, CJK fonts) stops the conversion and names the font. - PDFs that use CMYK colour without a CMYK colour profile, or that mix RGB and CMYK without profiles, are refused; colours are not converted. - Digitally signed PDFs are refused, because rewriting the file would break the signature. Convert first, then sign. - JavaScript, launch and script actions, hidden annotations, comments without a fixed appearance, XFA form layers and (in PDF/A-2b) attachments are removed from the copy. #### FAQ **What is the difference between PDF/A-2b and PDF/A-3b?** Both guarantee that the pages look the same in the future. PDF/A-3b also allows attached files of any type, linked to the document as associated files, which e-invoice formats like ZUGFeRD and Factur-X rely on. PDF/A-2b doesn't allow attachments, so they are removed. **Will my PDF look different?** Normally no. Page content isn't redrawn. Text set in a non-embedded Helvetica, Times or Courier is shown with a metric-compatible replacement, so line breaks stay where they were; letter shapes differ slightly. **Is the result validated?** We re-open the file and check the PDF/A identification, output intent, embedded fonts, colour spaces, scripts and annotation flags. That is our own check; the file isn't validated with veraPDF or Acrobat Preflight, so use one of those if a report is required. **Can I convert a password-protected PDF?** Yes, after entering its password. PDF/A doesn't allow encryption, so the PDF/A copy has no password; protect the archive storage instead. **Why was my digitally signed PDF refused?** Any rewrite of a signed file invalidates the signature. Convert the unsigned document to PDF/A first, then sign the PDF/A file. **Does it work on scanned PDFs?** Yes. Scans are images, which PDF/A accepts as they are. Run OCR PDF first if the archive copy should be searchable. ### Compress a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/compress-pdf/ · Category: Optimize & OCR · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a PDF, choose how hard to compress its images, and download a smaller file with the text and form fields untouched. Compress PDF makes a file smaller by recompressing the images inside it. In scanned documents, phone photos saved as PDF and image-heavy brochures, images are almost all of the file size, so that is where the savings come from. Use it when an email bounces for size, when a court e-filing system, job application or landlord portal caps uploads, or when you archive hundreds of scans. A PDF exported from Word with only text and simple charts is usually small already and will shrink little. There are three levels. The lightest re-encodes images while keeping their resolution; the stronger levels also lower image resolution, which is where blurry small print can appear. Text, vector drawings, fonts, links, bookmarks and form fields are left alone. If no level can make the file smaller, you get your original back unchanged, never a bigger file. Compression runs in PDFBetter's processing container, not in your browser. If you can't upload a file, the browser-only light mode restructures the PDF on your device (object streams, unused objects) without touching images. To cut size by dropping content instead, use Remove pages or Split PDF. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Files up to 25 MB work without an account; the Free plan allows 50 MB and paid plans more. Unlock password-protected files first. 2. **Choose a level** — Start with the middle level. Pick the lightest level for documents with fine print or signatures you need to stay crisp, and the strongest for photo-heavy files. 3. **Compress and compare** — The result shows the original and new size side by side. Open the preview and zoom into the smallest text before you accept it. 4. **Download** — Download the smaller PDF, or try another level if the result is too soft or still too large. #### Settings - Compression level: Three levels from light (re-encode images, keep resolution) to strongest (lower image resolution as well). - Light mode in your browser: Restructures the file on your device without recompressing images. Smaller savings, nothing uploaded. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - PDFs made mostly of text and vector graphics shrink little because there are few images to recompress. - The strongest level lowers image resolution, so small print on scanned pages can blur, especially when printed. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked before compression. - Each run uses one Office & advanced conversion from the monthly allowance: 2 without an account, 10 on the Free plan, 500 on Pro. #### FAQ **Does compression remove form fields, links or bookmarks?** No. Only embedded images are recompressed. Fillable fields, their values, links and bookmarks stay as they were. **Will my text become less sharp?** Real text is drawn from fonts, not pixels, so it stays sharp at any level. Only text that is part of an image, as in a scan, is affected by image compression. **What happens to a digital (certificate) signature?** Any change to the file's bytes invalidates a certificate-based digital signature, and compression changes them. Compress before the document is digitally signed, or send the signed original. **Is the compressed PDF searchable?** It is exactly as searchable as the original. A scan with no text layer was not searchable before either; run OCR PDF to add one. **Why do you never return a larger file?** Recompressing an already efficient image can make it bigger. PDFBetter compares the result with your upload and keeps whichever is smaller. **Should I compress or password-protect first?** Compress first, then protect. Compression needs an unlocked file, and protecting last keeps the final file encrypted. ### Edit a scanned PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/edit-scanned-pdf/ · Category: Optimize & OCR · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a scan, run OCR in your document's language, and keep working in the editor with text you can select, correct and add to. Edit scanned PDF turns a page that is only a picture into something you can work on: OCR recognizes the text first, then the document opens in the editor so you can fix a misread word, change a date, fill blanks or add notes. This is the right page when the scan itself needs changing, such as a signed lease that needs a corrected unit number on a copy, an old form you want to re-use, or a faxed letter you need to annotate. If you only need to search and copy text, OCR PDF is enough. If the scan is crooked or faint, run Restore scanned PDF first; recognition is better on a clean page. Be clear about what editing a scan means. The page is still an image. When you change a recognized line, the original pixels are covered and your new text is placed on top in a standard font picked to resemble it. On clean white paper that is hard to spot; on yellowed or textured paper the patch can show. Covering scanned text is visual. The old words are still in the image underneath, so anyone with an editor could remove your overlay. If the old content must be gone, use Redact PDF instead. #### Steps 1. **Upload the scan** — PDF, JPG, PNG and TIFF are accepted. Images are placed on PDF pages before recognition. 2. **Pick the language** — Choose the language or languages printed on the page. A wrong language setting is the most common cause of misread accents and characters. 3. **Run OCR** — Each recognized page counts toward your OCR page allowance. The page image is not changed. 4. **Edit in the editor** — The document opens with Edit text selected. Click a recognized line to change it, or use Text, Date and Checkmark tools to add to the page. 5. **Download** — Downloading needs a free account; the Free plan includes 3 edited-document downloads a month. #### Settings - Recognition language: One or more languages; pick every language that appears on the page. - Editor tools: Edit text on recognized lines, add text, erase, highlight, sign and fill, as in any PDF. Input: PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Replacement text is drawn over the scan image; it does not alter the pixels underneath, and the patch can be visible on tinted or textured paper. - Recognition quality depends on the scan: low resolution, skew, handwriting and stamps lead to misread words that you need to correct. - Fonts in a scan can't be identified exactly; replacements use the closest available standard font. - Without an account you can run OCR on 5 pages and edit, but downloading the edited file needs an account. #### FAQ **Is this the same as OCR PDF?** OCR is the first step of this workflow. OCR PDF stops after adding a searchable text layer; Edit scanned PDF continues into the editor so you can change and add content. **Can I edit handwriting in a scan?** Standard OCR recognizes printed text well and handwriting poorly. You can still cover handwriting and type over it, but for recognizing it, AI OCR does a better job. **Are my edits permanent in the scan?** They are placed on top of the page image. If you need text truly removed, for example an account number, use Redact PDF, which burns the box into the page and deletes what was underneath. **Can I turn the scan into a Word document instead?** Yes. Run OCR, then use PDF to Word. Expect to tidy the layout, because a scan has no paragraphs or styles to reconstruct from. **Does OCR change how the page looks?** No. Recognition adds an invisible text layer and leaves the image untouched. Only the edits you make afterwards change what you see. ### OCR a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ocr-pdf/ · Category: Optimize & OCR · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a scan, pick its language, and download a PDF that looks the same but lets you search, select and copy the text. OCR PDF recognizes the text in scanned pages and adds it as an invisible layer behind the image. The page looks exactly as before, but Ctrl+F finds words, you can copy a paragraph into an email, and screen readers and AI tools have text to work with. Use it on anything that came off a scanner, a phone camera or a fax: signed contracts, receipts for expense reports, old records you need to search. If you click on a page and can't select a single word, it needs OCR. OCR gives you searchable text, not a reconstructed document. Headings, columns and tables stay as pixels on the page; only the hidden layer is new. To change the words on the page, use Edit scanned PDF. To get an editable Word file, run OCR and then PDF to Word. Recognition runs in PDFBetter's processing container with the Tesseract engine. It handles clean printed text well. For handwriting, dense tables and poor scans, AI OCR adds a vision-model correction pass; for crooked or faint pages, Restore scanned PDF cleans the image first. #### Steps 1. **Upload a scan** — Upload a PDF or a JPG, PNG or TIFF image. Images are placed on PDF pages first. 2. **Choose the language** — Select every language printed on the pages. Accents and non-Latin scripts depend on this setting. 3. **Run OCR** — Each page counts toward your OCR allowance: 5 pages without an account, 20 on Free and 1,000 on Pro each month. 4. **Check and download** — Search for a word you can see on the page to confirm recognition, then download the searchable PDF. #### Settings - Languages: Up to 4 of 48 recognition languages. Mixed-language documents should have all of them selected. Input: PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF. Output: PDF (searchable). #### Limitations - Handwriting, stylized fonts, stamps over text and very low-resolution scans are recognized poorly or not at all. - Reading order can be wrong on multi-column layouts and forms, which shows up when you copy long passages. - Tables are recognized as lines of text; cell structure is not rebuilt. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first. #### FAQ **Does OCR change how my document looks?** No. It adds an invisible text layer and leaves the scanned image untouched, so the printed copy is identical. **What's the difference between OCR and AI OCR?** OCR uses the Tesseract engine and is counted in OCR pages. AI OCR runs the same step, then sends page images and text to a vision model that fixes misreads in handwriting, tables and poor scans; it also costs AI credits. **Can I edit the text after OCR?** You can select, copy and search it. To change words on the page, open the result in Edit scanned PDF, or convert it with PDF to Word. **Do I need OCR before using AI tools on a scan?** Yes. Summaries, chat and AI search read the document's text, and a scan without OCR has none. **Will OCR read a page that is upside down?** Rotate the page first with Rotate PDF. Recognition works best on upright, straight pages. **Which languages can OCR read?** 48 languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Dutch, the Nordic and most Central and Eastern European languages, Greek, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Urdu, Hindi and other Indian languages, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese and Korean. Combine up to 4 in one document. Vertical Japanese and Chinese text is not supported. **Can I OCR a photo of a document?** Yes, upload the JPG or PNG directly. Shoot it flat, in even light, with the page filling the frame for the best result. ### Erase content in a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/erase-pdf/ · Category: Security & cleanup · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Paint over part of a page in white or a matching color, then type the replacement on top. Erase is a digital whiteout: it paints an opaque box over part of a page so whatever was there no longer shows. It is visual only. The text, image or drawing underneath stays in the file and can still be selected, copied, searched or extracted. Use it for cosmetic fixes: hiding a typo before typing the correction, clearing an old date on a form you are re-using, removing a stray pen mark from a scan, or blanking printed instructions you don't want on a copy. Do not use Erase to hide anything sensitive. Redact PDF permanently removes the content: affected pages are rebuilt so the text, images and drawings under each box are gone from the file. Blackout is the same as Erase in a black box, also visual only. If anyone could be harmed by the hidden words being recovered, redact. #### Steps 1. **Open the PDF** — Upload the file; it opens in the editor with the Erase tool selected. 2. **Draw over the content** — Drag a box over what you want hidden. Change the fill color to match tinted paper. 