Free PDF Repair Tool - Fix Corrupted & Damaged PDFs Online
Upload a broken PDF and get a clean, readable file back in seconds. Rebuilds document structure, strips harmful JavaScript, shows a recovery report with page thumbnails. 100% in your browser.
Upload a damaged or corrupt PDF to recover its content. The tool rebuilds the document structure and generates a clean, valid PDF — entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Drop your damaged PDF here
or click to browse
PDF only · Any file size · 100% private — processed in your browser
Starting repair…
What is Repair PDF?
Corrupt or damaged PDF files can result from interrupted downloads, faulty software exports, storage errors, or incomplete file transfers. Our free PDF Repair tool attempts to recover the document by parsing the raw file data and reconstructing it into a clean, valid output.
The repair process works by loading the damaged PDF with maximum tolerance, skipping unreadable objects rather than aborting, and then re-writing the entire file as a fresh, standards-compliant PDF. This automatically resolves the most common structural problems: broken cross-reference tables, invalid trailers, and corrupted object streams.
Two optional repair actions give you more control. "Strip JavaScript" (on by default) removes document-level actions and embedded scripts, a leading cause of corruption in PDFs exported by buggy software and a security risk in files from unknown sources. "Remove Form Fields" strips AcroForm data and page annotations, which can resolve compatibility issues with strict PDF readers.
After repair, a detailed recovery report shows the pages found, the file size before and after, and a log of every action applied. Up to 12 page thumbnails are rendered directly from the repaired output so you can confirm the content is intact before downloading. The output filename is pre-filled from your original file name with "-repaired" appended, and you can customise it before saving.
Every step - parsing, rebuilding, previewing - runs locally in your browser. The original file is never modified; only read. A brand-new clean copy is generated for download. Nothing is uploaded to any server.
Powerful Features
Everything you need in one amazing tool
Structural Repair
Reconstructs broken cross-reference tables, skips unreadable objects, and rebuilds the document trailer - the most common causes of "cannot open" errors.
Strip JavaScript Actions
On by default. Removes OpenAction triggers, embedded scripts, and named JavaScript trees from the PDF catalog, improving security and repair success rate.
Remove Form Fields
Optional toggle. Strips the AcroForm model and page annotations, useful when interactive fields are the source of corruption or compatibility failures.
Recovery Report
A detailed post-repair card shows pages recovered, file size before and after, and an itemised log of every action applied during the process.
Page Thumbnail Preview
Up to 12 pages of the repaired document are rendered as thumbnails so you can visually confirm the content is intact before downloading.
Fully Private - No Upload
Parsing, repair, preview, and download all run in your browser. The file never touches a server. Safe for sensitive and confidential documents.
How It Works
Get started in 4 easy steps
Upload the Damaged PDF
Drag and drop or click to select the corrupt PDF. The output filename is auto-filled from the original file name.
Choose Repair Options
Toggle "Strip JavaScript" (recommended) and "Remove Form Fields" as needed. Rename the output file if required.
Repair & Rebuild
The tool parses surviving content with maximum tolerance, applies your options, and re-serializes a clean PDF with maximum viewer compatibility.
Review Report & Download
Check the recovery report, verify the page thumbnails, then download your repaired PDF with one click.
Why Choose Our Repair PDF?
Stand out from the competition
Original File Never Modified
The source file is only read. A completely fresh, clean PDF is generated as output. Your original is always safe.
No Upload - Fully Private
Every operation runs locally in your browser. Sensitive documents never leave your device and never touch a server.
Itemised Recovery Report
Know exactly what happened. The report logs pages found, size change, and every repair action applied, success or failure.
Visual Verification Before Download
Page thumbnails render from the repaired file so you can confirm readable content before you ever click Download.
Maximum Viewer Compatibility
Output is written without compressed object streams, making it readable in all PDF viewers including legacy and embedded readers.
Seconds, Not Minutes
No server queue, no upload wait, no account required. Drop the file, click Repair, and get your result immediately.
Perfect For
See how others are using this tool
Interrupted Downloads
Recover PDFs that failed to download completely due to a dropped connection, browser crash, or timeout.
Storage & Disk Errors
Fix PDFs damaged by disk write errors, bad sectors, or power loss during a file save operation.
Buggy Software Exports
Repair PDFs produced by software that generated invalid cross-reference tables, malformed trailers, or broken object boundaries.
Email & Transfer Corruption
Fix PDFs corrupted during email transmission, cloud sync, or file transfer over an unreliable connection.
Strip Suspicious JavaScript
Sanitise PDFs from unknown sources by removing all embedded scripts and actions before opening them in sensitive environments.
Recovered Drive Files
Attempt to salvage PDFs recovered from failing or formatted drives where partial byte-level data loss has occurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Repair PDF
Not every corruption is recoverable in the browser. If the core content bytes are missing or overwritten, recovery is impossible. However, the tool successfully repairs many common structural failures, including broken cross-reference tables, invalid trailers, and malformed object streams, that prevent PDFs from opening.
No. The document structure is rebuilt, but all text, images, and layout are preserved exactly as found in the original. The only content changes happen if you explicitly enable "Strip JavaScript" (removes scripts and actions) or "Remove Form Fields" (removes interactive form data).
It removes document-level script triggers from the PDF, specifically the OpenAction entry, the AA dictionary, and the named JavaScript tree in the catalog. This is enabled by default because JavaScript in PDFs is both a common source of corruption from buggy exporters and a security concern in files from unknown sources.
It removes the AcroForm entry from the document catalog (the form data model) and strips the Annots array from each page (the widget annotations). This is off by default but useful when interactive fields are causing compatibility issues with strict PDF viewers.
The repair tool loads encrypted files with maximum tolerance. If parsing succeeds, you will receive a repaired (still encrypted) output. You can then use our Unlock PDF tool to remove the password from the clean file.
No. Every step - parsing the damaged file, applying repair options, rendering page previews, and generating the download - runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server.
If browser-based repair fails, the corruption may be too deep for client-side recovery. Try dedicated desktop tools such as QPDF, Ghostscript, or PDF Recovery Toolbox. If the file came from a third party, request a fresh copy directly from the source.
Need a Custom Website Built?
While you use our free tools, let us build your professional website. Fast, affordable, and hassle-free.