Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about PDFPuddle — how it works, what it costs, and how your data stays private. Click any question to expand its answer.
General
Are PDFPuddle tools really free?
Yes — every tool is currently free to use with no signup and no email required. PDFPuddle is in active development; we may introduce paid plans for advanced features in the future, but the core tools will remain accessible.
Do I need to install anything?
No. PDFPuddle runs in any modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. No plugins, extensions, or downloads.
Does PDFPuddle work offline?
Once a page is loaded, most tools continue to work even if your internet drops, because all processing happens locally. A network connection is only needed to load the page initially.
Which PDF tools are included?
30+ tools including Merge, Split, Compress, PDF to Word, Word to PDF, PDF to Excel, Excel to PDF, PDF to PowerPoint, PowerPoint to PDF, Edit PDF, Sign PDF, Watermark, Rotate, Organize, OCR, Redact, Repair, Crop, Add Page Numbers, Protect, Unlock, Compare, Translate, AI Summarize, Scan to PDF, JPG to PDF, PDF to JPG, HTML to PDF, and PDF to PDF/A. See all tools →
Privacy & Security
Does PDFPuddle upload my files anywhere?
No. Every tool processes files entirely in your browser using JavaScript libraries (pdf-lib and PDF.js). Your documents never leave your device, which makes PDFPuddle genuinely private — unlike most online PDF tools that upload files to a server.
Is PDFPuddle safe for confidential documents?
Yes. Because PDFPuddle never uploads files, it's well-suited for contracts, medical records, financial statements, and personal IDs. Files stay on your device throughout the entire process.
Do you log or track what I do?
No. We don't have user accounts, we don't run analytics that identify you, and we don't log document contents. Our hosting provider may keep standard server access logs (IP, timestamp, requested URL) for uptime monitoring, but those logs never contain anything from your documents.
Where does my data go when I use a tool?
Nowhere outside your browser. The PDF file you load stays in your browser's memory. The processed output is generated locally and downloaded directly to your device. No copy is sent across the network.
Files & Formats
Is there a file size limit?
There's no server-imposed limit because PDFPuddle doesn't use a server. The practical limit is your device's available memory — most modern devices handle PDFs well over 100 MB without issues.
Can I batch-process multiple files?
Yes — most tools (Merge, Split, Compress, JPG to PDF, Rotate, etc.) accept multiple files at once. Drop in a batch, configure the operation, and process them all in one go.
Which file formats are supported?
PDF (input and output), DOCX, DOC, PPTX, PPT, XLSX, XLS, CSV, TXT, JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, and HTML. Specific support depends on the tool — see each tool's page for details.
Does PDFPuddle support password-protected PDFs?
Yes — use Unlock PDF with your password to remove protection, or Protect PDF to add a password to a PDF before sharing it.
Troubleshooting
A tool isn't working — what should I do?
First, try refreshing the page. If that doesn't help, try a different browser (Chrome handles large PDFs best). If the issue persists, please contact us with the tool you used, browser/OS, and a description of what happened.
My large PDF is slow or crashes — why?
Browser-based processing is limited by your device's available RAM. Very large PDFs (500MB+) or older devices may struggle. Try closing other tabs, using a desktop browser instead of mobile, or splitting the PDF into smaller chunks first using Split PDF.
Can I undo an operation?
PDFPuddle tools produce a new file rather than modifying the original — your source document stays untouched on your device. If you don't like the output, just close the result and start over with the original.