PDF Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! All our basic PDF tools are 100% free with no watermarks, no registration required, and no hidden costs. We offer premium features for advanced needs, but all the essential PDF tools are completely free.

Unlike many other PDF tools, we don't require you to create an account or provide any personal information to use our free services.

Absolutely. All file processing happens in your browser - your files never leave your computer and are never stored on our servers. This means:

• Your documents remain private and secure
• We don't have access to your files at any point
• Files are automatically deleted from your browser after processing
• No one else can access your documents

We use industry-standard encryption for all data transfers to ensure maximum security.

We offer a complete suite of PDF tools including:

• Merge PDF - Combine multiple PDFs into one document
• Split PDF - Extract pages or split into multiple documents
• Compress PDF - Reduce file size while maintaining quality
• Convert PDF - To and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG
• OCR PDF - Convert scanned documents to searchable text
• Edit PDF - Add text, images, watermarks, and more
• Unlock PDF - Remove password protection (for files you own)
• Sign PDF - Add digital signatures to documents

All tools work directly in your browser with no software installation required.

Our free version supports files up to 50MB. For larger files, we offer premium plans that support up to 2GB files. The limits vary slightly by tool:

• Merge PDF: Up to 50MB total across all files
• Split/Compress PDF: Up to 50MB per file
• Convert PDF: Up to 50MB per file
• OCR PDF: Up to 20 pages or 10MB

These limits ensure fast processing and good performance for all users.

Merging PDFs with PDF Buddy is simple:

1. Go to our Merge PDF tool
2. Upload your PDF files by clicking "Select Files" or dragging and dropping
3. Rearrange files by dragging them into your preferred order
4. Click "Merge PDF" to combine them into one document
5. Download your merged PDF file

You can merge up to 20 PDF files at once in the free version.

Yes! After uploading your PDFs:

1. Click on the PDF file you want to edit
2. Select the checkbox next to each page you want to include
3. Click "Apply" to save your selection
4. Repeat for other PDFs as needed
5. Merge as usual

This feature is perfect when you only need specific pages from each document in your final merged PDF.

No, merging PDFs with PDF Buddy preserves the original quality of all documents. Our merging process:

• Maintains all text, images, and formatting exactly as in the original
• Preserves vector graphics and high-resolution images
• Keeps all hyperlinks, bookmarks, and annotations intact
• Doesn't compress or reduce quality in any way

The output file will be the same quality as your highest-quality input document.

Splitting a PDF is easy with our tool:

1. Go to our Split PDF tool
2. Upload your PDF file
3. Choose your splitting method:
   • Extract pages: Select specific pages to save as a new file
   • Split by pages: Divide after every X pages
   • Split by ranges: Define custom page ranges
4. Click "Split PDF" to process your file
5. Download your split PDF files as a ZIP archive

Yes! Our premium version offers bookmark-based splitting:

1. Upload your PDF (must contain bookmarks)
2. Select "Split by bookmarks" option
3. Our tool will automatically detect all bookmarks
4. Each bookmark becomes the start of a new PDF file
5. Download your split documents

This is ideal for large documents like manuals, reports, or books that are already organized with bookmarks.

No, splitting a PDF with our tool maintains the original quality of all pages. The splitting process:

• Preserves all text, images, and formatting exactly as in the original
• Maintains the same resolution and quality for all elements
• Keeps hyperlinks and annotations that are within the selected pages
• Doesn't recompress or alter the content in any way

Each split portion will be identical in quality to the corresponding pages in your original document.

The compression ratio depends on your PDF's content:

• Image-heavy PDFs: Typically 50-80% reduction
• Text documents with images: 30-60% reduction
• Text-only PDFs: 10-30% reduction
• Already optimized PDFs: Minimal further reduction

Our tool offers three compression levels:

1. Low compression: Minimal quality loss (recommended for printing)
2. Medium compression: Balanced quality and size (recommended for screen viewing)
3. High compression: Maximum size reduction (for email attachments)

You can preview the results before downloading.

Compression can affect quality depending on the settings:

• Text and vector graphics: No quality loss at any level
• Images: Some quality reduction at higher compression levels
• Low compression: Nearly indistinguishable from original
• Medium compression: Minor quality loss visible only at high zoom
• High compression: Noticeable quality loss for images

Our tool uses smart compression that:

• Preserves text quality perfectly at all levels
• Optimizes images selectively
• Maintains readability and clarity
• Allows you to preview before downloading

For email attachments, we recommend:

1. High compression if:
   • The PDF contains mostly text
   • Image quality isn't critical
   • You need the smallest possible file
2. Medium compression if:
   • The PDF has important images
   • You want a balance of quality and size
   • The document will be viewed on screens

Additional tips for emailing PDFs:

• For files over 10MB, consider splitting into parts
• Remove unnecessary pages before compressing
• Convert color images to grayscale for additional savings
• Use our "Preview" feature to check quality before sending

Converting PDF to Word is simple:

1. Go to our PDF to Word tool
2. Upload your PDF file
3. Select output format (DOCX or DOC)
4. Choose conversion options:
   • Text only: For simple documents
   • Text with layout: Preserves formatting
   • Editable text: Best for further editing
5. Click "Convert to Word"
6. Download your editable Word document

Our converter preserves:

• Fonts and text formatting
• Tables and columns
• Images and their positions
• Headers and footers

Yes, our PDF to Excel converter handles:

• Tables extracted as editable Excel sheets
• Data formatted into columns and rows
• Numbers preserved as numeric values (not just text)
• Basic formulas and calculations

For best results:

1. Use PDFs with clear table structures
2. Select "Table recognition" option
3. Preview the conversion before downloading
4. Manually adjust any complex layouts

Note: Highly complex PDFs may require some manual cleanup in Excel after conversion.

