pdf tool
PDF metadata viewer
Choose a PDF and this viewer lists its title, author, subject, keywords, the software that made it, its created and modified dates, page count, PDF version, whether it is encrypted, and the size of every page. When the hidden XMP copy of those properties disagrees, the raw XMP is shown so you can see both.
Loading the tool…
- Runs on your device, nothing is uploaded
- Free, no sign in
- No watermark, no file limit
How it works
- 1
Choose the PDF
Pick the file or drop it on the box. It is opened with pdf.js in this tab.
- 2
Read the document properties
Title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer and both dates are listed, with Not set wherever the file leaves one empty.
- 3
Check the file facts and page sizes
Pages, PDF version, encryption, fast web view, form and signature flags come next, then each run of pages with its size and nearest standard such as A4 or US Letter.
- 4
Compare the XMP and copy what you need
If the XMP packet disagrees, the property shows what XMP says and the raw packet opens below. Copy as text or Download as JSON keeps a record.
Two places a PDF keeps its properties
A PDF can store its document properties twice. The older place is the Info dictionary, a short list of keys such as Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate and ModDate. The newer place is an XMP packet, an XML document in the file that uses names such as dc:title and xmp:CreateDate. ISO 32000-2 deprecates most of the Info dictionary in favour of XMP, but most files still carry both, and readers differ on which one they show. This viewer reads both and compares them property by property. Where they match you see one value; where they differ you see both, and the raw XMP is opened so nothing is hidden.
What each property usually tells you
Title and Subject are what the author typed, or what the exporting app guessed from the first heading. Author is often the account name on the computer that made the file, which is why it can reveal more than intended. Creator names the app the document was written in, such as a word processor, and Producer names the library that wrote the PDF, which can differ: a document made in a browser and printed to PDF has a browser engine as its producer. The dates come from the clock of the machine that wrote the file, so treat them as a claim rather than proof.
Encryption, forms and page sizes
Encrypted shows Yes when the file carries a security handler, even if it opened without a password; that usually means it restricts printing, copying or editing. A PDF that does need a password cannot be read at all, and the page says so. Form fields and signature fields are flagged so you know before sending the file on. Page sizes are grouped into runs, such as pages 1 to 5 at A4 portrait and page 6 at US Letter turned 90 degrees, which explains odd printing. The file is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded and nothing is stored, ever.
Before you send a PDF for signature
OneCraft e-signatures take a PDF of up to 25 MB, refuse password protected files, and reject pages that carry a rotation flag, naming the page number. This viewer shows all three in one look: the file size, the encryption line and the turned pages in the page size list.
Limits worth knowing
The viewer shows what the file claims, not who really wrote it or when. XMP written as attributes and as elements are both read; custom XMP schemas appear only in the raw packet. Metadata attached to single pages, images or embedded files is not listed. A damaged file that pdf.js cannot open gets a plain message instead of a partial result.
Limits
- XMP metadata is shown raw when it disagrees with the Info dictionary, rather than one being picked as the truth.
- A PDF that needs a password to open cannot be read, because its properties are encrypted along with everything else.
- Dates are shown in your own time zone; the raw value underneath keeps the offset the file was written with.
What it does not do
- It does not change anything. The PDF metadata editor does that.
- It does not read metadata inside embedded images, attachments or individual pages.
- It does not check a digital signature, only whether the file has signature fields.
Questions people ask
Why does my PDF reader show a different title from this viewer?
Because the reader is probably showing the XMP title while the Info dictionary says something else, or the other way round. Adobe Acrobat prefers XMP in many cases, while some browsers read the Info dictionary. When the two disagree, this viewer marks the property and opens the raw XMP, so you can see both values and fix the stale one with an editor.
Can PDF metadata show who created a document?
It shows who the file says created it, which is not the same thing. The Author field is usually filled from the account name of the computer or app, and anyone can change it afterwards. It is a useful clue when a file leaks a name you did not expect, but it is not evidence of authorship on its own.
What does the PDF version number mean?
It is the version of the PDF specification the file says it follows, from 1.0 up to 2.0. Most files today say 1.4 to 1.7, which every current reader opens. A higher number means the file may use newer features, such as stronger encryption from 1.6 onward, though many writers stamp 1.7 regardless of what they use.
Why does it say Encrypted when my PDF opened without a password?
Because the file is protected with an owner password only. It opens for anyone, but the encryption carries permission flags that ask readers to block printing, copying or editing. Some tools refuse to modify such files at all, which is a common reason an upload or edit fails even though the PDF looks perfectly normal on screen.
Are the created and modified dates reliable?
They are whatever the software that wrote the file put there, taken from that computer's clock. A wrong clock, a converter that resets dates, or a deliberate edit all change them. Use them as a hint about a file's history, and rely on something independent, such as an email timestamp or a signed audit trail, when the date really matters.
Send this PDF for signature
Take what you made here into e-signatures.
Send a document for signingMore tools like this
- Edit PDF metadataEdit PDF metadata in your browser: set or clear the title, author, subject and keywords, strip creator, producer, dates and XMP, then save a new file.
- PDF form fields listGet a PDF form fields list in your browser: name, type, page, required flag, current value and box size of every field, with a drawing of where each one sits.
- Fill a PDF form onlineFill a PDF form online without uploading it: type into text fields, tick checkboxes, pick radio and dropdown options, then save it still fillable or flat.
- PDF page size checkerDrop a PDF and read a print report: every page size named against ISO 216 and ANSI, trim box against media box, bleed in millimetres, rotation and clearance.
- PDF text extractorThe page on one side, its text on the other, editable. Fix the reading order by hand, search it, then copy or download as txt, Markdown or JSON. Not uploaded.
Built with pdf.js (Apache-2.0).
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .