PDF Information

When do you need to check a PDF's information?

• Before uploading to a portal with a size cap, such as 2 MB for an application or scholarship file, to know whether you need to compress it first.
• Before printing at a copy shop, to know the page count and estimate the cost.
• Before sending a file outside your organisation, to make sure the Author field doesn't carry your name or your work computer's name without you knowing; programs like Word fill it in automatically.
• When you receive a file and want to see its recorded title or creation date.

What the tool shows

The tool reads the file's information dictionary with pdf-lib and shows the result as a table below the buttons; there's no file to download. The rows are:

• Page Count and File Size: worked out from the file itself.
• Title, Author and Subject: as recorded by the program that made the file. An empty field shows "—".
• Created: the day only, without the time, in your browser's date format.
• Producer: the program or library that generated the PDF, such as LibreOffice or a scanner's software, when it was recorded.

How to view PDF information

1. 1
   Click "Select files" or drag a PDF onto the box.
2. 2
   Click "Process Now".
3. 3
   Read the table that appears below the buttons. To check another file, select it and click "Process Now" again.

What to do with the results

• If the size is over the limit, run the file through Compress PDF, then check it here again.
• If there are more pages than you need, drop the extras with Remove Pages.
• To learn what a PDF contains internally, read What is a PDF file?

Limitations

• It's read-only: you can't edit or clear the title or author here.
• These fields are written by the creating program and anyone can change them, so treat them as a hint, not proof of where a file came from.
• A file with a password or permission restrictions isn't inspected: a message asks you to open it first with Unlock PDF.
• It doesn't show page dimensions, PDF version, modification date, fonts, or whether the file is digitally signed.

Where is the processing done?

The whole inspection runs in your browser: the tool reads the file from your device and displays its details on screen, without uploading it anywhere.

PDF information: frequently asked questions