What PDF formats and versions are supported?
HTPBE? accepts PDF files of every version from 1.0 to 2.0, up to 10 MB. It works on the PDF itself; Word, Excel and image files are not accepted.
What works
- PDF versions 1.0 through 2.0.
- Linearized (Fast Web View) PDFs.
- PDF/A (archival) and PDF/X (print) files.
- Files with forms, annotations and multimedia.
- Signed PDFs – HTPBE? detects signatures but does not validate them.
- PDFs from any software that produces them.
A supported file is not always a conclusive one. A file produced in consumer software is analysed and comes back Inconclusive, because its structure can’t vouch for a file anyone could have produced from scratch. A scan is never returned as Intact.
What does not work
- Other file types – convert a Word or Excel file to PDF first. The integrity check then applies to the new PDF, not to the original file.
- Password-protected or encrypted PDFs – remove the password before submitting. The API returns
422 invalid_pdffor them. - Corrupted or truncated files – if a file does not open in a PDF reader, it will not analyse. An unreadable file returns an error and uses no credit.
- Files over 10 MB.
For API users
The file must be reachable at a public HTTP or HTTPS URL without authentication. Files behind a login, a firewall or a VPN fail to download.
If a file you believe is valid keeps failing, contact support with the file or URL so it can be investigated.
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Related questions
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3 answers
Reading Your Results
Results are private by default. The owner can switch a check to Public in the dashboard, and anyone with the link can then view the result without an account. The page shows the analysis, not the original PDF.
Legitimate actions change a file too: re-saving, signing, filling in forms, annotating. Modified means the file has a history beyond its first creation, not necessarily fraud. Check the findings.
Privacy, Data & Limits
It depends on how you submit it. Web uploads may be retained and used in anonymised form to improve detection; files sent through the API are not stored. The analysis results are kept in both cases.