3. **Type the replacement** — Switch to Text and type on top of the erased area if something should replace it. 4. **Download** — Downloading needs a free account; the Free plan includes 3 edited-document downloads a month. #### Settings - Fill color: White by default; pick any color to match the page background. - Box size and position: Resize or move the box after drawing it; nothing is final until you export. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Erase does not remove anything: underlying text stays selectable and searchable, and can be recovered by deleting the box in another PDF editor. - Flattening on export draws the box into the page, but the original content is still beneath it in the file. - On scans with colored or textured paper, a solid fill color can be visible as a patch. #### FAQ **What is the difference between erase and redact?** Erase hides content visually and leaves it in the file. Redact permanently removes the text, images and drawings under each box and strips hidden data, so it cannot be recovered from the output. **Is a black box the same as redaction?** No. A blackout box is a black erase box and is just as recoverable. Only the Redact tool removes the content underneath. **Can I erase existing text and retype it in the same font?** For that, Edit text is usually better: it replaces the line and matches the font where it can. Erase plus Text is useful when the original font isn't available or the page is a scan. **Can I undo an erase?** Yes, until you download. Select the box and delete it, or use undo. Earlier versions are also kept in version history. **Does erasing remove form fields?** No. A box drawn over a fillable field hides it visually but the field stays. Use Remove PDF fields to delete fields. ### Add a watermark to a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/add-watermark-to-pdf/ · Category: Security & cleanup · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Type a word or pick an image, set how it sits on the page, and download a watermarked PDF without uploading the file. Add watermark places text such as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL or COPY, or an image such as a logo, on every page or on the pages you choose. Everything runs in your browser; the PDF is never uploaded and the download is free without an account. Use it to mark a contract draft so nobody signs the wrong version, label a document as a copy before sharing, or brand a proposal. The preview updates as you change size, opacity, rotation and position, so you can check that the mark doesn't cover the figures that matter. A watermark is a label, not protection. It discourages reuse but can be cropped or covered by anyone with an editor. To control who can open the file, use Protect PDF; to remove content, use Redact PDF. To number pages instead, use Add page numbers. #### Steps 1. **Add your PDF** — Drop in the file. It is read on your device. 2. **Choose text or image** — Type the watermark text or pick a PNG or JPG logo. Set font, size and color for text. 3. **Place it** — Choose center, top, bottom or tiled; set rotation and opacity; enter a page range such as 1-3,5 or leave it on all pages. 4. **Download** — The watermarked PDF is generated in your browser and downloads immediately. #### Settings - Text or image: A word or phrase in a chosen font, size and color, or an uploaded image. - Position: Center, top, bottom, or tiled across the page. - Opacity and rotation: Fade the mark so the page stays readable; rotate it, for example 45 degrees for a diagonal stamp. - Behind content: Draw the mark beneath the page content instead of on top. - Page range: All pages, or a range such as 1-3,5,8- (page 8 to the end). Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - “Behind content” is invisible on scanned pages, because the scan image is opaque and covers anything drawn beneath it. - The watermark is added to the page content; it is a deterrent, not access control, and can be covered or cropped. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked before adding a watermark. #### FAQ **Is my PDF uploaded?** No. The watermark is applied in your browser and the file never leaves your device. **Can I watermark only some pages?** Yes. Enter a page range such as 2-5 or 1,3,7-; the other pages are left as they were. **Can I remove the watermark later?** Keep your original file; that is the reliable way back. Once the watermark is part of the page content, removing it cleanly is not guaranteed. **Does a watermark stop people copying the document?** No. It labels the document. To require a password or restrict printing and copying in compliant viewers, use Protect PDF after watermarking. **Can I use a transparent PNG logo?** Yes. Transparency is preserved, so only the logo shape appears on the page. ### Password-protect a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/protect-pdf/ · Category: Security & cleanup · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Set a password to open the file, optionally restrict printing, editing and copying, and download an encrypted PDF. Protect PDF encrypts a file with AES-256 so it can't be opened without the password you set. Encryption runs in your browser: neither the PDF nor the password is sent to PDFBetter, which also means nobody at PDFBetter can recover a forgotten password. There are two separate settings. The open password (user password) is the real lock: without it the content can't be read. Permissions (owner password) limit printing, editing, copying, annotating and form filling for people who can open the file, but they rely on the PDF viewer to respect them. Mainstream readers do; some tools ignore them. Use an open password for tax returns, medical records or payroll you must email. Use permissions alone when the content isn't secret but you want to discourage edits, for example a published price list. To reverse it with the password, use Unlock PDF. To remove content rather than lock it, use Redact PDF. #### Steps 1. **Add your PDF** — Drop in the file. It is read and encrypted on your device. 2. **Set an open password** — Type a strong password and store it somewhere safe. Share it with recipients through a different channel than the file. 3. **Choose permissions (optional)** — Untick printing, modifying, copying, annotating or form filling, and set an owner password that is different from the open password. 4. **Download** — The encrypted PDF downloads immediately. Open it once to confirm the password works. #### Settings - Open password: Required to open and read the file. Encrypted with AES-256. - Permissions: Allow or block printing, modifying, copying, annotating and filling forms. - Owner password: Needed to change the permissions later. Use a different value from the open password. Input: PDF. Output: PDF (encrypted). #### Limitations - Permission restrictions are enforced by the viewer, not by encryption; software that ignores them can still print or copy once the file is open. - AES-256 needs a reasonably modern PDF reader; very old readers may not open the file. - A forgotten password cannot be recovered or reset by PDFBetter, because it never leaves your device. - An already-encrypted PDF must be unlocked before you set new passwords. #### FAQ **What is the difference between an open password and permissions?** The open password encrypts the content so it can't be read without it. Permissions only ask the viewer to block actions like printing or copying after the file is open. **Is my password sent to PDFBetter?** No. Encryption happens in your browser and the password is never transmitted. **Can I protect a PDF that has fillable fields?** Yes. Leave form filling allowed in permissions so recipients can still type into the fields after opening. **Does protecting a PDF stop screenshots?** No PDF setting can stop screenshots or photos of the screen. Encryption controls who can open the file, not what they do with what they see. **Can I add a password when downloading from the editor?** Download the edited file, then run it through Protect PDF. Protecting last keeps your edits and the encryption together. ### Unlock a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/unlock-pdf/ · Category: Security & cleanup · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Enter the password you already have and download an unencrypted copy of the PDF. Unlock PDF removes encryption from a file when you know its password. You type the password once and get a copy that opens without it and has no printing or copying restrictions. Typical reasons: a bank or payroll statement that asks for a password every time you open it, a protected PDF you need to merge, compress or edit (those tools need an unlocked file), or a document you want to archive without depending on a password someone may forget. Unlock does not guess, crack or bypass passwords. If you don't know the password, ask whoever sent the file. Decryption runs in your browser, so the file and the password stay on your device. Protect PDF does the reverse. #### Steps 1. **Add the protected PDF** — Drop in the file. PDFBetter detects that it is encrypted. 2. **Enter the password** — Type the password that opens the file. For a file that opens freely but blocks printing or copying, enter its permissions (owner) password. 3. **Download** — The unlocked copy downloads immediately. Your original file is not changed. #### Settings - Password: The open password, or the owner password for permission-only files. Input: PDF (encrypted). Output: PDF. #### Limitations - You must know the password; there is no recovery for lost passwords. - PDFs secured with certificates (public-key security) or enterprise rights-management systems can't be unlocked here. - Unlocking rewrites the file, which invalidates any certificate-based digital signature in it. #### FAQ **Can PDFBetter remove a password I don't know?** No. Unlock needs the password. We don't offer password cracking or bypassing. **Is the password sent to your servers?** No. Decryption happens in your browser and neither the file nor the password is uploaded. **Will unlocking remove printing restrictions too?** Yes. The unlocked copy has no encryption, so permission restrictions no longer apply. **Is it legal to unlock a PDF?** Removing a password from your own document, or one you are authorized to use, is ordinary. Don't unlock files you don't have the right to use; PDFBetter is not a law firm and can't advise on specific cases. **Does the unlocked file look different?** No. Pages, fields and annotations are kept; only the encryption is removed. ### Redact a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/redact-pdf/ · Category: Security & cleanup · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Mark what must go, apply redaction, and download a PDF where the marked content no longer exists in the file. Redact PDF permanently removes content. Each marked area is replaced by a solid box, and the text, images and drawings under it are deleted from the file, so they can't be selected, copied, searched or recovered from the output. This is different from Erase (whiteout) and Blackout, which only paint a box over the page and leave the original text underneath. Drawing a black rectangle in any editor is the most common way redactions fail. Use Redact whenever the hidden information could harm someone if recovered: Social Security numbers, patient names, bank details, or privileged passages in a document production. How it works: when you apply redaction, each affected page is rebuilt as an image with the boxes burned in, which removes everything on that page that was under a box. Annotations, form fields and document metadata are stripped from the file. The result is then checked by extracting its text again to confirm the marked content is gone. Pages without marks are left as they were. Applying redaction happens in PDFBetter's processing container. Your version history keeps the unredacted original for you, so a mistake can be undone; the redacted file you download or share does not contain it. #### Steps 1. **Open the PDF** — Upload the file; it opens in the editor with Redact selected. 2. **Mark content** — Drag boxes over text, images or areas. Use Search to find every occurrence of a name or number and mark each one. Add an optional label such as “(b)(6)”. 3. **Review the marks** — Marks show as outlines until you apply them. Page through the document; anything not marked stays. 4. **Apply redaction** — Confirm to rebuild the affected pages. This step can't be reversed in the output. 5. **Download or share** — Download needs a free account; the Free plan includes 3 edited-document downloads a month. #### Settings - Redaction box: Draw over any area: text, images, signatures, handwriting. - Label: Optional text shown on the box, such as an exemption code. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Pages that contain a redaction become images, so their remaining text is no longer selectable or searchable; run OCR PDF afterwards if you need that. - Redaction removes only what you mark. Repeated names or numbers elsewhere in the document stay unless you mark every occurrence. - Form fields, comments and metadata are stripped from the redacted file, so it is no longer fillable. - Content inside attachments embedded in the PDF is not inspected; remove attachments before sharing. #### FAQ **What is the difference between redact and erase?** Erase and Blackout cover content visually; the original text is still in the file. Redact deletes the content under each box from the output, along with annotations, fields and metadata. **Can someone undo the redaction in the downloaded file?** No. The marked content is not in the file: affected pages are rebuilt as images with the boxes burned in, and the output is checked by re-extracting its text. **Does PDFBetter keep the unredacted original?** Yes, in your document's version history, so you can correct mistakes. Delete the document from your account if you don't want the original kept. **Can I redact a scanned document?** Yes. Draw boxes over the areas on the image; those pixels are replaced. Search only finds text in scans that have been through OCR. **Why did my fillable form stop being fillable?** Redaction strips form fields from the file, because field values are a common place for sensitive data to hide. Fill and flatten before redacting if you need the values visible. **Is this redaction acceptable for court filings?