How is this different from other online PDF tools?

Most online PDF tools send your files to a remote server for processing. This tool processes everything locally in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your files are never transmitted to any server, which means your document content stays entirely under your control.

Are my PDF files uploaded?

No. Your files are read directly by your browser. Your files are never transmitted over the network. The tool works entirely within the browser tab you have open.

Can I verify that files are not uploaded?

Yes. Open your browser's developer tools (F12), go to the Network tab, and watch for any outgoing requests while using the tool. You will see no file data leave your browser. The site may record an anonymous page-view count, which never includes your files and can be disabled.

Does this tool work offline?

Yes, once the page has loaded the tool processes your files entirely in your browser; tool functionality needs no network connection. You can disconnect from the internet and continue using it.

What happens when I refresh the page?

Because nothing is stored on a server, refreshing the page clears your current session. Any files you had selected will need to be selected again.

Does this tool store my files?

No. Files are held in browser memory only for as long as the page is open. Closing or refreshing the page discards them. Nothing is written to disk by the tool, and nothing is sent to a server.

Can this tool unlock password-protected PDFs?

No. This tool does not attempt to remove or bypass PDF password protection. If you know the password, the Unlock PDF tool on this site can remove it locally; then this tool can process the file.

What technologies does this tool use?

This tool uses client-side JavaScript and pdf-lib to parse the readable parts of the file and rewrite a clean PDF — your files never leave your browser.

Does this tool use WebAssembly?

No. This tool uses client-side JavaScript and pdf-lib for local PDF structure editing. No WebAssembly is involved.

How do I repair a damaged PDF with this tool?

Pick the damaged PDF with the file picker, then click the repair button. The readable structure is parsed and rewritten into a clean file in your browser, and once it finishes you can save the result, which downloads as repaired.pdf with its recovered page count shown.

Why does the tool say my file is too damaged to repair?

Repair works by parsing whatever PDF structure is still readable and skipping broken objects, so if the file's header or page tree is destroyed there is nothing parseable left to rebuild and you get an error. It also stops if no pages at all can be recovered, since an empty result is not a usable PDF.

Will repairing get back missing images, fonts, or pages?

No. The tool re-serialises the content that survived the damage, rebuilding the cross-reference table and dropping trailing garbage, but it cannot reconstruct objects that were lost. If an image, font, or page was destroyed in the original, it will still be absent from the repaired copy.

Does the Repair PDF tool cost anything to use?

Repair PDF is completely free — no account, no sign-up, and no limit on how many damaged files you run through it, and it always will be. Your file is read directly into browser memory where pdf-lib parses the readable structure and rewrites a clean copy; nothing is ever sent to a server, which matters because damaged PDFs often contain exactly the data you least want to share.

Repair a Damaged PDF Privately — In Your Browser

Select the damaged PDF; whatever structure is still readable is parsed and rewritten as a clean file with a rebuilt cross-reference table, offered as a download.

Quick answer

What it does: Select the damaged PDF; whatever structure is still readable is parsed and rewritten as a clean file with a rebuilt cross-reference table, offered as a download.
Free?: Yes — 100% free, no account or sign-up.
Files uploaded?: No — everything is processed in your browser.
Works offline?: Yes — once the page has loaded.
Best for: A PDF from a government portal that errors in every viewer — Repair reconstructs the cross-reference table so it opens normally.
Good to know: Files whose header or page tree is destroyed cannot be recovered — repair only works when readable structure remains.

How it works

Select the damaged PDF file from your device using the file picker.
The file is read into browser memory — no data leaves your browser.
pdf-lib parses whatever structure is still readable, skipping broken objects.
A clean PDF is re-serialised: rebuilt cross-reference table, normalised objects, trailing garbage removed.
The repaired PDF is offered as a download with its recovered page count shown.

When to use this tool

A PDF from a government portal that errors in every viewer — Repair reconstructs the cross-reference table so it opens normally.
A contract truncated mid-transfer by email; Repair recovers the pages that were saved before the file cut off.
A scanned archive PDF flagged as invalid structure by a merge tool; Repair cleans it so other tools can process it.
Recovery is best-effort — if the header or page tree is destroyed, pages cannot be reconstructed; always keep your original file.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from other online PDF tools?: Most online PDF tools send your files to a remote server for processing. This tool processes everything locally in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your files are never transmitted to any server, which means your document content stays entirely under your control.
Are my PDF files uploaded?: No. Your files are read directly by your browser. Your files are never transmitted over the network. The tool works entirely within the browser tab you have open.
Can I verify that files are not uploaded?: Yes. Open your browser's developer tools (F12), go to the Network tab, and watch for any outgoing requests while using the tool. You will see no file data leave your browser. The site may record an anonymous page-view count, which never includes your files and can be disabled.
Does this tool work offline?: Yes, once the page has loaded the tool processes your files entirely in your browser; tool functionality needs no network connection. You can disconnect from the internet and continue using it.
What happens when I refresh the page?: Because nothing is stored on a server, refreshing the page clears your current session. Any files you had selected will need to be selected again.
Does this tool store my files?: No. Files are held in browser memory only for as long as the page is open. Closing or refreshing the page discards them. Nothing is written to disk by the tool, and nothing is sent to a server.
Can this tool unlock password-protected PDFs?: No. This tool does not attempt to remove or bypass PDF password protection. If you know the password, the Unlock PDF tool on this site can remove it locally; then this tool can process the file.
What technologies does this tool use?: This tool uses client-side JavaScript and pdf-lib to parse the readable parts of the file and rewrite a clean PDF — your files never leave your browser.
Does this tool use WebAssembly?: No. This tool uses client-side JavaScript and pdf-lib for local PDF structure editing. No WebAssembly is involved.
How do I repair a damaged PDF with this tool?: Pick the damaged PDF with the file picker, then click the repair button. The readable structure is parsed and rewritten into a clean file in your browser, and once it finishes you can save the result, which downloads as repaired.pdf with its recovered page count shown.
Why does the tool say my file is too damaged to repair?: Repair works by parsing whatever PDF structure is still readable and skipping broken objects, so if the file's header or page tree is destroyed there is nothing parseable left to rebuild and you get an error. It also stops if no pages at all can be recovered, since an empty result is not a usable PDF.
Will repairing get back missing images, fonts, or pages?: No. The tool re-serialises the content that survived the damage, rebuilding the cross-reference table and dropping trailing garbage, but it cannot reconstruct objects that were lost. If an image, font, or page was destroyed in the original, it will still be absent from the repaired copy.
Does the Repair PDF tool cost anything to use?: Repair PDF is completely free — no account, no sign-up, and no limit on how many damaged files you run through it, and it always will be. Your file is read directly into browser memory where pdf-lib parses the readable structure and rewrites a clean copy; nothing is ever sent to a server, which matters because damaged PDFs often contain exactly the data you least want to share.