What's hidden in your PDF — and how to check before you send it
PDFs often contain hidden metadata like author names, creation software, and local file paths. Learn how to check PDF metadata safely before sharing.
3 min read
PDF Health Report
PDF Health Report
Inspect hidden metadata, forms, annotations, protection markers, and compression signals before sharing.
No uploadMetadata checkPrivacy recommendations
Privacy
Your documents do not leave your device.
PDFTasker runs in your browser. No uploads. No server detour. No tricks.
Inspection guide
- 1. Load the PDF you want to inspect.
- 2. Run the local worker report.
- 3. Review privacy and structure signals before sharing.
Load document
Document to inspect
Load a PDF and generate a local privacy and health report.
Drop files here, or tap to choose them.
Local inspection
The worker scans the file structure on your device and returns only the report.
Load a document first.
Inspect before you send
PDF Health and Privacy Report
Free
Before you send a PDF, it helps to know what is actually inside it — whether it carries metadata, fillable form fields, annotations, encryption, or signs of heavy compression. A quick health check answers that without guesswork. PDFTasker inspects the file in the browser and reports these signals, so you can decide what to clean or fix before sharing — and the document never goes to a server just to be examined.
Privacy and trust
The inspection stays local
Inspecting a file is exactly when you do not want to hand it over, because you are checking it precisely because it might be sensitive. PDFTasker builds the report in a browser worker, reading the document's structure on your device and showing what it finds — metadata, form and annotation counts, an encryption marker, compression signals. The file stays local, so reducing the trust surface is part of the check itself.
How to use it
How to inspect PDF health
- 01Add the PDF you want to check.
- 02Run the local inspection worker in your browser.
- 03Review metadata, forms, annotations, encryption, and compression signals.
- 04Use the recommendations before sharing the document.
FAQ
PDF Health Report FAQ
Does the health report upload my PDF?
No. The inspection runs in a browser worker on your device. PDFTasker reads structure signals such as metadata, forms, annotations, encryption markers, and image-heavy pages locally, then shows a report. The PDF does not need to be uploaded just to learn what it contains first.
What does the report check?
It checks common privacy and structure signals: Info metadata, XMP metadata, form fields, annotations, encryption markers, image-heavy content, and compression hints. The report is not a full forensic audit, but it gives you a practical pre-share checklist before a contract, form, or scanned packet leaves your device.
Does this modify the original PDF?
No. The health report is read-only. It inspects the PDF and shows recommendations, but it does not rewrite pages, remove fields, flatten annotations, or change the source file. If the report finds something risky, use a separate cleanup tool and keep the original as your reference copy.
Can the report prove a PDF is safe to share?
No report can prove that every file is safe. It can surface common issues that people miss, like hidden author names, form fields, annotations, or protection markers. The final sharing decision still depends on the recipient, the document contents, and your compliance requirements before upload.
When is a local report better than an upload scanner?
A local report is better when you only need practical document hygiene signals and the PDF contains sensitive information. Upload scanners may offer deeper server analysis, but they also receive the file. For many pre-share checks, reducing the trust surface is the point before sharing.
What should I do with what the report finds?
Treat the report as a pre-send checklist rather than a verdict. If it shows author names, software traces, or revision metadata you did not expect, run sanitize to clear them. If the document is heading somewhere it should not travel unprotected, add a password with protect. Form fields and annotations deserve a manual look — the report tells you they exist, and you decide whether they belong in the copy you are about to share. The point is knowing what is in the file before someone else does.
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