How to repair a PDF
- Add the damaged PDF. Drop it on the box or press Select PDF files. Files that can't be opened as they are show "Damaged, won't open". That's fine: those are the files this tool is for.
- Press Repair PDF. The tool reads everything that is still readable and builds a new, clean file from it.
- Read the report. It tells you how many pages were recovered and what was fixed.
- Download the repaired copy and check it in your PDF reader.
What can be fixed
Most damaged PDFs are not destroyed; the part that tells a PDF reader where everything is has broken. Common causes are a download or email attachment that stopped early, a copy to a USB stick that was pulled out too soon, or a program that crashed while saving. This tool can usually fix:
- a broken or missing index of the file (the cross-reference table),
- a file that was cut off at the end, as long as the pages themselves came through,
- data blocks with a wrong length,
- a broken list of pages, by building a new one from the pages it finds.
It works in steps, from gentle to forceful, and stops at the first one that gives a file that opens with all the pages it can find.
What can't be fixed
A repair can only keep what is still in the file. If a download stopped halfway, the second half was never saved, and no tool can bring those pages back. The report says so honestly, for example "Recovered 4 of 6 pages". Pages whose content was lost may also come back empty, and the report counts those too. When nothing usable is left, for example in a file that is not really a PDF, the tool tells you instead of giving you an empty file.
Repairing also can't open a password-protected PDF without its password, and a digital signature is no longer valid after the file has been rebuilt.
Before you repair, try the simple things: download the file again, ask the sender to send it again, or look for an older copy in a backup. An undamaged copy is always better than a repaired one.
Private and fast
Damaged files often hold important documents, so they stay on your device. Everything runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and a 20 MB file is done in a few seconds.
Frequently asked questions
My PDF opens but looks wrong. Will this help?
Sometimes. If some pages show errors or are missing, a repair can rebuild the file around them. If the text itself is wrong, the damage is in the content and can't be undone.
Is my original file changed?
No. You get a new copy with "-repaired" in the name, and the original stays as it was.
What if the report says "No damage found"?
The file's structure is fine. If it still won't open in one app, try another PDF reader or update the app.
Can I repair several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add them all. Files that can be saved come in one .zip, and the report names any file that couldn't be repaired.
This tool works in your browser: your files are processed on your device and are never uploaded. Check the result before you share it or delete the original.