Is the Repair PDF tool free?

Yes, completely free with no signup required.

Are my files safe when I repair a PDF?

Your file never leaves your browser. All processing is done locally using pdf-lib. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

What kinds of PDF damage can this tool fix?

The tool can recover PDFs with minor structural corruption, rebuild cross-reference tables, and strip encryption headers that prevent opening. Severely truncated or binary-corrupted files may not be recoverable.

Will the repaired PDF look exactly the same as the original?

For most PDFs, yes. The tool reserializes the document structure using a compatibility-focused mode, which can resolve parsing errors. In some cases, complex embedded objects may render differently.

My PDF still won't open after repair — what should I try?

If the file is severely damaged beyond what the browser can parse, try opening it in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), which has its own built-in repair mode. If the file opens but has display issues, try the Flatten PDF tool to simplify its structure.

Repair PDF Online Free

Recover content from damaged or corrupted PDF files. Free, no signup, files never leave your browser.

🔒 Your file never leaves your browser. All processing is done locally.

Drop a damaged PDF here or click to browse

Max 50 MB

How to Repair a PDF File

1
Upload the damaged PDF
Click the upload zone or drag and drop the PDF file you want to repair. The tool accepts files up to 50 MB.
2
Repair the PDF
Click "Repair PDF". The tool attempts to reconstruct the document structure and resolve common corruption issues, all inside your browser.
3
Download the repaired file
Download the repaired PDF and open it in your preferred PDF viewer to verify the content has been recovered.

PDF files can become damaged in several ways: incomplete downloads, interrupted saves, file system errors, or corruption during email transfer. A corrupted PDF may refuse to open, display blank pages, throw a parsing error, or crash your PDF viewer.

How the repair works: This tool loads the PDF using pdf-lib with permissive parsing options enabled — including ignoreEncryption to bypass broken encryption headers and disabled object streams for maximum compatibility. It then reserializes the entire document from scratch in standard PDF format, which fixes most cross-reference table errors, missing end-of-file markers, and structure inconsistencies.

Limitations: The tool works best on PDFs that are structurally damaged but still partially readable. Files that are truncated at the binary level (e.g., a 1 MB file where half the bytes are missing) cannot be repaired by any software — the missing content is simply gone. If the repair fails, the Unlock PDF tool may help if the issue is encryption-related rather than structural damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

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