** It removes content from the file, which is what redaction rules generally require, but each court sets its own rules. Check the filing requirements; PDFBetter is not a law firm. ### Remove a watermark from a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/remove-pdf-watermark/ · Category: Security & cleanup · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a PDF, find out whether its watermark is a removable object, and download a copy without it. Remove watermark deletes watermarks that a PDF program stored as their own objects: watermark annotations and content tagged as a watermark. Those can be taken out cleanly, leaving the page content beneath exactly as it was. Many watermarks are not stored that way. A DRAFT stamp that was flattened into the page, printed and rescanned, or drawn as ordinary text, is part of the page content and can't be separated from it. PDFBetter does not paint over or retouch those marks, and the tool tells you when nothing removable was found. Typical uses: removing your own DRAFT marking from a final version, or clearing a review stamp from a document you control. Only remove watermarks from documents you have the right to modify. To add one, use Add watermark; to cover a flattened mark visually, Erase is available, with the usual caveat that covered content is still in the file. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Unlock password-protected files first. 2. **Review what was found** — PDFBetter reports whether it found removable watermark objects. If none were found, the mark is part of the page content and stays. 3. **Remove and download** — Download a copy without the detected watermarks. Your original upload is unchanged. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Watermarks flattened into page content, embedded in scanned images, or drawn as ordinary text are not removed. - Detection relies on how the watermark was tagged; a mark saved as a generic stamp or shape may not be recognized as a watermark. - Each run uses one Office & advanced conversion from the monthly allowance. #### FAQ **Can you remove any watermark?** No. Only watermarks stored as watermark objects or annotations. Marks that are part of the page itself can't be separated from the content, and we don't claim otherwise. **Will removing the watermark change the rest of the page?** No. Only the detected watermark objects are deleted; text, images and fields stay as they were. **Can I remove a watermark from a scanned PDF?** Usually not. In a scan the watermark is pixels in the same image as the text. **Can I remove a watermark I added with PDFBetter?** Keep your original file and use that. Watermarks added by Add watermark are drawn into the page content, so they are not reliably removable. **Is it allowed to remove a watermark?** It depends on who owns the document and why the mark is there. Remove watermarks only from documents you are authorized to modify. ### Sanitize a PDF before you share it URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/sanitize-pdf/ · Category: Security & cleanup · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-18 See what your PDF carries besides its pages, tick what to remove, and download a clean copy with a report of everything taken out. Sanitize PDF checks a file for things that travel with it but don't show on the page: scripts and automatic actions, attachments, metadata, links to outside sites and files, form actions that send data to a server, hidden layers, leftover application data and page thumbnails. It shows how many of each it found and removes the ones you tick. It runs in your browser, so the file you are cleaning never leaves your device. Use it before a PDF leaves your organization: a contract going to the other side, a court or tender submission, a client report, a document published on a website. Metadata can reveal the author's name, the software and when the file was edited; a hidden layer can still hold a draft paragraph; an attachment can carry a whole spreadsheet. Comments and markup are listed but kept unless you tick them, because many people want to keep review notes. Form fields keep working; only the actions that submit data are removed. Links to pages inside the same PDF stay; only links that leave the document go. Sanitizing removes hidden data, not visible content. To black out words or images on the page, use Redact PDF; to require a password, use Protect PDF after sanitizing. #### Steps 1. **Add your PDF** — Drop the file. It is opened and inspected in your browser; nothing is uploaded. 2. **Review what was found** — Each item shows a count: scripts and actions, attachments, metadata entries, external links, submit actions, hidden layers, private data, comments. 3. **Choose what to remove** — Everything found is ticked except comments. Untick anything you want to keep. 4. **Download the clean copy** — Download the sanitized PDF and check the report of what was removed and what was kept. #### Settings - JavaScript and automatic actions: Document and field scripts, actions that run on open, close or print, launch, media and 3D actions, and XFA form scripts. - Attachments: Embedded files, file-attachment, rich-media and 3D annotations, and files associated with pages, images or comments. - Metadata: Title, author, subject, keywords, creating software and dates, plus XMP metadata anywhere in the file (images included). - External links: Web links and links to other files. Links to pages in the same PDF stay. - Form submit actions: Buttons that send form data to a server. The fields themselves stay. - Hidden layers: Content on optional-content layers that are off by default. - Private app data and thumbnails: Data left by the authoring app (PieceInfo), Web Capture data and embedded page thumbnails. - Comments and markup: Notes, highlights, drawings and stamps. Off by default. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Visible text and images are not changed. Sanitizing is not redaction; use Redact PDF to remove content you can see. - Hidden layers are cleaned where their content is drawn on pages and in form XObjects. Layer content inside patterns, annotation appearances or Type 3 fonts is left in place, still hidden. Only a layer's default state counts; layers switched by scripts or set to print-only are not evaluated separately. - Removing JavaScript also removes form scripts that format numbers, calculate totals or check input, so totals stop updating on their own. - XFA forms (dynamic forms made with LiveCycle or AEM Forms) lose their XFA layer when JavaScript is removed and fall back to their plain form fields; an XFA-only form can then look different or empty. - After saving, the file is checked again. Anything still found is reported as not fully removed, never as removed. - Text hidden in other ways (white on white, under an image, outside the visible page area) is not detected. - The file is rewritten, so any digital signature it carries becomes invalid. Sanitize before signing, not after. - Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first. #### FAQ **What does sanitizing a PDF remove?** Whatever you tick of: scripts and automatic actions, attachments, metadata, external links, form submit actions, hidden layers, private application data and thumbnails, and optionally comments. The report shows counts before and after. **Is my file uploaded?** No. The PDF is inspected and cleaned in your browser and never leaves your device. **Will my form fields still work?** Yes. Fields and their values stay. Submit buttons stop sending data, and with JavaScript removed, formatting and calculation scripts stop running. **Does it remove comments?** Only if you tick Comments and markup. Form fields, links inside the document and attachments are handled by their own options. **Is sanitizing the same as redacting?** No. Sanitizing removes data that isn't shown on the page. Redaction removes text and images that are shown. For a document going outside, you often want both: redact first, then sanitize. **Is the metadata gone completely?** The document properties and every XMP metadata packet in the file, including those on images, are removed. The file name is yours to choose: rename the download if the name itself is sensitive. **Do I need an account?** No. This tool is free without an account. ### Share a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/share-pdf/ · Category: Share & deliver · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Create a link to your document, choose what people can do with it, and turn it off whenever you want. Share PDF creates a private link to the live document in your PDFBetter account. You decide whether people can only view it, add comments, fill its fields, or edit it, and you can revoke the link at any moment. Because the link points to the live document, recipients see your latest saved version. That suits review rounds, a form a colleague needs to complete, or a working copy several people annotate. If you want a fixed copy that won't change after you send it, use PDF to URL, which hosts a frozen export. Each link can have a password, an expiry date, a download on/off switch and a list of allowed email addresses. The share panel shows how many times the link was opened and when. Sharing is not a signing workflow: to collect signatures with an audit trail, use Request signatures. #### Steps 1. **Open your document** — Upload a PDF or open one from your account. Edit it first if needed. 2. **Create a link** — Choose view, comment, fill or edit access. 3. **Set limits** — Optionally add a password, an expiry date, allowed email addresses, and whether downloading is allowed. 4. **Send and manage** — Copy the link. Return to the share panel to see views or revoke it. #### Settings - Permission: View, comment, fill or edit. - Password: Recipients enter it before the document opens. - Expiry: The link stops working after the date you set. - Allowed emails: Limit the link to named people instead of anyone with the URL. - Allow download: Turn off to keep recipients in the browser viewer. Input: PDF. Output: Link. #### Limitations - Sharing needs an account. The Free plan allows 3 active share links; Pro and Business have no limit. - Turning off downloads keeps the file in the viewer but can't stop screenshots or photos of the screen. - Recipients of a live link see later edits too; send a PDF to URL link if they should only ever see one version. #### FAQ **What is the difference between Share PDF and PDF to URL?** Share PDF links to the live document, so recipients see your latest version and can comment, fill or edit if allowed. PDF to URL hosts a frozen copy of one export, view-only, that doesn't change when you keep editing. **Can I stop sharing after sending the link?** Yes. Revoke it in the share panel and it stops working immediately. **Do people with an edit link change my original?** They edit the document in your account. Every change is saved as a new revision, so you can restore an earlier version from history. **Can I share without creating an account?** No. A link needs an owner who can manage and revoke it, so you'll be asked to create a free account. Your work is kept when you sign up. **Are shared links indexed by search engines?** No. Shared document pages are marked noindex, and links use long random tokens. ### Export your edited PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/export-pdf/ · Category: Share & deliver · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Choose fillable or flattened output, decide whether comments come along, and download the finished PDF. Export turns the document you edited in PDFBetter into a downloadable PDF. The preview and the export are drawn from the same document model, so the file matches what you saw in the editor. The main choice is fillable or flattened. Fillable keeps form fields interactive, so the next person can still type into them. Flattened draws every field value, signature and annotation into the page so nothing can be changed in an ordinary viewer; use it for a final copy you send or file. You also decide whether comments and sticky notes are included, and you can export only the content you added, on blank pages, for printing onto pre-printed paper forms. Exporting needs a free account. The Free plan includes 3 edited-document downloads a month, Pro and Business are unlimited, and a Day Pass gives 24 hours of Pro. Export produces a PDF; for Word, Excel or images, use the conversion tools afterwards. To send to a printer instead, use Print PDF. #### Steps 1. **Finish editing** — Make your changes in the editor; they save automatically. 2. **Open Export** — Choose fillable or flattened, and whether to include comments. 3. **Name the file** — Set the file name you want the recipient to see. 4. **Download** — Create an account if prompted; your edits are kept through sign-up. #### Settings - Fillable or flattened: Keep fields interactive, or burn values, signatures and annotations into the page. - Include comments: Keep comments and notes as PDF annotations, or leave them out. - Added content only: Export just what you added, on blank pages of the same size, for printing onto a pre-printed form. - File name: The name of the downloaded file. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Flattening is one-way in the exported file: fields become static content and can't be filled again from that copy (your editable version stays in your account). - Export produces PDF only; converting to Word, Excel or images is a separate step. - If the document contains unapplied redaction marks, export stops until you apply them. - Without an account there is no download; the Free plan allows 3 edited-document downloads a month. #### FAQ **Should I export fillable or flattened?** Fillable when someone else still needs to fill the form. Flattened for a final copy you send, file or archive, so values can't be changed in an ordinary viewer. **Does the export have a watermark?** No. Downloads on every plan, including Free, have no PDFBetter watermark. **What is “added content only” for?** Printing onto a pre-printed paper form. You get only your typed text, checks and signature in the right positions on blank pages. **Are comments included?** Only if you choose to include them. In a fillable export they stay as PDF annotations; in a flattened export they are drawn onto the page. **Can I export to Word?