Converting images to PDF is easy:

1. Go to our JPG to PDF tool
2. Upload your image files (JPG, PNG, etc.)
3. Arrange images in desired order
4. Set PDF options:
   • Page size (A4, Letter, etc.)
   • Orientation (Portrait or Landscape)
   • Margins and image positioning
   • Compression level
5. Click "Convert to PDF"
6. Download your PDF file

Additional features:

• Combine multiple images into one PDF
• Adjust image size and position on each page
• Add borders or background colors
• Include file names as captions

Editing text in PDFs depends on the file type:

1. For text-based PDFs:
   • Use our Edit PDF tool
   • Click on any text to edit it directly
   • Change font, size, color, and formatting
   • Add or delete text as needed
2. For scanned PDFs/image-only PDFs:
   • First use our OCR tool to make text editable
   • Then edit as above

Important notes:

• Editing may affect text flow and layout
• Complex formatting might require manual adjustment
• Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first
• Always download and check the edited version

Yes, you can add images to PDFs with our editor:

1. Open the PDF in our Edit PDF tool
2. Click "Add Image" button
3. Select an image file from your computer
4. Position and resize the image as needed
5. Adjust image properties:
   • Opacity
   • Rotation
   • Border
   • Text wrapping
6. Save your changes and download the edited PDF

Supported image formats:

• JPG/JPEG
• PNG
• GIF (first frame only)
• BMP
• TIFF

For best results, use high-quality images with appropriate resolution.

Adding page numbers is simple with our tool:

1. Upload your PDF to our Edit PDF tool
2. Select "Add Page Numbers" option
3. Choose numbering style:
   • Position (header, footer, margins)
   • Format (1, 2, 3 or i, ii, iii, etc.)
   • Font and size
   • Starting number
4. Preview the numbering
5. Apply and download your numbered PDF

Advanced options:

• Different numbering for front matter (i, ii) and main content (1, 2)
• Skip numbering on title pages
• Add prefixes/suffixes (e.g., "Page 1")
• Customize position for left/right pages

To add password protection to a PDF:

1. Go to our Protect PDF tool
2. Upload your PDF file
3. Set password options:
   • Open password: Required to open the document
   • Permissions password: Restricts editing/printing
4. Choose restrictions (if using permissions password):
   • Printing (allowed, low-res only, or disabled)
   • Editing (none, form filling only, or full)
   • Copying content
   • Adding/changing comments
5. Click "Protect PDF"
6. Download your secured PDF

Important security tips:

• Use strong, unique passwords
• Remember your password (we cannot recover it)
• Consider also encrypting the file name
• Test the protected PDF before sharing

Our Unlock PDF tool can remove password protection if:

• You know the password (for legal use only)
• The PDF belongs to you
• You have rights to modify the document

To unlock a PDF:

1. Upload the password-protected PDF
2. Enter the correct password
3. Click "Unlock PDF"
4. Download the unprotected version

Important notes:

• We cannot remove passwords from files where you don't know the password
• Removing passwords from documents you don't own may violate copyright laws
• Some strong encryption may not be removable even with the password
• Always keep backups of original files

PDF Buddy is designed with security in mind:

• Browser-based processing: Files stay on your computer
• No server storage: Documents are never saved on our servers
• Automatic deletion: Files are removed from memory after processing
• Encrypted transfers: All data uses HTTPS encryption

For extra-sensitive documents, we recommend:

1. Password-protect files before uploading
2. Use our offline desktop version for maximum security
3. Delete browser cache after use
4. Consider using a VPN for additional privacy

However, for highly confidential documents (legal, medical, financial), evaluate your specific security requirements before using any online tool.

Yes! PDF Buddy works perfectly on all mobile devices:

• iOS (iPhone, iPad): Safari, Chrome, Firefox
• Android: Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet
• Tablets: Full functionality on all sizes

Mobile features:

• Optimized touch interface
• Camera upload for quick scanning
• Cloud storage integration (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox)
• Offline mode for basic editing

No app installation needed - just visit our website in your mobile browser.

Editing PDFs on iPhone is easy with PDF Buddy:

1. Open Safari or Chrome on your iPhone
2. Go to thepdfbuddy.in
3. Select the PDF tool you need (edit, merge, sign, etc.)
4. Upload your PDF:
   • From your Files app
   • From iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox
   • By taking a photo of a document
5. Make your edits using the mobile-friendly tools
6. Download or share the edited PDF

iPhone-specific tips:

• Use "Add to Home Screen" to create a shortcut
• Enable "Request Desktop Site" for full features
• Use Apple Pencil for precise edits on iPad
• Save directly to Files app for easy access

If you're having trouble uploading PDFs on mobile, try these solutions:

1. Check file size:
   • Mobile data may limit large uploads
   • Try smaller files or use Wi-Fi
2. Browser issues:
   • Update your browser
   • Try Chrome if Safari isn't working
   • Clear browser cache
3. File type problems:
   • Ensure it's a valid PDF file
   • Try renaming to remove special characters
4. Connectivity:
   • Check your internet connection
   • Try airplane mode on/off

If problems persist:

• Try our mobile app (if available)
• Use the desktop version of our site
• Contact our support with details