Edit PDF
Free PDF recovery tool

Repair your PDF

Rebuild recoverable PDF structure errors and download a clean copy. Everything happens privately inside your browser.

No file upload Rebuilds structure No account required

Rebuilds structure

Recovers readable objects, reconstructs cross-reference data, and writes a clean document structure.

Private by design

WebAssembly repairs the PDF locally. The document is never sent to our servers.

Content preserved

Pages are not rasterized, so recoverable text, links, images, fonts, and forms stay intact.

Repair has limits: no automatic tool can restore content that is missing, overwritten, or irreversibly corrupted. Always keep the original file and review the repaired copy.

Before you start

Verified facts

Check access, supported files, limits, and processing before choosing a document.

Free

The core task does not require an account.

Repairing a PDF rebuilds recoverable structural information — damaged cross-reference tables, inconsistent object references, and malformed page-tree entries — that stops a corrupted file from opening correctly. The tool creates a new, working copy without changing or overwriting the original file.

Price
Free — no account needed
Account
Not required
Processing
Processed locally in your browser via WebAssembly
Formats
PDF
File limit
Up to 100 MB
Browser support
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
Clear, practical guidance

What does repairing a PDF do?

Repair PDF is a browser-based tool that lets you recover and rebuild a damaged PDF structure. Choose PDF, use the controls above to configure the result, then download or use the resulting PDF. The core workflow runs locally in your browser without an application document-processing request. See formats, limits, and processing.

Repairing a PDF rebuilds recoverable structural information such as damaged cross-reference data, inconsistent object references, and malformed page-tree entries. It creates a new copy without changing the original file.

EditPDF AI runs a structural preflight and rebuild locally in your browser. It attempts safe automatic recovery and rewrites the readable document structure, while preserving recoverable text, links, images, fonts, forms, and vector content.

Practical examples

Common ways people use this tool in real documents and day-to-day workflows.

Office and administration teams

Recover reports or forms that stopped opening after an incomplete download, transfer, or storage problem.

Students and researchers

Repair readable course material or papers that produce cross-reference or damaged-file errors in a PDF viewer.

Design and production teams

Rewrite malformed exports from older software before archiving, sharing, or sending them to print.

Document owners

Create a clean working copy of a recoverable personal PDF while keeping the damaged original unchanged.

At a glance

Focused workflow

Recover and rebuild a damaged PDF structure.

Supported workflow

Accepts PDF and produces PDF. Up to 100 MB

Access and processing

Core tool with browser-based document processing.

Three simple steps

How it works

  1. 1

    Choose the damaged PDF

    Select a PDF up to 100 MB. The original file is read locally and the downloaded repair is a separate copy.

  2. 2

    Rebuild recoverable structure

    The tool corrects common cross-reference pointer errors, then the engine rewrites readable object data into a clean PDF copy.

  3. 3

    Download and review

    Download the repaired file, open it in a PDF viewer, and confirm that every expected page and element is present.

Know before you upload

Formats, limits & privacy

Confirm that your file is supported and understand how this tool handles document data.

Input formats
PDF
Output formats
PDF
File limit
Up to 100 MB
Privacy & security

The repair engine runs locally in your browser without an application document-processing request.

Optional comparison

Repair PDF vs. doing it manually

Open this comparison if you are deciding between the browser workflow and a manual process.

Compare the workflows
Doing it manually

Try opening the damaged PDF in several different apps hoping one can read it.

With Repair PDF

Run one repair pass that rebuilds recoverable structure automatically.

Doing it manually

Manually recreate a document that fails to open, retyping content from scratch.

With Repair PDF

Recover the existing content when the structure is repairable, instead of starting over.

Doing it manually

Risk losing the original file while experimenting with recovery software.

With Repair PDF

The repaired file is a separate copy — your damaged original is never touched.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Can every corrupted PDF be repaired?
No. Automatic repair can rebuild recoverable structure, but it cannot recreate content that is missing, overwritten, or irreversibly corrupted.
Is my damaged PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The repair engine runs in your browser, so the PDF bytes stay on your device.
Will repairing reduce the quality of my PDF?
Pages are not converted to images. Recoverable text, vector graphics, fonts, images, links, and forms are copied into a rewritten PDF structure without intentional quality reduction.
Can it repair a password-protected PDF?
Not without the valid password. Use Unlock PDF with the known password first, then repair the resulting unlocked copy.
What kinds of damage can it recover?
It may recover missing or invalid startxref pointers, some malformed cross-reference structures, and similar structural issues that can be rewritten safely.
Will repair fix a PDF that shows blank or missing pages?
Only if the underlying page content is still present but the structure referencing it is damaged. Content that was actually deleted or overwritten cannot be recreated.
Learn more

Guides & real-world workflows

Step-by-step guides

How to repair a corrupted PDF fileWhy won't my PDF open? Common causes and fixesHow to recover text and images from a damaged PDFPDF won't print? How to fix it before printingCan you repair a password-protected PDF?
Popular solutions: Students · Job Seekers · Freelancers · Small Businesses
All role workflows →
Core PDF tool

Ready to use Repair PDF?

Recover and rebuild a damaged PDF structure Return to the tool above to choose your file, or browse the complete PDF toolkit for another task.

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