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PDFBase

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2026

Privacy Summary

TL;DR:Your files are processed entirely in your browser and are never uploaded to us. Selected files and results remain in browser memory until you reset the tool or leave the page. A PDF selected on the homepage may be kept briefly in your browser’s IndexedDB for the handoff to a tool. We don’t track filenames or document contents. We do collect the tool slug and coarse, anonymous usage events described below so we can improve the service.

1. Introduction

Welcome to PDFBase (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our website at www.pdfbase.io and our PDF conversion tools.

2. How Our Tools Work

PDFBase is designed with privacy as a core principle. All currently available PDFBase tools process files locally in your browser.

Client-Side Processing

Our tools process files entirely in your web browser using JavaScript. When you use these tools:

  • Your files never leave your device
  • Processing happens locally in your browser
  • We cannot see, access, or store your files
  • Selected files and generated results remain in browser memory until you reset the tool or leave the page
  • Downloading a result does not itself clear the selected file or generated result from memory

Homepage Tool Handoff

If you select a PDF on the homepage and then choose a tool, PDFBase temporarily saves that file in IndexedDB inside your browser so the next page can load it. The handoff is available for up to 30 minutes and is deleted when the tool retrieves it. An expired entry is deleted the next time PDFBase checks the local handoff storage. It remains on your device and is never sent to our servers.

Network Requests vs. File Transfer

Loading PDFBase does involve network requests: your browser downloads the page, scripts, fonts, and the PDF engine, and sends small anonymized analytics events. Those requests never contain your file bytes. File processing happens in browser memory, so selected files and derived content are not part of any request payload.

Verify It Yourself

You can confirm local processing in about a minute:

  1. Open your browser’s developer tools and switch to the Network tab.
  2. Load a tool page, then clear the Network log.
  3. Select a file and run the conversion.
  4. Watch the requests: none of them carry your file. A file upload would appear as a large POST request with a multi-megabyte payload — you will not see one. The only requests after processing are tiny analytics events (a few hundred bytes each).

3. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We may collect information you voluntarily provide, such as your email address if you subscribe to our newsletter.

Automatically Collected Information

We collect minimal analytics data to improve our service:

  • Page views and tool usage statistics (anonymized)
  • Browser type and operating system
  • General geographic location (country level)
  • Referring website

Tool usage events contain only: the tool’s slug (e.g. “png-to-pdf”), an event type (file accepted/rejected, processing started/succeeded/failed, download), a rejection or error category, the IDs of options you changed (never their values), the number of input files, and coarse size and duration buckets (e.g. “1–10 MB”, “1–5 s”). They never contain filenames, file contents, passwords, page text, file hashes, exact byte sizes, or Blob/data URLs.

We use privacy-focused analytics that do not track individual users or use cookies for tracking.

4. What We Don’t Collect

We want to be clear about what we do NOT collect:

  • The contents of your files
  • File names or metadata
  • Personal information from your documents
  • Your conversion history
  • IP addresses (we anonymize these)

5. Cookies

We use only essential cookies required for the website to function properly. We do not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies.

Essential cookies we use:

  • Theme preference (light/dark mode)
  • Session management (if applicable)

6. Third-Party Services

We may use the following third-party services:

  • Analytics: Privacy-focused analytics to understand usage patterns
  • CDN: Content delivery networks to serve static assets quickly

These services are selected for their privacy practices and do not have access to your files.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information:

  • HTTPS encryption for all connections
  • Regular security audits
  • Minimal data collection and retention
  • Secure, privacy-focused hosting

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Know what data we collect about you
  • Request deletion of any data we hold
  • Opt out of analytics collection
  • Unsubscribe from any communications

9. Children’s Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at privacy@pdfbase.io.