Troubleshooting 11 min read
PDF Won't Open? Diagnose and Fix It Step by Step
Find out why a PDF will not open and work through safe fixes for damaged downloads, password prompts, blank browser tabs and incompatible viewers.
Free browser-based PDF toolkit
Clean PDF workflows without the usual tool clutter.
Convert, merge, split, crop and compress files in a focused browser workspace. Core tools are free, no sign-up is required, and temporary files expire automatically.
No sign-up for core toolsAutomatic deletionAd-funded, clearly labeled
30live processing tools
30 mintemporary job expiry
50 MBfree file size limit
EN / DElocalized tool pages
Pick the PDF task and get a clean result.
All 30 tools run on the same private, temporary job model — jump to a category or browse the full set.
Organize
Merge, split, rotate and rearrange pages.
Merge PDF
Combine multiple PDFs, keep the order you choose, optionally add duplex blanks and normalize pages to A4.
Split PDF
Split a PDF into single pages, fixed-size page chunks or custom page ranges.
Rotate PDF
Rotate all pages or selected pages by 90, 180 or 270 degrees.
Delete PDF Pages
Remove unwanted pages before downloading a new PDF.
Reorder PDF Pages
Rearrange pages and export a new PDF.
Extract PDF Pages
Save selected pages or page ranges as a new PDF.
Add Page Numbers
Add page numbers with custom position, start number and text style.
Crop PDF
Crop PDF pages by trimming margins from the top, right, bottom and left.
Convert
Turn Office files and images into PDFs — and back.
PDF to Word
Convert a PDF into an editable Word document, with OCR for scans and images carried over.
Word to PDF
Convert Word documents (.docx, .doc) into clean PDF files with faithful layout.
Excel to PDF
Convert Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls) into PDFs with sheet preview, custom worksheet order, margins and print controls.
PowerPoint to PDF
Convert PowerPoint presentations (.pptx, .ppt) into PDF files with slide layout preserved where possible.
PDF to JPG
Export selected PDF pages as JPG images.
JPG to PDF
Turn one or multiple JPG images into a PDF with page size, orientation, margin and fit options.
PNG to PDF
Turn one or multiple PNG images into a PDF with page size, orientation, margin and fit options.
PDF to PNG
Export crisp PNG files from PDF pages.
Optimize
Shrink file size and repair damaged PDFs.
Secure
Protect, unlock, redact and strip metadata.
Watermark PDF
Add text watermarks with opacity, rotation and selected page controls.
Protect PDF
Encrypt a PDF with a password. Permission flags are not described as DRM.
Unlock PDF
Unlock only with a known password or removable restrictions.
Redact PDF
Redact selected PDF areas by removing underlying content, not just adding visual overlays.
Remove Metadata
Remove author, title, creator and timestamp metadata where possible.
Data
Pull text, tables and data out of PDFs.
Advanced
Specialist tools for forms, comparisons and more.
Done in three steps.
Every tool follows the same simple flow — no account, no installation, no leftovers.
1
Upload
Drop your file into the tool — it is transferred over an encrypted connection and stays private the whole time.
2
Process
The job runs automatically on our servers. Pick options like compression level, page ranges or output format where available.
3
Download
Grab your result straight away. Temporary files expire automatically after about 30 minutes — nothing is kept.
PDF troubleshooting
Browse all PDF guides Solve the problem, not just the file.
Detailed guides help you identify the cause first, choose a safe fix and verify the result.
Troubleshooting 12 min read
PDF Won't Print? Fix Blank Pages, Missing Text and Print Errors
A practical checklist for PDFs that will not print, print blank, omit form fields, use the wrong size or stop the print queue.
Text & OCR 11 min read
Can't Copy Text from a PDF? OCR, Permissions and Layout Explained
Learn why PDF text cannot be selected or pastes as gibberish, and choose the right fix for scans, permissions, fonts and complex layouts.
Frequently asked questions.
The short version: free, private and built for everyday documents.
Are these PDF tools really free?
Yes. PDF Help is funded by clearly labeled advertising, so the core tools stay free — no trial, no watermark and no sign-up for everyday tasks.
What happens to my uploaded files?
Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed automatically and deleted after the short job expiry window of about 30 minutes. Nothing is shared, and result pages are excluded from search engines.
Do I need an account?
No. Every tool works without registration — open the page, upload your file and download the result.
What are the file limits?
You can upload files up to 50 MB per job for free. Larger documents may simply take a little longer to process.
Which formats can I convert?
PDF Help converts Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG and PNG to PDF and back, and can also extract text, tables and CSV data — including OCR for scanned documents.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. All tools run in the browser and the upload flow is built for both desktop and mobile devices.