** Export the PDF, then use PDF to Word. Expect some layout cleanup, as with any PDF to Word conversion. ### Print a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/print-pdf/ · Category: Share & deliver · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Send your filled, signed or annotated PDF to a printer with everything positioned as it appears on screen. Print PDF prepares a print-ready file from your edited document, with typed text, checkmarks, signatures and field values drawn in, and opens your browser's print dialog. Use it when a form must be submitted on paper, when you sign on screen but the other side needs a hard copy, or when you want to print a filled form onto pre-printed stationery. Comments can be left out so internal notes don't end up on paper. In the print dialog you choose the printer, page range, number of copies, paper size and scaling. For forms, pick actual size (no scaling) so boxes line up with official layouts; “fit to page” shrinks slightly to avoid clipping on printers with wide margins. The print file is the same render as a download, so it uses the same allowance as Export PDF. #### Steps 1. **Open and finish the document** — Fill, sign or annotate in the editor. 2. **Choose Print** — Decide whether comments are printed. Use “added content only” to print onto a pre-printed form. 3. **Set print options** — In the browser's dialog, pick printer, pages, paper size and scaling. Use actual size for forms. 4. **Print** — Printing needs a free account, like downloading. #### Settings - Include comments: Print comment and note annotations, or leave them off the paper. - Added content only: Print just your entries on blank pages, positioned to land on a pre-printed form. - Browser print settings: Page range, copies, paper size, scaling and margins are set in your browser's dialog. Input: PDF. Output: Paper, Print-ready PDF. #### Limitations - Paper handling, duplex and margins depend on your browser and printer; some printers can't print to the edge of the page. - Printing at “fit to page” scales the content, which can misalign entries on official forms that expect actual size. - Printing produces a full render, so it uses the same allowance as an edited-document download. #### FAQ **Will my signature print?** Yes. Signatures, initials and field values are drawn into the print file exactly where they appear on screen. **Can I print without the comments?** Yes. Turn comments off before printing; they stay in your document but don't appear on paper. **Can I print only some pages?** Yes. Enter a page range in your browser's print dialog. **Can I print on my phone?** Yes. The print file opens in your phone's print or share sheet, where you can choose a printer or save it. **What's the difference between Print and Export?** Both produce the same rendered file. Export downloads it; Print hands it to your browser's print dialog. ### Fax a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/fax-pdf/ · Category: Share & deliver · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Enter a US or Canadian fax number, send your edited PDF, and follow the delivery status until it is confirmed or fails. Fax PDF sends your document from the editor to a fax machine, without a phone line or fax machine of your own. The fax contains the document as you see it, with field values and signatures included. Faxing is still required by many medical offices, pharmacies, insurers, courts and government agencies. Fill and sign the form in PDFBetter, check it, and send it from the same place. Destinations are limited to the US and Canada. Each sent page counts as one fax page. The Business plan includes 50 fax pages a month; on other plans, buy a fax pages pack (50 pages for $6, valid for US and Canada, never expires). Faxing goes through an external fax provider; if it isn't configured for your workspace, the fax option says so instead of pretending to send. After sending, the document's delivery status shows queued, sent, delivered or failed. A failed fax shows the reason the provider reports, such as a busy line or no answer. To send by email or link instead, use Share PDF. #### Steps 1. **Prepare the document** — Upload the PDF, then fill, sign and review it in the editor. 2. **Open Fax** — Enter the destination fax number (US or Canada) and check the page count. 3. **Send** — Pages are taken from your Business allowance or your fax pages pack. 4. **Track delivery** — Watch the status until the provider confirms delivery or reports a failure. #### Settings - Destination number: A US or Canadian fax number. Input: PDF. Output: Fax. #### Limitations - Only US and Canadian fax numbers are supported. - Faxing needs an account with fax pages: the Business plan's monthly allowance or a fax pages pack. Free and Pro include no fax pages. - Sending depends on a configured fax provider; when it isn't available the option is shown as unavailable. - PDFBetter sends faxes only; it does not provide a number to receive them. #### FAQ **How are fax pages counted?** Each page of the sent document is one fax page. A 5-page document uses 5 pages. **Can I fax internationally?** No. Destinations are limited to the US and Canada. **Do I need a fax machine or phone line?** No. The fax is sent through PDFBetter's fax provider from your browser. **Do fax pack pages expire?** No. Pages from a fax pages pack never expire. The Business plan's 50 monthly pages renew each month. **Will I get a confirmation?** The delivery status shows when the provider confirms the fax was received, or why it failed. **Can I fax a document with signature fields left blank?** Yes, the fax shows the document as it is. Make sure required fields are filled first; fax recipients can't type into fields. ### Turn a PDF into a link URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-url/ · Category: Share & deliver · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Publish a frozen copy of your PDF at a link anyone you send it to can open in the browser. PDF to URL hosts a copy of your PDF at a link. Despite the name, it is not a file format conversion: the PDF stays a PDF, and the link is where people open it. The hosted copy is frozen at the moment you create the link. Later edits in your account don't change what the link shows, which is what you want for a menu, a price list, a published policy or a document referenced in an email or printed QR code. Need a new version live? Create a new link and revoke the old one. Every link can have an expiry date and a password, and you can switch downloading off so visitors view the file in the browser. Revoking stops the link immediately. If people should comment on, fill or edit the current document instead, use Share PDF, which links to the live document. #### Steps 1. **Open the PDF** — Upload it, or open it from your account and finish any edits. 2. **Create a hosted link** — Choose the frozen copy option in the share panel. 3. **Set access** — Add an expiry date or password if needed, and decide whether visitors can download. 4. **Copy and send** — Paste the link in an email, message or web page. Revoke it from the share panel at any time. #### Settings - Expiry: The link stops working after the date you choose. - Password: Visitors enter it before the PDF opens. - Allow download: Let visitors save the PDF, or keep it view-only in the browser. Input: PDF. Output: Link (hosted PDF). #### Limitations - The link shows a fixed copy; edits after you create it are not reflected. - Hosted links count as share links: the Free plan allows 3 active links, Pro and Business are unlimited. - Blocking downloads can't stop screenshots or photos of the screen. #### FAQ **Is PDF to URL a file conversion?** No. Your PDF is hosted as a PDF at a private link. Nothing is converted to HTML or another format. **How is this different from Share PDF?** PDF to URL hosts a frozen, view-only copy. Share PDF links to the live document, so recipients see later changes and can comment, fill or edit if you allow it. **Can I make a QR code for the link?** Yes, use any QR generator with the copied link. Avoid an expiry date if the QR code will be printed. **Can I see how often the link was opened?** Yes. The share panel shows the view count and when it was last opened. **Will the PDF appear in Google?** No. Hosted document pages are marked noindex, and links use long random tokens. ### Summarize a PDF with AI URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-pdf-summarizer/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a PDF, pick a length and optional focus, and get key points you can check against the cited pages. The AI PDF summarizer reads your document and writes a summary with key points, each tied to the page numbers it was drawn from, so you can click through and check the source instead of trusting the wording. Choose brief, standard or detailed, and optionally a focus such as “payment terms and termination” or “methods and limitations”. Every summary also lists omissions: the sections it didn't cover, so a short summary doesn't quietly pass for the whole document. Use it to triage a long contract before a careful read, prepare for a meeting on a 60-page report, or decide which pages of a policy matter to you. If you have a specific question, Chat with PDF is a better fit; if you need to find every place a concept appears, use AI search. Each summary costs 2 AI credits. The document's text is sent to OpenAI's API to write it, under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. A summary is a reading aid, not legal or financial advice, and it can be wrong; the page citations are there so you can verify. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — It opens in the editor with the AI panel on Summary. Scanned PDFs need OCR first so there is text to read. 2. **Set length and focus** — Pick brief, standard or detailed, and type a focus if you only care about certain topics. 3. **Generate** — Uses 2 AI credits. Without an account you have 5 AI credits to try it. 4. **Check the citations** — Click a page number next to any key point to jump to the source and confirm it. #### Settings - Length: Brief, standard or detailed. - Focus: Optional topics to concentrate on, in your own words. Input: PDF. Output: Summary with key points and page citations. #### Limitations - Summaries can misstate or leave out details; always check important points against the cited pages. - Scanned PDFs without a text layer can't be summarized until OCR adds one. - Text inside images, charts and diagrams is not read, so conclusions shown only in a chart are missed. - A brief summary leaves out detail by design; the omissions list says what wasn't covered. #### FAQ **How do I know the summary is accurate?** Each key point cites the pages it came from. Click through and read the source for anything you will act on. **What are omissions?** A list of parts the summary didn't cover, such as appendices or tables, so you know what you still need to read. **Is my document used to train AI?** The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents. **How many credits does a summary cost?** 2 AI credits per summary, whatever the length you choose. The Free plan includes 20 credits a month and Pro includes 500. **Can it summarize a document in another language?** Yes. Ask for the summary in your language in the focus field; for a full translation, use the AI PDF translator. **Is the summary legal advice?** No. It is a reading aid. For decisions about a contract, read the cited clauses and consult a qualified professional. ### Translate a PDF with AI URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-pdf-translator/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Choose a target language and the pages to translate, and get a separate translated PDF to compare with the original. The AI PDF translator creates a translated copy of your PDF in the language you choose. The original document is never modified; the translation is a new document in your account, so you can put the two side by side. Use it to understand a foreign-language contract, a letter from an overseas agency, product documentation or a research paper. You can translate the whole file or only the pages you need, which keeps the cost down on long documents. Translation costs 1 AI credit per page. The page text is sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. Layout is approximated: translated text often runs longer or shorter than the source, so line breaks, font sizes and spacing can change. Machine translation is not a certified translation. Agencies and courts that require a certified or sworn translation won't accept it, and important wording should be checked by a fluent reader. To get the gist without translating everything, ask for a summary in your language with the AI PDF summarizer. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — It opens in the editor with the AI panel on Translate. Scans need OCR first. 2. **Pick language and pages** — Choose the target language and either all pages or a range. 3. **Translate** — Uses 1 AI credit per page. A new translated document is created. 4. **Compare** — Open the translation next to the original and check names, numbers and dates. #### Settings - Target language: The language to translate into. - Pages: All pages, or only the range you need. Input: PDF. Output: PDF (new translated document). #### Limitations - Layout is approximated; longer translated text can change line breaks, spacing and font sizes, and complex tables may shift. - Text inside images, stamps and handwriting is not translated. - It is not a certified translation and can mistranslate legal or technical terms. - Fillable fields in the original are not carried into the translated document as working fields. #### FAQ **Does translation change my original PDF?** No. A new document is created and the original stays exactly as it was. **How much does it cost?** 1 AI credit per translated page. Translate a page range to keep the cost down. **Is the translation certified?** No. It is machine translation. Use a certified translator when an authority requires one. **Can I translate a scanned document?** Yes, after OCR adds a text layer. Without it there is no text to translate. **Is my document kept private?** The page text is sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not use your documents to train models. **Can I edit the translation?