What is HTPBE?, and what does it do?

HTPBE? (Has This PDF Been Edited?) is an online service that detects whether a PDF document has been modified after it was originally created. Upload your PDF and see the verdict in seconds – no account and no technical knowledge required. Files up to 10 MB are supported.

The service analyzes the PDF’s internal structure, metadata, and creation history to detect any signs of post-creation modifications. Results come in three states: Intact (no modification found), Modified (modification detected), or Inconclusive (the file’s origin can’t vouch for it, for example a document produced in consumer software that anyone could use to create it from scratch).

How HTPBE? works

HTPBE? uses multi-layer forensic analysis to detect post-creation modifications. The system examines:

• PDF metadata – the dates and software recorded in the file
• Internal file structure – traces that the file was changed after it was first written
• Digital signatures – presence, removal and changes made after signing (the signature certificate itself is not validated)
• Embedded content – JavaScript, hidden file attachments, and other suspicious elements

The detailed metadata and findings on the result page explain the reasoning behind each verdict.

Common use cases

HTPBE? is used across many real-world situations:

• Financial & payments: bank transfer receipts, payment screenshots, invoices from suppliers, expense receipts, financial statements
• Business & legal: contracts, business agreements, court documents, legal notices
• Academic & professional: educational certificates, diplomas, academic transcripts, professional licenses
• E-commerce & marketplaces: shipping confirmations, order confirmations, return and refund documentation

In every scenario, HTPBE? provides a quick first check to identify potentially tampered documents, helping you make safer decisions in transactions and business dealings.

Who uses HTPBE?

The service is used by anyone who receives PDF documents and needs to trust their authenticity before making a decision:

• Online sellers and marketplace vendors checking payment confirmations from buyers before shipping
• Freelancers and independent contractors validating client payment receipts and invoices
• Small business owners reviewing invoices and financial documents from customers and suppliers
• HR and recruitment professionals checking certificates, diplomas, and credentials from job applicants
• Landlords and property managers validating tenant payment confirmations and rental receipts
• Accountants and bookkeepers reviewing expense receipts and financial paperwork
• Legal professionals performing preliminary checks on document integrity
• Lending and risk teams using the API to detect edited bank statements at scale

Is it free?

It is free to start. Upload a PDF up to 10 MB and you see the verdict straight away, without an account. The full report behind the verdict – what produced the file, its dates, signatures and every structural finding – opens with a free account, and New accounts get 5 free credits on signup.

One check costs one credit, whether it runs from the web app or the API – both draw from the same balance. Once the welcome credits are used, you can buy a one-time credit pack or a monthly plan – see current pricing.

Is it safe?

Yes. HTPBE? is built around a strict privacy model:

• Document content is not interpreted. The service examines the technical side of the file – metadata, internal structure, signatures – and does not interpret what the document says: it does not analyse the wording or check the figures.
• Where files are kept. Files uploaded through the web tool are stored in encrypted cloud storage (in the EU) and may be retained in anonymized form to improve our detection algorithm; files submitted through the API are never stored. In both cases analysis is strictly structural – the substantive content is never examined.
• Encrypted in transit. All uploads and result pages use HTTPS/TLS.
• Results are yours to keep. The result page stores the verdict, extracted metadata (filename, file size, dates, creator, producer), and structural findings. Any web-uploaded file that is retained is used only in anonymized form to improve our detection algorithm; API submissions are never stored.