Repair PDF
Rebuild a corrupt or damaged PDF so it opens again.
How to use the Repair PDF
- Select the damaged PDF.
- Click Repair PDF.
- Download the rebuilt file and try opening it.
About the Repair PDF
When a PDF refuses to open, shows a file is damaged error or renders as a blank window, the problem is usually its internal structure rather than the content itself: a broken cross-reference table, byte offsets pointing at the wrong places, or a trailer lost in a failed transfer. This tool feeds your file through a PDF rebuilding engine that reads whatever it can still make sense of, ignores the errors it hits along the way, and writes out a fresh, structurally valid PDF. That is enough to rescue many files that no reader will touch.
Be realistic about what a rebuild can do. It cannot invent data that is not in the file — if bytes were truncated by a failed download or overwritten, that content is simply gone, and pages whose streams are unreadable come back missing or blank. The rebuilt file is written as PDF 1.4, so interactive form fields, annotations and newer features may be flattened or dropped in exchange for a file that opens. Encrypted files cannot be rebuilt while locked; try unlock PDF first. If nothing at all can be recovered you get a clear message rather than a broken download.
This one runs on our server, so your file is uploaded. It is stored under a random name in a folder that cannot be reached from the web, processed, returned to you and deleted immediately — and anything an interrupted download leaves behind is swept within 30 minutes. Files are never opened, executed or kept. Once your PDF is readable again, you can compress it.
Frequently asked questions
Can it fix any PDF?
It fixes many structural problems, such as a corrupt cross-reference table or a damaged trailer. A file that has been badly truncated or overwritten may be beyond repair, because the missing bytes no longer exist anywhere in it. There is no harm in trying, and you will be told plainly if nothing can be recovered.
Will I lose content?
The rebuild keeps everything it can still read, and anything unrecoverable is left out so the rest of the document opens. The file is also rewritten to an older PDF version, which can flatten or drop interactive elements like form fields and annotations.
Are my files stored?
No. Your PDF is saved under a random name in a folder that is not reachable from the web, deleted the moment the repaired copy has been sent, and anything left over from an interrupted download is cleared within 30 minutes.
Why did my password-protected PDF fail?
An encrypted file cannot be read and rebuilt while it is still locked. Remove the password with the unlock PDF tool first, then run the repair on the unlocked copy.
Is there a size limit?
Yes, 20 MB per file. If your damaged PDF is larger than that, the upload will be refused before any repair is attempted.