** Yes. It opens in the editor like any PDF, so you can correct wording before downloading. ### Chat with a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/chat-with-pdf/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a PDF and ask questions in plain language; every answer points to the pages it is based on. Chat with PDF answers questions about your document, such as “What is the notice period for ending this contract?” or “Which medications does this discharge sheet list?”, and cites the page numbers each answer is based on. Answers come from the document only. When the file doesn't contain the answer, the reply says it couldn't find it rather than filling the gap from general knowledge. That matters most for questions the document seems to answer but doesn't, such as a renewal date that is only defined in another agreement. Use chat for specific questions and follow-ups. For an overview, the AI PDF summarizer is quicker; to find every passage about a concept, AI search returns ranked matches; to find an exact word or number, plain Search PDF is free and instant. Each message costs 1 AI credit. The relevant document text and your question are sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. Answers can be wrong and are not legal, medical or financial advice; check the cited pages. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — It opens in the editor with the AI chat panel. Scanned files need OCR first. 2. **Ask a question** — Be specific: name the clause, section or figure you care about. 3. **Check the citations** — Click a cited page to see the passage the answer relies on. 4. **Follow up** — Ask follow-ups in the same thread; each message uses 1 AI credit. Input: PDF. Output: Answers with page citations. #### Limitations - Answers can be incomplete or wrong; the citations are there so you can verify them. - Pages with text are read as text, so numbers shown only in a chart or image on those pages are missed. In short PDFs (up to 5 pages on Free, 10 on Pro), pages with no text are read from page images instead and cited by page, without a quote. - The chat doesn't browse the web or read other documents, so it can't resolve references to agreements you haven't uploaded. #### FAQ **What happens if the answer isn't in the document?** The reply says the document doesn't cover it. It doesn't fill gaps from outside knowledge. **How many credits does chatting use?** 1 AI credit per message. Without an account you have 5 credits; the Free plan includes 20 a month. **Can I chat with several PDFs at once?** A chat covers one document. Merge the files with Merge PDF first if you need to ask across them. **Is chat the same as AI search?** Chat writes an answer to a question. AI search returns a ranked list of matching passages, which is better for finding every place a topic comes up. **Is my document used for training?** Text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter doesn't train models on your files. **Can I rely on the answers for legal decisions?** No. Use them to find and understand the relevant passages, then read those pages and get professional advice where it matters. ### Search a PDF by meaning URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-search-pdf/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Describe what you're looking for and get the passages that match its meaning, each with a page number. AI search finds passages by meaning rather than exact words. Search for “who pays for repairs” and it surfaces the clause titled “Maintenance obligations” that never uses the word repairs. Each result shows the page number and a snippet, ranked by how closely it matches. Plain Search PDF matches characters exactly: it is free, instant and the right tool for an invoice number, a name or a defined term. AI search is for concepts, when you don't know the document's vocabulary, or when the same idea is phrased differently in different sections. AI search returns passages, not answers; you read them yourself. To get a written answer with citations, use Chat with PDF. Each search costs 1 AI credit. To match meaning, the document's text and your query are processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — It opens in the editor with the AI search panel. Scans need OCR first. 2. **Describe what you need** — Type a phrase or question, such as “limits on liability” or “data retention period”. 3. **Review ranked matches** — Each match shows the page and a snippet; click to jump to it. Uses 1 AI credit per search. Input: PDF. Output: Ranked passages with page numbers. #### Limitations - Matches are ranked by similarity, which can surface related but irrelevant passages; read each result. - It can't search text inside images or scans without OCR. - For exact strings like account numbers, plain Search PDF is more reliable and free. #### FAQ **How is AI search different from normal search?** Normal search finds exact words. AI search finds passages with similar meaning, even when the wording is different. **Does AI search give me an answer?** No, it returns passages with page numbers. For a written answer with citations, use Chat with PDF. **How much does it cost?** 1 AI credit per search. Plain Search PDF costs nothing. **Can it find every occurrence of a word?** Use plain Search PDF for that. AI search ranks the most relevant passages rather than listing every exact hit. **Is my document sent anywhere?** Text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. ### Create a document with AI URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-document-creator/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Describe a document in a sentence or two and get a draft you can edit, fill and send from the editor. The AI document creator writes a first draft from your description, such as a simple service agreement, a cover letter, a meeting agenda or a rental inquiry, and opens it in the editor as a normal document you can change. Good prompts name the parties, the purpose, key terms and the length: “A one-page dog-walking agreement between Sam Lee and the Ortiz family, three walks a week, $20 per walk, either side can end it with 7 days' notice.” The draft is a starting point. Read every line, fix what doesn't fit, and add fillable or signature fields before sending it. Each draft costs 5 AI credits. Your prompt is sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. Drafts are not legal advice and may not meet the rules where you live; for common agreements, the reviewed templates in the template library are a safer starting point. #### Steps 1. **Describe the document** — Say what it is, who it's between, the key terms and roughly how long it should be. 2. **Generate the draft** — Uses 5 AI credits. Without an account you have 5 AI credits to try it. 3. **Review and edit** — The draft opens in the editor. Change wording, remove clauses and add details. 4. **Add fields and send** — Add fillable fields or signature fields, then download, share or request signatures. Input: Text prompt. Output: Editable PDF document. #### Limitations - Drafts can contain mistakes, missing clauses or terms that aren't enforceable where you are; review everything before use. - It writes from your prompt only and doesn't know your jurisdiction's specific requirements unless you state them. - Long or highly technical documents need more editing than short, common ones. #### FAQ **Is the generated document legally valid?** That depends on its content and where it's used, not on how it was drafted. Review it, and have a lawyer check anything important. PDFBetter is not a law firm. **Can I edit the draft?** Yes. It opens in the editor like any PDF, where you can change text, add fields and sign. **How much does it cost?** 5 AI credits per draft. The Free plan includes 20 credits a month. **Should I use a template instead?** For common documents like an NDA, invoice or lease, a reviewed template is a more predictable start. Use AI when nothing in the library fits. **Can it create a fillable form?** It drafts the document. Add fillable fields afterwards with the form builder, or let AI detect field locations with Create fillable PDF. ### Edit a PDF with AI instructions URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-pdf-editor/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Type an instruction like “change the due date on page 2 to March 1”, review the proposed edits, and apply only what you approve. The AI PDF editor turns a plain-language instruction into a set of proposed edits. You see a summary of what will change and where, then apply or discard it. Nothing in the document changes until you approve. It helps with changes that are tedious by hand: updating a date or amount in several places, replacing a company name throughout, rewording a paragraph more formally, or adding a short clause under a heading. Applied edits are normal editor changes, so undo and version history work as usual. For a single word, Edit text or Find and replace is faster and free. Spelling and grammar checks have their own tool. AI edits can't redact content; use Redact PDF to remove sensitive text. Each instruction costs 2 AI credits. The document text and your instruction are sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. Proposals can be wrong, so read them before applying. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — It opens in the editor with the AI edit panel. 2. **Describe the change** — Be precise: say what to change, where, and to what. 3. **Review the proposal** — Read the summary and the affected pages. Uses 2 AI credits per instruction. 4. **Apply or discard** — Apply to make the changes, then undo anything you don't want. Download needs a free account. Input: PDF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - Proposed edits can miss occurrences or change the wrong text; review every proposal. - Edits on scanned pages are drawn over the image and need OCR first. - Replacement text uses the closest available font, which may not match embedded fonts exactly. - It does not redact, reflow whole documents, or redesign layouts. #### FAQ **Does AI change my document automatically?** No. It proposes edits and nothing is applied until you approve them. **Can I undo AI edits?** Yes. Applied edits are ordinary editor changes, so undo and version history work. **How much does an edit cost?** 2 AI credits per instruction, whether you apply the proposal or not. **Can it check spelling?** Use Check PDF spelling for that; it lists issues page by page for you to accept or skip. **Can AI remove confidential information?** No. Use Redact PDF, which permanently deletes content. Text edits only change what is shown. ### Prepare a document for signing with AI URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-signature-preparation/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload an agreement, let AI propose who signs where, adjust the fields, and send only when you're ready. AI signature preparation reads an agreement, suggests signer roles such as Landlord and Tenant or Company and Contractor, and places signature, initial and date fields on the lines where each role needs to sign. It saves the slowest part of sending a long agreement for signature: finding every signature block and initials line and dragging a field onto each. You review the proposal, move or delete fields, and assign real people with names and email addresses yourself. It never sends anything. Recipients are not inferred from names in the text and contacted; you choose the recipients and press send in Request signatures. Each run costs 3 AI credits, the same as field detection. The document text is sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. #### Steps 1. **Upload the agreement** — It opens in the editor's signing panel. 2. **Run preparation** — AI proposes roles and fields. Uses 3 AI credits. 3. **Review fields** — Move, resize, delete or add fields, and check every signature block has one. 4. **Assign and send** — Enter each signer's name and email, choose signing order, then send when you're ready. Input: PDF. Output: Proposed roles and signature fields. #### Limitations - Proposals can miss a signature line or place a field on the wrong one; review every page. - Roles are suggestions; AI doesn't verify who should sign or whether someone is authorized to sign. - Scanned agreements need OCR before AI can read them. #### FAQ **Will AI send the document to signers?** No. It only proposes fields and roles. You enter recipients and send yourself. **How much does it cost?** 3 AI credits per run. Sending signature requests is counted separately: 3 a month on Free, unlimited on Pro. **Can I edit the proposed fields?** Yes. Move, resize, delete or add fields before sending. **Does it work on scanned contracts?** After OCR. Without a text layer there are no signature lines for AI to read. **Does AI decide who must sign?** No. It suggests roles from the document's signature blocks. Who should sign is your decision. ### AI OCR for difficult scans URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-ocr-pdf/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Run OCR, let a vision model correct what it misread, and download a searchable PDF with better recognized text. AI OCR is OCR with a second pass. Standard recognition runs first; then a vision model looks at each page image alongside the recognized text and corrects words, numbers and table cells it misread. The result is the same kind of output as OCR PDF: an invisible text layer behind an unchanged page image. It earns its cost on documents where standard OCR struggles: handwritten notes and forms, faint or low-resolution scans, faxes, dense tables of figures, and pages that mix fonts and stamps. On a clean printed letter, OCR PDF does as well for less. AI OCR uses OCR pages for the first pass and AI credits for the correction pass; the credit cost for your pages is shown before you start. Page images and recognized text are sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. For crooked or noisy pages, Restore scanned PDF cleans the image first; to change text on the page afterwards, use Edit scanned PDF. #### Steps 1. **Upload the scan** — PDF, JPG, PNG or TIFF. 2. **Choose languages** — Select the languages on the pages, as for standard OCR. 3. **Run AI OCR** — Recognition runs, then the correction pass. The cost in OCR pages and AI credits is shown first. 4. **Check and download** — Search for a few words you can see, especially numbers, then download the searchable PDF. #### Settings - Languages: The languages printed or written on the pages. Input: PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF. Output: PDF (searchable). #### Limitations - Corrections are model output and can still be wrong, particularly on ambiguous handwriting and digits; check important values against the image. - Table structure improves in the text layer, but the output is a searchable PDF, not a spreadsheet; use PDF to Excel for that. - It costs both OCR pages and AI credits, so it is more expensive than standard OCR. #### FAQ **What's the difference between AI OCR and OCR PDF?