How to verify local processing
Private PDF (PdfToolbox) is built so you can prove the privacy claim — not just read it in a policy. This guide shows exactly what to expect in your browser's Network tab.
What you should see
While you work on a PDF, the Network tab should look like this — zero file uploads.
Step-by-step
- Open any tool — for example Merge PDF.
- Open DevTools (F12 or right-click → Inspect).
- Switch to the Network tab.
- Clear the list, then drop a PDF and run the tool.
- Confirm no new requests carry your file — data sent stays at 0 bytes.
Quick check
Allowed: static assets on first load.
Not allowed: POST/PUT with your PDF.
After processing: download only — file never leaves your device.
What requests are allowed?
| Request type | When | Contains your PDF? |
|---|---|---|
| HTML, CSS, JS, fonts, icons | First page load | No |
| Service worker cache | Repeat visit / PWA | No |
| Plausible analytics | If enabled | No |
| File upload POST | Never | N/A |
What local processing means
When you select a file, your browser reads it into memory with the File API. Our JavaScript libraries
(pdf-lib, PDF.js) transform those bytes entirely on your device. The result is handed back
as a download via a temporary blob URL — it never crosses the network.
Cross-tool continuity stores the last output in IndexedDB on your device so you can open Compress or Split without picking the file again.
Other privacy choices
- Self-hosted fonts — no Google Fonts CDN request.
- No accounts — nothing to sign in to for tool use.
- Static site — no server-side PDF processing endpoints.
- Honest limits — documented on every tool page.
Phase 2: OCR evaluation
Scanned PDFs need OCR. We evaluated client-side OCR via tesseract.js (WASM) and deferred it to Phase 2.
Recommendation: Ship as an optional lazy-loaded tool page after Phase 1 differentiation. Gate behind explicit user action (language selection + progress UI). Do not market until quality is verified on real scanned PDFs.
Questions, answered
What network requests are normal when I use Private PDF?
On first visit you'll see requests for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, fonts and icons — all static assets from private-pdf.com. After the page loads, using a PDF tool should produce zero upload requests. Optional analytics (Plausible) only fires if enabled by the site operator and is cookieless.
Where is my PDF stored while I work?
In your browser's memory (and optionally IndexedDB if you use cross-tool continuity). Nothing is written to our servers because we don't operate file-processing servers.
Can I verify this myself?
Yes — follow the step-by-step guide on this page with Chrome, Edge or Firefox DevTools. You should see 0 bytes sent when processing a file.