# Are online PDF tools safe to use?

> What happens to your files when you use an online PDF tool, the risks of uploading private documents, and how browser-based tools keep files on your device.


People use online PDF tools for bank statements, ID cards, salary slips and contracts. It's worth knowing what happens to those files.



## Two kinds of PDF websites
Upload-based tools send your file to their servers, process it there and send the result back. Reputable services delete files after a few hours, but your document still travels over the internet and sits on someone else's computer for a while.

Browser-based tools like the ones on this site download the program to your browser and do all the work on your own device. Your file is never sent anywhere. You can even check: open your browser's developer tools, go to the Network tab and watch — no file upload happens when you merge or compress.



## How to stay safe with any PDF tool


- Prefer tools that process files on your device for sensitive documents.

- Read the privacy policy: does the site say how long it keeps files?

- Avoid sites that ask you to install extensions or apps you don't need.

- Look for HTTPS (the padlock in the address bar).

- Download results only from the site you're using, and be wary of pop-ups.



## What we do
Every tool on this site — merge, split, compress, convert, rotate, sign and more — runs entirely in your browser. We never receive your documents. See our Privacy Policy for details about the limited information websites collect, such as anonymous usage statistics and advertising cookies.