Reduce file size
Compress PDFs, optimize images, and make files easier to email or upload.
- Compress PDF
- Linearize PDF
- PDF/A
Category hub
Compress, Repair & Optimize PDF Tools
Reduce PDF file size, repair damaged documents, optimize files for faster viewing, remove unnecessary metadata, and prepare PDFs for sharing, archiving, or uploading. Use these tools when a PDF is too large, slow to open, or difficult to process.
Use this hub when a PDF needs to become smaller, cleaner, faster to open, easier to process, or more reliable before it moves into another workflow.
Choose the right tool
Fix broken files
Repair corrupted structures and prepare difficult files for downstream tools.
- Repair PDF
- Linearize PDF
- Page Dimensions
Clean scans
Deskew tilted pages, run OCR, and convert scans into usable documents.
- Deskew PDF
- OCR PDF
- Crop PDF
Prepare for sharing
Flatten editable objects and remove hidden metadata before distribution.
- Flatten PDF
- Remove Metadata
- Sanitize PDF
Best tools for common tasks
Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size while maintaining quality. Free online PDF compressor for smaller files.
Local in browserNo login needed
Repair PDF
Fix corrupted PDF files. Recover and repair damaged documents.
Local in browserNo login needed
Linearize PDF
Optimize PDF for fast web viewing. Enable progressive loading.
Local in browserNo login needed
Remove Metadata
Strip metadata from PDF files. Remove author, dates, and document properties.
Local in browserAPI availableNo login needed
Flatten PDF
Flatten PDF forms and annotations. Make content non-editable.
Local in browserAPI availableNo login needed
Deskew PDF
Automatically straighten scanned or tilted PDF pages. Fix skewed documents with precision angle detection.
Local in browserNo login needed
OCR PDF
Make scanned PDFs searchable with OCR. Extract text from images and scanned documents.
Local in browserAPI available
PDF to PDF/A
Convert PDF to PDF/A archival format. Ensure long-term document preservation with ISO standards.
Local in browserNo login needed
Processing model
Compression, repair, deskew, metadata cleanup, flattening, and optimization are mostly file-based workflows. Some operations are computationally heavy, and API pages are available for repeatable backend processing.
Local in browser
Most file-based PDF tools run directly in your browser with JavaScript or WebAssembly.
Server-side processing
Tools that need webpage capture, Chromium rendering, or backend automation disclose that before submission.
API available
Only tools with a real API landing page or API Docs support are marked as API available.
Recommended workflows
Compress, clean, and encrypt
Reduce size, remove hidden metadata, then protect the final file.
- 1Compress the PDF
- 2Remove metadata
- 3Encrypt before sharing
Repair for sharing
Fix a damaged file and linearize it for faster opening in browsers.
- 1Repair the PDF
- 2Linearize the repaired file
- 3Test the download
Deskew, OCR, and convert
Clean scanned pages before converting them into an editable format.
- 1Deskew tilted pages
- 2Run OCR
- 3Convert to Word
Flatten and protect
Flatten editable content, add a watermark, and protect the file for review.
- 1Flatten the PDF
- 2Add watermark
- 3Encrypt if needed
Common issues
Compression changes quality trade-offs
Aggressive compression can reduce image quality. Keep an original copy when visual fidelity matters.
Repair cannot recover every damaged file
Repair tools can rebuild many structures, but missing bytes or encrypted corruption may still fail.
OCR accuracy depends on scan quality
Deskew, crop, and improve contrast before OCR when pages are tilted or blurry.
Flattening can make fields non-editable
Flatten only when the review process is finished or when editability should be intentionally removed.
All tools in this category
Compress PDF
Reduce PDF file size while maintaining quality. Free online PDF compressor for smaller files.
Optimize & Repair
Fix Page Size
Standardize PDF page sizes. Convert all pages to uniform dimensions.
Optimize & Repair
Linearize PDF
Optimize PDF for fast web viewing. Enable progressive loading.
Optimize & Repair
Page Dimensions
Analyze PDF page sizes. View dimensions of all pages in your document.
Optimize & Repair
Remove Restrictions
Remove PDF restrictions. Unlock printing, copying, and editing permissions.
Optimize & Repair
Repair PDF
Fix corrupted PDF files. Recover and repair damaged documents.
Optimize & Repair
Deskew PDF
Automatically straighten scanned or tilted PDF pages. Fix skewed documents with precision angle detection.
Optimize & Repair
PDF to PDF/A
Convert PDF to PDF/A archival format. Ensure long-term document preservation with ISO standards.
Optimize & Repair
Font to Outline
Remove font dependencies from PDF documents by converting pages to high-quality images. Ensures compatibility across all systems.
Optimize & Repair
PDF Layer Manager (OCG)
Manage PDF layers (Optional Content Groups). View, toggle, add, delete, and rename layers in your PDF documents.
Optimize & Repair
Related guides
Developer APIs
FAQ
Is Compress PDF processed locally?
Compression is designed as a file-based workflow in the browser. If a workflow uses API automation, it is labeled and billed separately.
Can Repair PDF fix every corrupted file?
No. Repair can recover many structural issues, but files with missing content, severe corruption, or password problems may still fail.
Should I remove metadata before or after compression?
Remove metadata near the end of the workflow, then do a final review before encrypting or sharing.
When should I use OCR in this category?
Use OCR after deskewing or cleaning scans, especially before converting scanned PDFs to Word, Markdown, or searchable archives.