** OCR PDF uses the Tesseract engine alone. AI OCR adds a vision-model pass that corrects misreads, which helps most with handwriting, tables and poor scans. It also costs AI credits. **Does AI OCR change how the page looks?** No. Like standard OCR, it only adds an invisible text layer; the scanned image is untouched. **Is AI OCR the same as Restore scanned PDF?** No. Restoration cleans up the image itself (straightening, noise, contrast). AI OCR improves the recognized text. They work well together: restore, then OCR. **What is sent to the AI provider?** Page images and the first-pass text, to OpenAI's API, under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. **Can I edit the text afterwards?** Select, copy and search it straight away. To change words on the page, open the result in Edit scanned PDF. ### Restore a scanned PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/restore-scanned-pdf/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Clean up crooked, grey or speckled scan pages and download a restored copy, keeping the original in case you prefer it. Restore scanned PDF improves the scan image itself: it straightens tilted pages, removes speckles and background noise, and raises contrast so faint text reads clearly. An optional AI upscale sharpens low-resolution pages. Use it on phone photos of documents, old photocopies, faxes and pages scanned at low resolution, before you print, send or archive them, or before OCR, which recognizes clean pages more reliably. The restored pages come back as a new PDF to download, and your original file is never changed. If you also sharpen with AI, the result opens as a document in the editor with the earlier version kept in its history. Restoration changes pixels only; it doesn't add searchable text. Run OCR PDF or AI OCR afterwards for that. Straightening, denoising and contrast run in PDFBetter's processing container and count as one office & advanced conversion. AI upscaling is optional and costs 2 AI credits per page; when you turn it on, page images are sent to fal, our image-processing provider. #### Steps 1. **Upload the scan** — PDF, JPG, PNG or TIFF. Pick the pages that need work. 2. **Choose cleanup** — Cleanup straightens, denoises and adjusts contrast. Turn on AI upscaling for low-resolution pages. 3. **Restore** — The cleanup runs on our servers and returns a restored PDF. Your original file isn't changed. 4. **Download or sharpen** — Download the restored PDF, or sharpen it with AI (2 AI credits per page) and open the result in the editor. #### Settings - Straighten: Detects and corrects page tilt. - Denoise: Removes speckles, dust and background texture. - Contrast: Darkens faint text and lightens grey backgrounds. - AI upscale: Sharpens low-resolution pages using an image model at fal. Input: PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF. Output: PDF. #### Limitations - AI upscaling can sharpen strokes in ways that change how a smudged digit or letter reads; check numbers against the original. - Missing or cut-off content can't be recovered, and heavy denoising can thin out light pencil or faint signatures. - Restoration doesn't add a text layer; run OCR afterwards to make the page searchable. #### FAQ **Is my original scan kept?** Yes. Restoring creates a new PDF and never changes your file. With AI sharpening, the earlier version also stays in the document's history. **Is this the same as OCR?** No. Restoration improves the image; OCR recognizes text. Restore first, then run OCR PDF or AI OCR. **What is sent to an AI provider?** Only when AI upscaling is on: page images go to fal for upscaling. Straightening, denoising and contrast run in PDFBetter's own processing container. **How much does it cost?** The cleanup counts as one office & advanced conversion against your plan's monthly allowance. AI sharpening adds 2 AI credits per page. **Can it remove a coffee stain or handwriting?** It can lighten stains and background marks, but it isn't a tool for removing content. Use Erase or Redact for that. ### Turn a PDF into a mind map URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-mind-map/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-18 Upload a PDF and get a mind map of its themes and key points, where every node opens a verified quote from the page it came from. PDF to mind map reads your document and draws its structure: the central topic in the middle, the main themes as branches, and the specific points below them, such as obligations, figures, dates and findings. Click any node to read the quote it was built from and preview the page it sits on, and fold the branches you don't need. Every node below the centre has to earn its place. The AI must give an exact quote from the page it cites, and PDFBetter checks that quote word for word against that page's text. Nodes whose quote can't be found are removed and counted, and their checked sub-points move up a level, so nothing on the map stands without a source. Export the map as a PNG or SVG image, a one-page PDF, a Markdown outline for notes apps, or OPML for outliners and mind-mapping apps, or add it as the last page of the PDF itself. Use it to see the shape of a long report before reading it, revise a textbook chapter, or brief a colleague. For a written overview, the AI PDF summarizer is quicker; for specific questions, use Chat with PDF. A map costs 3 AI credits, charged only when at least one node passes the check. The document's text is sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. A mind map simplifies by design; check anything important on the cited page. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — It is saved to your documents so the citations keep pointing at the same text. Scanned PDFs need OCR first. 2. **Choose detail and focus** — Compact (about 15 nodes), standard (about 30) or detailed (up to 60), and optionally a focus in your own words, such as “risks and deadlines”. 3. **Generate** — Uses 3 AI credits. Without an account you have 5 AI credits to try it. Long documents are read in parts first, so it can take a minute. 4. **Explore and check** — Fold or unfold branches, zoom, and click a node to read its verified quote and preview the cited page. 5. **Export or add it to the PDF** — Download PNG, SVG, a PDF page, Markdown or OPML, or add the map as the last page of the document. That saves a new version; the previous one stays in the document's history. #### Settings - Detail: Compact, standard or detailed: how many branches and levels the map has. - Focus: Optional topics to concentrate on, in your own words (up to 300 characters). - Export: PNG, SVG or a PDF page as currently folded; Markdown and OPML always include every node. Input: PDF. Output: Interactive mind map, PNG, SVG, PDF page, Markdown outline, OPML. #### Limitations - The map simplifies: labels are short summaries and the AI decides what counts as a main theme. Check anything important against the quoted page. - A verified quote proves the words are on that page, not that the label interprets them correctly. - Scanned pages without a text layer aren't read until OCR adds one, and text inside images, charts and diagrams isn't read at all; both are listed under what the map doesn't cover. - Up to 100 pages are read on Free and 600 on Pro. A map holds at most 90 nodes, 4 levels and 8 branches per node; anything cut is counted. - Exported images use your system's fonts, so line breaks can differ slightly from the screen. #### FAQ **How do I know a branch is right?** Click it. Every node below the centre shows the exact quote it was built from and the page number, and that quote was checked word for word against the page's text. Read the page for anything you will act on. **What happens to nodes that fail the check?** They are removed and the map says how many. Points underneath them that did pass move up to the nearest kept branch, so checked detail isn't lost. **Which export formats are there?** PNG and SVG images, a one-page PDF, a Markdown outline and OPML, which outliners and most mind-mapping apps can import. Images show the map as currently folded; Markdown and OPML always contain every node with its page and quote. **Can I add the mind map to the PDF?** Yes. “Add as last page” appends the map as a new page to the document in your account and saves it as a new version, so you can undo it from the version history. **How much does it cost?** 3 AI credits per map, whatever the detail level, and nothing when no node passes the check. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. **How is this different from a summary?** A summary is prose with key points. A mind map shows how the document's themes and points relate, and every node carries its own verified quote. Use whichever matches how you think. **Is my document used to train AI?** The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents. ### Ask questions about an image URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/chat-with-image/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-18 Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP image (HEIC in Safari) and ask questions in plain language; answers come from what the image itself shows. Chat with an image answers questions about a picture: a screenshot of an error message, a photo of a receipt or whiteboard, a chart from a report, a scanned letter. Ask “What is the total on this receipt?”, “Which month had the highest value in this chart?” or “Transcribe the handwritten note”, and the answer is based on what the image shows. PDFBetter turns the image into a one-page PDF in your browser and saves it to your documents, then sends the image itself to a vision-capable AI model with every question, so the model looks at the picture rather than at a text guess. Answers cite the image as page 1. Where the page has a text layer, quoted words are checked against it; text read from the picture itself can't be checked that way, so those answers cite the page without a quote. When something is too small, blurry or cut off to read, the answer says so instead of guessing. For a multi-page scan, run OCR PDF and use Chat with PDF, which quotes and verifies exact passages. Each question costs 1 AI credit. The image and your question are sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. Answers can be wrong and are not medical, legal or financial advice. #### Steps 1. **Upload the image** — JPG, PNG or WebP: a photo, screenshot, chart or scan. iPhone HEIC photos work in Safari; in other browsers, export them as JPG first. 2. **Let it prepare** — The image becomes a one-page PDF in your browser and is saved to your documents. The original picture isn't changed. 3. **Ask a question** — Type your own or pick an example. Each message uses 1 AI credit. Without an account you have 5 AI credits to try it. 4. **Check and follow up** — Compare the answer with the image next to the chat, and ask follow-ups in the same conversation. Input: JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC (Safari). Output: Answers that cite the image (page 1). #### Limitations - The model can misread small, blurry, rotated or handwritten text; check numbers against the image. - Answers read from the picture cite the image (page 1) but carry no verified quote, because an image has no text layer to check the words against. - One image per conversation. For several photos, combine them with JPG to PDF, run OCR PDF and use Chat with PDF. - HEIC photos open only in browsers that can decode them (Safari); elsewhere, export the photo as JPG first. - It describes what is visible. It can't tell whether an image is authentic or edited. - In private AI mode, images are only sent to a model when your deployment's private endpoint supports images. #### FAQ **Does the AI really look at the image?** Yes. With every question the picture itself, scaled to at most 2048 pixels on its longest side, is sent to a vision-capable model together with any text the page has. It isn't answering from a text extraction alone. **How are answers cited?** Answers point to the image as page 1. When the PDF page has a text layer, quotes are checked word for word against it; what the model read from the picture itself is cited at page level, without a quote, because there is no text to check it against. **What kinds of images work?** Photos, screenshots, charts, diagrams, receipts, handwritten notes and scanned pages in JPG, PNG or WebP, and HEIC photos in Safari. Sharp, upright images with legible text give the best answers. **How much does it cost?** 1 AI credit per question. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. **Is the image stored?** It is saved to your documents as a one-page PDF so you can come back to it, and you can delete it any time. Guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after they are created unless you create a free account. **Is my image used to train AI?** The image is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your files. ### Extract data from PDFs and invoices to JSON URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-json/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Available · Updated: 2026-10-15 Choose the fields you need, run it on one PDF or a whole batch, and check each value against the quote and page it came from before exporting. To extract data from a PDF such as an invoice into JSON, upload it, pick the fields you want (or the Invoice preset) and run the extraction: the AI reads the text and returns each field with the page number and an exact quote it came from, and PDFBetter checks every quote against the page. Fields that aren't in the document stay empty instead of being guessed. It costs 1 AI credit per page read. You define the fields — text, number, amount, date, yes/no, one of a list, or a table of line items — or start from the Invoice, Receipt, Bank statement summary or Contract key terms preset. If a quote isn't on the cited page, or doesn't contain the value, the value is marked unverified so you know to look. Numbers and dates are normalized (1.234,56 and 1,234.56 both become 1234.56; “5 Mart 2026” and 05.03.2026 become 2026-03-05) and checked against the field's type, options and pattern. The output is JSON for developers and integrations, or CSV and Excel (XLSX) for spreadsheets and accounting imports. Use it for one document here, or for a whole folder of invoices in the Extractions dashboard: run a batch, review the results in a table, correct cells, approve or reject each document, and export JSON, CSV or Excel. Corrections are used in the export. