Frequently Asked Questions
Comprehensive answers regarding our client-side architecture, tool capabilities, file privacy, and browser troubleshooting.
General & Privacy
How does local browser document processing protect my privacy?
Traditional PDF utilities require you to transmit your files across the internet to their servers. ANU PDFLAB uses client-side JavaScript and WebAssembly to execute all operations in your device's memory. Your documents never travel across the internet, protecting sensitive personal, financial, and legal information from remote storage or data interception.
Is ANU PDFLAB completely free? Are there hidden fees or subscriptions?
Yes. ANU PDFLAB is 100% free with no subscription tiers, no credit card requests, and no usage quotas. We never place watermarks on your generated documents.
Do I need to install any desktop software, extensions, or Node.js?
No. The website runs entirely inside any modern web browser. There is no software to install and no command-line interaction required.
Tool Capabilities & Technical Boundaries
Why can't the tool convert my scanned PDF into an editable Word file?
Scanned documents are stored as flat image bitmaps rather than digital character strings. Extracting characters from an image requires an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine. Because browser-based client-side converters lack a multi-gigabyte OCR language model, ANU PDFLAB detects scanned files and displays an honest notification rather than generating an empty Word document.
Why does the PDF Compressor say my document is already compact?
PDF documents created with lean vector fonts or already-optimized JPEG imagery cannot be compressed further without degrading visual quality. If re-encoding would make the document larger or yield a 0% reduction, our tool alerts you honestly and recommends keeping the original file.
Can I merge or split encrypted, password-protected PDF files?
No. Password-protected documents require cryptographic authorization keys. To work with password-locked files, open them in your desktop PDF viewer, enter your password, save an unencrypted copy, and then load that copy into ANU PDFLAB.
What happens to my document data after I download the result?
When you click Reset or close the browser tab, all allocated JavaScript ArrayBuffers and temporary blob URLs are explicitly revoked and cleared by the browser garbage collector. Your data leaves no persistent trace on your device.