Server-upload tools
Your file is sent to the provider's servers, processed there, then usually deleted after a retention window. The document leaves your device, so you're trusting the provider's handling and retention policy.
Privacy & Security
Is it safe to upload PDFs to online tools?
It depends on one thing: whether the tool uploads your file to a server, or processes it entirely in your browser. Many common PDF tasks need no upload at all — and you can verify which kind you're using in a few seconds.
Two models hide behind the words “online PDF tool”
The same label covers two very different things. Knowing which one you're on tells you whether your document leaves your device.
Client-side (in-browser) tools
The file is opened and processed by code running in your own browser tab. The bytes never leave your device. There's no upload to trust, because there is no upload.
Verify it yourself in DevTools
You don't have to take a privacy promise on faith — you can check it. Open the tool's page, open DevTools → Network (F12), then run the tool on a file. If the file is uploaded you'll see a large outbound request carrying it; if nothing large is sent, the file never left your device. A tool that processes in your browser shows no file upload at all. That's a verifiable fact, not a marketing claim.
Where DockDocs fits
DockDocs is built so the privacy claim is something you can check, not just read.
Client-side utilities — 0-byte file upload
Compress, merge, split, rotate, reorder, crop, page numbers, watermark, images to/from PDF, redact and more run entirely in your browser. You can confirm there is no file upload in the Network tab.
AI features — only text, not your file
Chat with PDF, summarize, extract-to-spreadsheet and compare use a model, so they send only the text extracted from your document — not the file itself. Several of the AI tool pages state this directly.
Source-traceability, scoped honestly
When an AI feature answers a question or flags a finding, DockDocs shows the source quote from your document when it can locate it — and tells you when it can't. It won't invent a citation. This applies where the tool is built for it; it is not a blanket “every answer is cited” promise.
Do all online PDF tools upload my files?+
No. Tools that run in your browser (client-side) never upload the file — the processing happens locally in the page. Only tools that process server-side upload your document. The label “online tool” covers both, so check before you trust.
How can I tell if a PDF tool is uploading my file?+
Open your browser's DevTools (F12) → Network tab, then run the tool. If your file is being uploaded you'll see a large outbound request; if nothing large is sent, it's processing locally and the file never left your device.
Which PDF tasks can be done without uploading?+
Compress, merge, split, rotate, reorder, crop, add page numbers, add a watermark, convert images to/from PDF, and redact can all run fully in the browser with no upload. Some advanced conversions and all AI features need a server step.
Are AI PDF tools (chat, summarize) private?+
AI features need a model to run, so some data is sent. The privacy-respecting design is to send only the extracted text, not your original file — which is what DockDocs does. A fully no-data-sent AI tool isn't possible today; the honest question is what is sent.
Is “files deleted after an hour” the same as private?+
No. “Deleted after X” means your file was uploaded and stored, then removed on a timer — you're trusting that the deletion happens. “Never uploaded” means the file never left your device, so there's nothing to delete. The second is verifiable; the first is a policy you have to trust.
Can I verify these claims for DockDocs specifically?+
Yes. Run any client-side DockDocs tool with DevTools → Network open: you'll see no file upload. That's the point — the privacy claim is something you can check, not just read.