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. To run the same steps on every new invoice automatically — OCR, extraction, a person's approval, then a CSV — save them as a workflow; AI agents such as Claude or Cursor can also run extractions through PDFBetter's MCP server. The page text is sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. For tables you just want copied as they appear, PDF to Excel or PDF to CSV may be simpler and don't use AI. #### Steps 1. **Upload a PDF** — Digital PDFs work directly. Scanned PDFs need OCR first so there is text to read. 2. **Pick the fields** — Start from a preset such as Invoice, or add your own fields with a type, a short description and, for lists, the allowed options. 3. **Extract** — Sign in with a free account to run it. It uses 1 AI credit per page read. 4. **Check the evidence** — Each value shows its status, page and quote. Look closely at anything marked unverified, missing or invalid. 5. **Download or scale up** — Download the JSON, or open the Extractions dashboard to run the same fields over many PDFs and export CSV or Excel. #### Settings - Presets: Invoice, Receipt, Bank statement summary and Contract key terms, as starting points you can edit. - Field types: Text, number, amount (with currency code), date (YYYY-MM-DD), yes/no, one of a list, and tables with typed columns. - Required and pattern: Mark fields you expect in every document and give a regular expression a value must match, such as INV-\d{4}. - Exports: JSON with pages and quotes per value; CSV or Excel with one row per document and line items on a separate sheet. Input: PDF. Output: JSON, CSV, XLSX. #### Limitations - The AI can still pick the wrong value when a document has several similar ones (for example subtotal and total); the quote shows which text it used, and descriptions on your fields help. - Scanned PDFs without a text layer can't be read until OCR adds one, and text inside images, stamps or handwriting is not read. - Only the first 10 pages are read per document on Free and 50 on Pro; pages beyond that are listed as not read. - Dates written like 03/05/2026 are ambiguous. If the document doesn't show which order it uses, the date is read day-first and marked unverified for you to check. - It extracts what is printed; it doesn't check whether an invoice is correct, add up totals or validate tax numbers. #### FAQ **How do I know a value is right?** Each value shows the page and a quote copied from it, and PDFBetter checks that quote against the page text. “Found” means the quote is on that page and contains the value; anything else is flagged for you to check. **What happens when a field isn't in the document?** It is marked missing and left empty. The AI is instructed never to guess, and values without supporting text are flagged rather than filled in. **Can I process many invoices at once?** Yes, in the Extractions dashboard. A batch can include up to 30 documents on Free and 100 on Pro. Documents run in the background, a failure on one doesn't stop the others, and you review the results in one table. **How many credits does it use?** 1 AI credit per page whose text is read. Pages with no text layer and pages beyond your plan's limit aren't charged. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month. **Can I correct values before exporting?** Yes. Click a cell to see its evidence, type the correct value, and approve or reject each document. Exports use your corrections and leave out rejected documents. **How is this different from PDF to Excel?** PDF to Excel copies tables as they appear on the page, without AI. PDF to JSON reads the whole document and fills the specific fields you asked for — invoice number, due date, total — in a fixed shape every time, with a page quote for each value. **Can an AI agent run this for me?** Yes. Agents connected through PDFBetter's MCP server, such as Claude or Cursor, can list schemas, extract a document, run batches, review and export, with the same credits and evidence. **Is my document used to train AI?** The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents. ### Turn one or more PDFs into a cited brief URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-brief/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload one to five PDFs and get a short report with headed sections, where every claim links to the page it came from. PDF to brief reads up to five PDFs together and writes one short report about them: a title and three to seven sections with headings, where each factual claim carries a numbered citation. Each citation names the document, the version it was read from and the page, with a quote that PDFBetter checked word for word against that page. A brief costs 4 AI credits, however many documents it reads. Citations whose quote can't be found on the cited page are removed, and the brief says how many and which passages are left without a verified source. You get the brief on screen and as a PDF with a Sources section at the end, saved in your account. Use it to prepare for a meeting on several reports, put two proposals or agreements side by side, or hand a colleague a one-page overview they can check. It differs from its neighbors: the AI PDF summarizer condenses a single PDF inside the editor, Chat with PDF answers one question at a time, and PDF to presentation turns the same material into a slide outline with speaker notes. The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. A brief is a reading aid and can be wrong; the citations are there so you can check. #### Steps 1. **Sign in and upload** — Drop one to five PDFs. A free account is needed because the brief and its sources are saved for you. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. 2. **Keep “Brief” selected** — Optionally type a focus in your own words, such as “payment terms and deadlines” or “methods and limitations”. 3. **Generate** — Uses 4 AI credits. Short sets are read in one pass; long ones are read in parts first, so it can take a minute. 4. **Check the citations** — Open any numbered citation to see the document, version, page and quote it relies on. 5. **Download or keep working** — Download the PDF with its Sources section, or open the full workspace to add documents, ask questions across them or make a slide outline. #### Settings - Focus: Optional topics to concentrate on, in your own words (up to 500 characters). - Several documents: Up to 5 PDFs on this page; add more in a document workspace and pick which to include. - Save as document: In the full workspace, also add the brief's PDF to your documents so you can edit, share or sign it. Input: PDF. Output: On-screen brief with numbered citations, PDF with a Sources section. #### Limitations - The brief can misstate or leave out details. Check anything important against the cited pages. - Scanned PDFs without a text layer can't be read until OCR adds one; those pages are listed as not read. - Text inside images, charts and diagrams isn't read, so findings shown only in a chart are missed. - Each document is read up to 100 pages on Free and 600 on Pro; pages beyond that, and scanned pages without a text layer, are listed as not read. - It writes about what the documents say. It doesn't check facts against outside sources or give legal, financial or medical advice. #### FAQ **How is a brief different from the AI PDF summarizer?** The summarizer condenses one PDF inside the editor, with page numbers. A brief can combine up to five PDFs into one report, cites the document and version as well as the page, and comes with a downloadable PDF that lists every source. **How are the citations checked?** Each citation's quote must appear word for word on the cited page of the exact document version that was read. Citations that fail the check are removed and the brief notes how many. **What does the version in a citation mean?** Documents in PDFBetter keep versions as you edit them. A citation says which version it was read from, so later edits don't silently change what a brief cites. **Can I combine several PDFs into one brief?** Yes. Upload up to 5 on this page, or put more into a document workspace and select the ones to include. **How much does it cost?** 4 AI credits per brief, however many documents it reads. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. **Can I get slides instead of a written brief?** Yes. PDF to presentation uses the same reading and citation checks but writes 6–12 slides with bullets and speaker notes. **Do I need an account?** Yes. Briefs, their sources and the PDF are saved to your account so the citations keep working. A free account is enough. **Is my document used to train AI?** The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents. ### Turn a PDF into a presentation outline URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-presentation/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload one to five PDFs and get a slide-by-slide outline with sourced bullets and speaker notes, ready to paste into your slide software. PDF to presentation reads one to five PDFs and writes a slide outline: a deck title and 6–12 slides, the first giving an overview. Each slide has a title, two to five short bullets and two to four sentences of speaker notes. Every bullet lists the sources behind it — document, version, page and a quote checked against that page — and bullets with no verified source are flagged. It costs 4 AI credits. Be clear about what you get: an outline on screen and a PDF with one section per slide, the speaker notes and a Sources page. It is not a designed PowerPoint or Keynote file. Copy the slide titles, bullets and notes into your own template, which keeps your branding and lets you add charts and images. If you want every PDF page turned into a PowerPoint slide as it looks, use PDF to PowerPoint instead; that conversion keeps the layout and doesn't summarize. If you want prose rather than slides, PDF to brief writes a cited report from the same documents. The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. #### Steps 1. **Sign in and upload** — Drop one to five PDFs, such as a report, its appendix and last quarter's numbers. A free account keeps the outline and its sources. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. 2. **Keep “Slide outline” selected** — Add a focus if the talk has an angle, for example “risks and next steps for the board” or “findings for a non-technical audience”. 3. **Generate** — Uses 4 AI credits. Long documents are read in parts first, so it can take a minute. 4. **Check flagged bullets** — Bullets marked as having no verified source need checking or removing before you present them. 5. **Build the deck** — Download the PDF, or copy titles, bullets and speaker notes into PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides. #### Settings - Focus: Audience or angle in your own words; the outline concentrates on those topics. - Speaker notes: Two to four plain sentences per slide, written from the same sources. - Several documents: Up to 5 PDFs here; more in a document workspace. Input: PDF. Output: On-screen slide outline with sources per bullet, PDF with one section per slide and a Sources page. #### Limitations - The output is a text outline and a PDF. There is no .pptx export, no slide design, no images and no charts. - Charts, tables shown as images and diagrams in the PDF aren't read, so numbers that appear only in a chart won't make it into the outline. - Bullets are short by design (about 20 words); detail and nuance are left out. Check anything you'll state in front of an audience. - Scanned PDFs need OCR first so there is text to read. - Each document is read up to 100 pages on Free and 600 on Pro; pages beyond that, and scanned pages without a text layer, are listed as not read. #### FAQ **Does it make a PowerPoint file?** No. It writes the content of a presentation — slide titles, bullets and speaker notes — and gives you a PDF of that outline. Paste it into your own template in PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides. **How is this different from PDF to PowerPoint?** PDF to PowerPoint converts every page into a slide that looks like the page, without summarizing. PDF to presentation reads the document and writes a new, shorter talk about it, with sources for every bullet. **How many slides do I get?** Between 6 and 12, depending on how much the documents cover. The first slide is an overview. **Can I check where each bullet came from?** Yes. Each bullet lists its citations: the document, version and page, with a quote checked word for word against that page. **Can I make one presentation from several PDFs?** Yes. Upload up to 5 here, or collect more in a document workspace and choose which ones to include. **How much does it cost?** 4 AI credits per outline. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. **Is my document used to train AI?** The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents. ### Turn a PDF into a short audio brief URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-audio/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload one to five PDFs and get a short MP3 summary to listen to, with a transcript where every part links to its source page. PDF to audio turns documents into a short spoken summary. It first writes a cited brief from your PDFs, then turns it into a script of at most about 500 words (two to four minutes) and reads it aloud with one synthetic voice from OpenAI's text-to-speech API. You get an MP3 and a transcript in which each part lists the document, version and page it came from. An audio brief costs 6 AI credits. It is a podcast-style summary, not an audiobook: it does not read the whole document aloud word for word, and there is one narrator, not a conversation between hosts. The script is told to say nothing that isn't in the cited brief. Use it to go over a long report on a commute, catch up on a policy before a meeting, or give someone who prefers listening an overview they can still check. For a written report use PDF to brief; to test what you remember, use PDF to quiz. The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. If speech can't be produced, you keep the transcript and the brief and are charged only for the brief (4 AI credits). #### Steps 1. **Sign in and upload** — Drop one to five PDFs. A free account keeps the audio, transcript and sources together. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. 2. **Keep “Audio brief” selected** — Optionally add a focus, such as “safety procedures” or “chapter 3”. 3. **Generate** — Uses 6 AI credits. Writing and recording takes up to a minute. 