How to use
- contract.pdfspec.pdf
Add PDFs (up to 30)
- contract.pdfAES 256spec.pdfCopy not allowed
Read the encryption and permissions
- list.csvlist.md
Save as CSV or Markdown
Drop a PDF or click “Choose files”. You can check several files at once (up to 30).
The encryption method (RC4, AES 128- or 256-bit) and whether a password is needed to open each file are shown.
Printing, high-quality printing, changes, copying, annotations, form filling, accessibility extraction and page assembly are each listed as allowed or blocked, with the reason.
For an audit, save the results as CSV or Markdown. Each file becomes one row.
What it does
Reads permission bits per revision
Each bit of /P is judged only within what the revision (R) defines: R2 covers print, change, copy and annotate; R3 and later also cover form fill, accessibility, assembly and high-quality print.
States why printing or copying is blocked
Shows combinations such as “low-resolution printing only” or “copy blocked but accessibility extraction allowed” in plain language.
Shows the encryption method
From /Filter /Standard with V, R and Length, identifies RC4 40/128-bit, AES 128-bit or AES 256-bit. Certificate encryption is shown as encrypted only; its method is not read.
Lists items to be aware of
Looks through the file for JavaScript, embedded files, Launch actions, external links (URI) and OpenAction.
Batch check and export
Checks several PDFs together and saves the results as a CSV (UTF-8 with BOM) or a Markdown table.
Use cases
- Find out why a PDF from a supplier cannot be printed before asking them
- Check, before publishing, whether copying or editing is blocked in a PDF you distribute
- Keep a CSV record of the encryption method and permissions of many internal PDFs
- See whether a file opens without a password before sharing it
Supported formats
Input
Output
Capability matrix
| Feature | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shows whether a file is encrypted and its method (RC4 40/128-bit, AES 128/256-bit) | Supported | — |
| Lists each permission bit in /P and explains the reasons for restrictions | Supported | Judged only by the bits defined for the revision (R) |
| Checks whether the file opens with an empty password | Supported | Only the empty password is tried |
| Presence of JavaScript, embedded files, external links and similar | Partial | In encrypted PDFs, the encrypted parts cannot be read |
| Number of digital signatures | Partial | Counts only; validity is not checked |
| Entering, removing or guessing a password | Not supported | If you know the password, use “PDF Unlock (Known Password)” |
| Removing or changing permissions (print, copy, edit limits) | Not supported | Not provided. The author sets these; use them within copyright and terms of use |
| Verifying digital signatures | Not supported | Only the presence and count are shown |
| Reading the method and permissions of certificate (public-key) encrypted PDFs | Not supported | Shown as encrypted only (method “Unsupported”) |
Limits & notes
- Up to 100 MB per file and 30 files at once. Large files take longer to read.
- In encrypted PDFs the contents of encrypted objects cannot be read, so “not found” for JavaScript and the like does not prove absence.
- Permissions are settings written in the PDF that viewers are expected to follow. They do not stop a determined user.
- Files are read following the PDF specification. Damaged files or files written outside the specification may not be readable.
- It works on phones too. For checking many PDFs at once, a PC is recommended (up to 30 at a time).
Privacy & safety
Reading the PDF, judging its permissions and exporting results all happen inside your browser. Neither the PDF nor its file name is sent or stored on a server, and they are not included in usage measurement.
FAQ
Why can’t I print the PDF?
Can this remove the restrictions?
Why can I read aloud a PDF where copying is blocked?
Can this tell whether a digital signature is valid?
Is my file sent anywhere?
What about a PDF that is not encrypted?
Related tools
PDF Unlock (Known Password)
Remove the open password and the editing, printing and copying limits from a PDF whose password you know. Use it on your own files or files you are authorised to open. It cannot guess or crack passwords, and your PDF is never uploaded.
PDF Password
Add a password to open your PDF and encrypt it with AES 256-bit. If you forget the password nobody can open the file, so note it down before saving. Neither the PDF nor the password ever leaves your browser.
PDF Metadata Cleaner
Before you share a PDF, see and remove the hidden personal data in it: author name, comment authors, attachments and more. Compare items before and after, and process many files at once. Nothing is uploaded.
Share Safe
Before you hand a file over, see what is hiding in it — listed per file with severity — and get a safe copy with everything removable removed. The copy is re-checked afterwards, and whatever is left comes with manual steps. Files are never uploaded.
Images to PDF
Drop images, put them in order and get one PDF. Choose page size, orientation and margins; phone photos are rotated correctly. Images are converted on your device and never uploaded.
Compress PDF
Drop a PDF to cut its size. Only photos and scans are recompressed, so text and graphics stay crisp. Your PDF is processed on your device and never uploaded.
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