What PDF formats and versions are supported?

Each PDF authenticity check generates a unique, permanent URL that you can share with others to view the analysis results. After uploading your PDF and completing the PDF tamper detection, you'll receive a results page with a shareable link (format: htpbe.tech/result/[unique-id]).

This link provides full access to the analysis including modification status, metadata details, and all findings. You can share this link via email, messaging apps, or embed it in documents. The results page includes social sharing buttons for easy distribution.

Recipients don’t need accounts or special access—the link works for anyone. This makes it easy to share PDF modification detection results with colleagues, clients, or legal professionals.

Note: The shared link shows analysis results only, not the original PDF file, maintaining privacy while enabling collaboration on PDF authenticity analysis.

Your uploaded PDF file is stored temporarily in secure cloud storage (Vercel Blob) during the analysis process. Files are automatically deleted approximately one hour after upload as part of Vercel's standard retention policy.

We do not manually delete files immediately after analysis because this allows you time to re-check results if needed. However, the automatic cleanup ensures your files don’t remain stored indefinitely.

Important: We only retain the analysis results and metadata permanently in our database—never the actual PDF file content. This includes information like filename, file size, creation date, modification date, and detected findings. The original PDF file itself is automatically purged from storage after approximately one hour.

This approach balances security, privacy, and functionality while complying with data retention best practices.

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.