4. **Listen and check** — Play it in the page with the transcript beside it; each part links to the page it came from. 5. **Download the MP3** — Save it for offline listening. The transcript and brief stay in your workspace. #### Settings - Focus: Optional topics to concentrate on. - Several documents: Up to 5 PDFs here; more in a document workspace. Input: PDF. Output: MP3 audio (about 2–4 minutes), Transcript with citations per segment. #### Limitations - It's a short summary, not a full read-aloud. Most of a long document is left out by design. - The voice is synthetic, not a human narrator; names, numbers and abbreviations can be pronounced oddly. - There is one voice. It doesn't produce a two-host conversation. - Scanned PDFs need OCR first; text in images and charts isn't read. - The audio can't be edited. To change the content, generate again with a different focus. #### FAQ **Does it read the whole PDF aloud?** No. It speaks a two-to-four-minute summary of what the documents say. It is meant for getting the gist, not for listening to every page. **Is it like a podcast?** It's a short spoken briefing in a podcast-like format, read by one synthetic voice. There are no hosts or conversation. **Is the narration a real person?** No. It's synthetic speech from OpenAI's text-to-speech API. The transcript shows exactly what is said. **How do I know the audio is accurate?** Each part of the transcript lists the citations behind it — document, version, page and a verified quote. Check anything you'll act on. **How much does it cost?** 6 AI credits per audio brief. If no audio is produced you're charged only for the written brief (4 AI credits). The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. **Can I download the audio?** Yes, as an MP3. The transcript stays with it in your workspace. **Is my document used to train AI?** The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents. ### Make a quiz from a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/pdf-to-quiz/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload one to five PDFs, answer multiple-choice questions on screen, and see the quote and page behind each correct answer. PDF to quiz writes multiple-choice questions about what your documents say — numbers, dates, obligations, definitions and findings — with three to five options each and exactly one correct answer. Every question carries a quote, copied from the cited page of the exact document version, that shows the correct answer; PDFBetter checks the quote word for word and drops any question it can't verify. A quiz costs 2 AI credits. You answer on screen: pick an option, check it, and see whether you were right, a one-sentence explanation and a link to the source page. This page makes five questions; in a document workspace you can choose 3, 5, 8 or 10. Quizzes are saved, so you can come back to them. Use it to check you've understood a policy, a training manual, course reading or a contract before a meeting or exam. A quiz tests recall of the documents, not whether the documents are right. For a spoken summary use PDF to audio; for a written one, PDF to brief. The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. #### Steps 1. **Sign in and upload** — Drop one to five PDFs, such as the chapters or policies you need to know. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. 2. **Keep “Quiz” selected** — Optionally add a focus, such as “chapter 3” or “expense rules”, to keep questions on one topic. 3. **Generate** — Uses 2 AI credits. Questions are spread across the documents and their sections. 4. **Answer and check** — Pick an answer, press Check answer, then read the explanation and open the cited page if you got it wrong. 5. **Make more** — Open the full workspace to choose 3, 5, 8 or 10 questions, or generate a new quiz with a different focus. #### Settings - Questions: Five on this page; 3, 5, 8 or 10 in a document workspace. - Focus: Optional topics or chapters to ask about; can also ask for questions in another language. Input: PDF. Output: Interactive multiple-choice quiz with a source quote per answer. #### Limitations - Questions are multiple choice only. It doesn't make flashcards, open-ended questions or true/false sets, and it doesn't grade written answers. - There's no export to a learning platform or a printable answer sheet; the quiz is used on screen in PDFBetter. - A quiz checks recall of what the documents say, not whether the documents are correct. - Questions that can't be tied to a verified quote are removed, so you can get fewer than you asked for. - Scanned PDFs need OCR first; text in images, charts and diagrams isn't read. #### FAQ **What kind of questions does it write?** Multiple-choice questions about facts stated in the documents, with three to five options and one correct answer. No trick questions, opinions or “all of the above”. **Can it make flashcards?** No. It makes multiple-choice questions only. Each question, its correct answer and explanation can serve as a study card, but there is no flashcard mode or export. **How many questions can I get?** Five from this page. In a document workspace you can choose 3, 5, 8 or 10. Questions that fail the quote check are dropped, so you may get fewer. **How do I know the correct answer is really correct?** Each answer comes with a quote from the cited page, checked word for word against that page of the exact document version. Open the source to read it in context. **Can I make a quiz in another language?** Questions are written in the language of the documents unless your focus asks for another one, for example “questions in Spanish”. **How much does it cost?** 2 AI credits per quiz, whatever the number of questions. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500. **Is my document used to train AI?** The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents. ### Compare two PDF versions and explain the changes URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-compare-pdf/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Add the old and new version: get the exact before/after text with page numbers, plus an AI explanation you can check against it. To compare two versions of a contract, policy or price sheet and understand what changed, add the original and the revised PDF: PDFBetter lists every changed passage with its before and after text and page numbers, then an AI explains what each change means, citing those quotes. The change list itself is computed without AI; the explanation costs 3 AI credits. PDFBetter first computes the facts without AI: it extracts the text of both, lines up paragraphs, and lists each changed, added, removed or moved passage with the verbatim before and after text and its page number in each version. Changed amounts, percentages, dates and durations are pulled out separately. Then, if you ask for it, the AI groups those facts into changes you can reason about — a longer confidentiality term, a new termination right, a different governing law — explains each in plain language and gives a low/medium/high materiality hint. The interpretation is clearly labelled and sits beside the facts, so you can check every explanation against the quoted text. Compare PDF, its neighbor, highlights word-level differences in your browser and is the quicker check when you only need to see edits. This is a review aid, not a lawyer. The AI can misread intent or miss the significance of a change, and the comparison only sees text: images, signatures and layout changes are not part of it. The word-level and visual diff from Compare PDF is shown alongside for that. #### Steps 1. **Add both versions** — Drop the original on the left and the revised version on the right, or pick two documents from your account. 2. **Review the word diff** — Added and removed words are highlighted page by page in your browser, free. 3. **Explain the changes** — With a free account, the factual change list is computed on our servers and the AI groups and explains it. 4. **Check each card** — Every explanation lists the before/after quotes and page numbers it is based on. #### Settings - Facts only: The verified change list with page numbers works without AI credits, and when AI is unavailable. - Materiality hint: Low, medium or high, as a pointer to what to read first — not a judgement of legal risk. Input: Original PDF, Revised PDF. Output: On-screen change list, AI explanation cards. #### Limitations - Only text is compared. Changes to images, signatures, stamps, colors and layout are not explained (the visual overlay can show them). - Scanned PDFs need OCR first; OCR errors show up as false changes. - The AI interpretation can be wrong or miss why a change matters. It is not legal advice; verify against the quoted text and ask a professional when stakes are high. - Very long documents are compared up to your plan's AI page cap (100 pages per document on Free and 600 on Pro); the AI explains up to a size limit and says when it stopped. #### FAQ **How is this different from Compare PDF?** Compare PDF highlights word differences in your browser. This adds a paragraph-level change list with page numbers in both versions, changed figures, and an AI explanation of what the changes mean. **Can I trust the AI explanation?** Treat it as a starting point. Each card shows the verbatim quotes and pages it relies on, so you can check it. It is not legal advice. **What does it cost?** The word diff and the factual change list are free with an account. The AI explanation costs 3 AI credits per comparison, shown before you run it; if AI is unavailable or you're out of credits, you still get the change list and nothing is charged. **Are my files uploaded?** The word diff runs in your browser. For the change list and explanation both files are uploaded to your account, and the changed passages are sent to our AI provider under no-training terms. **Can I compare two versions of the same document?** Yes. Pick one document and two of its saved versions, or use the API or agent connection with two revision ids. **Does it catch a moved paragraph?** Yes. A paragraph that reappears unchanged elsewhere is reported as moved rather than deleted and re-added. **Does it work on Word files or scans?** It compares PDFs with a text layer. Convert Word files to PDF first, and run OCR on scanned versions; OCR misreads can show up as false changes. ### Find and redact sensitive information in a PDF URL: https://pdfbetter.com/tools/ai-redact-pdf/ · Category: AI tools · Status: Beta · Updated: 2026-10-15 Upload a PDF, review suggested sensitive text by category, apply real redaction to what you select, and see a check that it is gone from the text. To find and redact personal data in a PDF, upload it and PDFBetter lists suggested names, emails, phone numbers, ID numbers, card numbers and IBANs by category; you tick what to remove, apply true redaction, and a final check confirms the text is gone. Nothing is removed until you review it. Pattern detectors find email addresses, phone numbers, web addresses, US Social Security numbers, and numbers whose check digits prove the format — IBANs (mod-97), card numbers (Luhn) and Turkish TC Kimlik numbers — plus dates next to a date-of-birth label. An optional AI pass looks for names, postal addresses, organizations and other details patterns can't catch. Suggestions are grouped by category with checkboxes. Checksum-validated matches start ticked; AI suggestions that are not high-confidence start unticked, so nothing uncertain is removed by default. When you apply, the selected areas become redaction marks and the pages are rebuilt without the underlying text, then the result is re-read to confirm none of the selected strings remain in the text layer. Suggestions are a review aid. They can miss things — handwriting, text inside images, unusual formats — so read the document before you share it. Only applied redaction removes content; a suggestion, a highlight or a black box drawn on top does not. #### Steps 1. **Upload the PDF** — Or pick a document from your account. A free account is required. 2. **Choose what to look for** — Pattern categories are free; AI categories use 1 AI credit per page read, up to 100 pages per document on Free and 600 on Pro. 3. **Review the suggestions** — Tick or untick each item; boxes are shown on the page so you can see what will be covered. 4. **Apply and verify** — Selected items are redacted for real, then the output's text is re-read and any string still present is listed. #### Settings - Pattern-only mode: Emails, phones, IBANs, cards, SSNs, TC Kimlik numbers, dates of birth and URLs — free, no AI. - AI categories: Names, addresses, organizations, other ID numbers, financial and health details. Input: PDF with a text layer. Output: Redacted PDF (new version of the document), Verification result. #### Limitations - Suggestions can miss sensitive text — especially in scans, images, handwriting, tables split across lines and unusual formats. Always review the whole document. - Scanned pages need OCR before anything can be found; suggestions only cover pages with a text layer. - Pages with applied redactions are rebuilt as images, so their remaining text is no longer selectable or searchable. - The verification checks the text layer only; it cannot read text that is part of an image. #### FAQ **Does the AI redact automatically?** No. It only suggests. You review every item and choose what to apply; uncertain AI suggestions are never pre-selected. **Is this real redaction or a black box?** Real redaction: the marked pages are rebuilt without the underlying text, and the result is re-checked. A suggestion alone changes nothing. **What does it cost?** Pattern detection and verification are free with an account. AI categories use 1 AI credit per page read; applying redaction uses one server conversion. **Which ID numbers are checked with checksums?** IBANs, payment card numbers and Turkish TC Kimlik numbers. US SSNs and phone numbers have no checksum, so they are matched by format only. **Can an agent apply redactions?** No. Agents connected over MCP can request suggestions, but applying redaction stays a human action in the app. **How is this different from Redact PDF?** Redact PDF is the manual tool: you draw boxes over what to remove. AI redaction review finds candidates for you first, then uses the same true redaction. Use the manual tool for images, signatures and anything the suggestions missed. **Is my file sent to an AI provider?** Only if you choose AI categories: the page text is sent to our AI provider under no-training terms. Pattern-only mode runs entirely on our servers.