Repair PDF
Recover PDFs with damaged structure — broken cross-reference tables and similar corruption
Files up to 44 MB. Your file is uploaded to our repair service for processing — see below for what that means.
Click or drop a damaged PDF hereChoose a damaged PDF
About Repair PDF
Repair PDF rebuilds PDFs whose internal structure is damaged: a broken or missing cross-reference table, a file cut off by an interrupted download, and similar corruption. Our pdf-tools service tries qpdf first, then Poppler, then a page list rebuilt from the pages still inside the file, and Ghostscript last. Before a result is offered, its text is read by Ghostscript and Poppler and compared with what they still read in the damaged file; a result that reads differently is not delivered. Content that is truly destroyed cannot be brought back, and the page says so. It does not shrink files: use PDF Compress for that.
How to repair a damaged PDF
- 1Choose the damaged PDF; a file over the size limit is refused before anything is sent.
- 2Click "Repair PDF"; the bar shows the upload, and "Cancel" stops it.
- 3Read which method worked, how many pages were recovered, and whether the text was checked, then click "Download" to save the -repaired.pdf file.
Formats and limits
- Input
- Maximum size
- 44 MB per file
- Methods
- qpdf, Poppler, rebuilt page list, Ghostscript, in that order
- Text check
- Ghostscript and Poppler readings of the result must match the damaged file's; if neither can open the damaged file, the page warns that the text was not checked
- Usage limits
- Files over 4 MB go through our server, limited per network per hour and per day
Where your file is processed
Repair needs qpdf, Poppler, and Ghostscript, so your PDF is sent over HTTPS to our own pdf-tools service on Railway, not to a third party. Up to 4 MB, the PDF travels through our site and the repair folder is removed as soon as the answer is sent. Above that, the PDF is sent in pieces to our server; that copy is erased once the repair ends, and the repaired file after your first complete download or after 15 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can it fix any damaged PDF?
No. It repairs structure, such as cross-reference tables and a missing end of file. Pages that were overwritten or cut off are lost: you get the pages that remain, with a note, or, when nothing usable can be rebuilt, an explanation with the exit codes of qpdf and Ghostscript instead of a broken file.
Can the repair change my text?
No, not without telling you. A repaired file is delivered only when its text matches what Ghostscript and Poppler still read in the damaged one; on our 248 damaged test files (October 4, 2026), none was delivered with changed text. If no reader can open the original, the page asks you to check the pages.
Does qpdf keep my file closest to the original?
Yes. qpdf, the first method tried, rebuilds the cross-reference table without touching page content. Poppler copies the readable pages but drops bookmarks and document properties, and Ghostscript rewrites the content, re-embedding fonts and images. The report under the result names the method used.
How large can the PDF be?
44 MB per file. Up to 4 MB the file goes straight through our site; above that it is sent in pieces through our server, which accepts only a limited number of such transfers per network each hour and each day.
Tips and tricks
- ✓When a PDF opens in one reader but not in another, repair it before merging or converting it with other tools.