What happens to my uploaded PDF file after analysis?
It depends on how you submit the file. Files uploaded through the free web tool are stored in encrypted cloud storage (Cloudflare R2, hosted in the European Union) and may be retained after analysis and used, in anonymized and aggregated form, to test and improve our detection algorithm. Before a file is used for this purpose it is dissociated from your identity and any contact details. Files submitted through our public API are never stored — an API submission is fetched, analyzed once, and discarded.
What we keep for every check: the analysis results and metadata — filename, file size, creation and modification dates, creator, producer, and detected findings. Those results stay at your unique result URL so you can reference them later.
In every case our analysis is strictly structural: we examine the file’s technical layout, never the substantive content of your document, so the text of sensitive contracts, financial statements, and personal records is never read.
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Why does my PDF show as modified even though I didn't edit it?
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Reading Your Results
A PDF showing as “modified” doesn’t necessarily mean someone tampered with the content. Many legitimate actions create modifications that our PDF authenticity checker detects:
- Saving or exporting: Re-saving a PDF in any tool (even without changes) updates the modification date and metadata
- Format conversion: Converting from Word/Excel to PDF, or PDF to PDF/A, creates new metadata
- Adding signatures: Digitally signing a PDF creates incremental updates
- Printing to PDF: “Printing” a PDF to create a new PDF changes all metadata
- Auto-save features: Some PDF viewers auto-save which triggers modification timestamps
- Annotation or comments: Adding notes, highlights, or comments modifies the file structure
Our system detects any structural changes after the PDF was originally created. This is intentional—it helps you know the document’s complete history. A “modified” result doesn’t automatically mean fraud or tampering; it means the file has a history beyond its initial creation.
Review the detailed findings on the results page to understand what specific changes were detected and whether they align with your document’s known history.
No, you cannot view or download your original PDF file from the results page. The results page displays only the analysis metadata and findings—not the document itself.
This is a deliberate privacy and security feature. The results page never exposes the original document, so no one who holds a shared result link can retrieve the underlying PDF. Where a web-uploaded file is retained, it is used only in anonymized form to improve our detection algorithm, as described in our privacy policy; files submitted through the API are never stored.
The results page shows comprehensive analysis information including:
- Modification status (modified/not modified)
- Modification verdict and specific findings
- Metadata (creation date, modification date, creator, producer)
- Structural findings (incremental updates, signatures, etc.)
- Specific anomalies detected
Keep your original PDF file: If you need to reference the actual document later, make sure to keep a copy on your local device. The analysis results are permanent, but access to the original file is not.
This policy protects user privacy by ensuring uploaded documents are not accessible to others through shared result links, even if the link is compromised.
Privacy, Data & Limits
Analysis results are stored permanently in our database. Once you upload and analyze a PDF, the results remain accessible indefinitely at the unique URL (htpbe.tech/result/[unique-id]).
This permanent storage has several benefits:
- You can reference analysis results months or years later for audits or legal proceedings
- Shared links remain valid indefinitely, ensuring recipients can always view results
- Historical analysis can be compared if you check the same document multiple times
What is stored permanently: Analysis metadata, modification verdict, creation/modification dates, creator/producer information, structural findings, and detection results.
What about the original file? As stated in our privacy policy, files uploaded through the free web tool may be retained in anonymized form and used to improve our detection algorithm; files submitted through the public API are never stored. In neither case is the substantive content of your document read — analysis is limited to the file’s technical structure.
This approach ensures you have long-term access to detection results while keeping the analysis strictly structural.