logo
Free tool · nothing stored

View Every PDF Metadata Field — Online & Free

See every piece of hidden data inside any PDF — creation and modification dates, the Creator and Producer applications, the full XMP packet, and every other metadata field in the file. Free, instant, and nothing is stored. Then, if you just need to know whether the file was edited, get the verdict free.

Drag a PDF here or click to select. Your file is read for its metadata and deleted right after. Maximum 10 MB. Nothing is stored.

What you are looking at

Two parallel metadata stores, read in full

Every PDF carries metadata in two places at once. The Info dictionary holds the classic “Document Properties” — Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, and the creation and modification timestamps. The XMP packet is an XML block that many modern tools write instead of, or alongside, the Info dictionary.

This viewer reads both, plus the technical facts of the file itself — PDF version, page count, size, and whether the document is encrypted. Most online tools show a handful of properties; this one dumps the complete raw record, every key present.

For the full field-by-field breakdown of what each value means — and what it can and cannot prove — see understanding PDF metadata.

Info dictionary

Classic document properties — the eight standard fields plus any custom keys.

XMP packet

Every parsed namespace field, plus the raw XML packet verbatim.

Technical facts

Version, page count, size, encryption — the physical shape of the file.

The question behind the search

Does PDF metadata show if a file was edited?

Short answer: no. Metadata tells you what a document claims about itself — not whether anyone changed it after it was created. The Producer string is usually the single most telling field, the one fraud guides tell you to read first — and it is also the easiest of all to rewrite. A free tool or a one-line script can set the Producer, the Creator, and both timestamps to anything in seconds, leaving a clean-looking metadata block on a file that was heavily altered.

So a tidy Producer and a sensible ModDate prove nothing on their own, and a missing or odd value is a clue at best. The only reliable answer comes from reading the file structure at the byte level — the cross-reference geometry, the update history, the way the document was actually assembled — which is what a structural tamper check does, and what no metadata viewer can. HTPBE? returns one verdict from that structure: intact, modified, or cannot verify. Check a PDF free — new accounts get 5 checks, no credit card.

Field coverage

Every metadata field this viewer reads

The complete raw record — every key present in the file, exactly as it is written, grouped by where it lives.

Info dictionary

The classic “Document Properties” fields.

  • Title, Author, Subject
  • Keywords
  • Creator application
  • Producer application
  • CreationDate
  • ModDate
  • Trapped and custom keys

XMP packet

The parallel XML metadata block many tools write.

  • Dublin Core (dc:*)
  • XMP core (xmp:*)
  • PDF schema (pdf:*)
  • Media management (xmpMM:*)
  • Document and instance IDs
  • Software-history entries
  • The raw XML packet in full

Technical facts

The physical facts of the file itself.

  • PDF version
  • Page count
  • File size
  • Encryption status
  • Whether an XMP packet is present

Reading the fields

Two pairs of fields trip people up more than any other — the Creator/Producer split, and the creation-versus-modification dates. Here is what each actually tells you.

PDF Creator vs Producer: what the difference means

The Creator is the application that originally authored the document — for example Microsoft Word or Google Docs. The Producer is the software that last wrote the PDF bytes — for example Adobe Acrobat, a print-to-PDF driver, or an online PDF tool.

When the two disagree, the file passed through more than one tool on its way to you. That is useful context — but on its own it is not proof of tampering, because either string can be rewritten in seconds.

Where the PDF creation and modification dates live

Every PDF records two timestamps: CreationDate, when the file was first written, and ModDate, when it was last saved. Both sit in the Info dictionary, and a parallel pair often appears in the XMP packet (xmp:CreateDate and xmp:ModifyDate).

A future date, or a modification stamp earlier than the creation stamp, can be a clue something is off. But these are plain-text fields, so a clean-looking pair proves nothing on its own — which is exactly why a structural tamper check reads the file bytes instead.

Step by step

How to view PDF metadata online

No install, no Acrobat, no account — three steps from file to full metadata record.

1

Select your PDF

Drag a PDF onto the viewer above, or click to choose one (up to 10 MB). No Adobe Acrobat, no install, no account — the file is read in your browser session.

2

Read every field

The complete Info dictionary, the full XMP packet, and the technical facts of the file appear instantly. Nothing is stored after the read.

3

Find out if it was edited

Metadata can be rewritten in seconds, so none of it proves a file is genuine. For the one answer that matters, run a structural tamper check — free for new accounts.

The one question metadata can’t answer

Metadata is the surface, not the verdict

A metadata viewer answers what does this file claim about itself? — never was this file altered? Timestamps and the Producer string can be rewritten in seconds, so a clean-looking metadata block proves nothing on its own.

HTPBE? reads the file structure at the byte level and returns a single verdict: intact, modified, or cannot verify. New accounts get 5 free checks. For automated, high-volume document checks there is a REST API.

Check a PDF for tampering — free

5 free checks on signup. No credit card.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is PDF metadata?

PDF metadata is data about the document itself rather than its visible content — the title, author, the application that created and last processed it (Creator and Producer), and the creation and modification timestamps. Most of it lives in two places: the Info dictionary and the XMP packet. This viewer reads both.

How do I view the metadata of a PDF online?

Select a PDF file above (up to 10 MB). The file is read in your browser session, its metadata is extracted, and the results appear instantly. Nothing is stored after the read.

What is the difference between the Creator and the Producer?

The Creator is the application that originally authored the document (for example Microsoft Word). The Producer is the software that last wrote the PDF bytes (for example Adobe Acrobat or a print-to-PDF driver). When the two disagree, the document was processed by more than one tool — useful context, though not proof of tampering on its own.

Can PDF metadata be faked or removed?

Yes. Timestamps, the Producer string and other fields can be rewritten or stripped in seconds with widely available tools. That is exactly why metadata alone cannot tell you whether a file was altered — the tamper verdict reads the file structure at the byte level instead.

Does viewing metadata tell me if a PDF was edited?

No. Metadata shows what a document claims about itself; it does not reveal post-creation edits, because those fields are trivially editable. To find out whether a PDF was modified after it was created, you need a structural forensic check — that verdict is available free for new accounts.

Can I view PDF metadata without Adobe Acrobat?

Yes. This viewer runs entirely in your browser session — no Acrobat, no desktop install, no account. Select a PDF and every Info dictionary field, the full XMP packet and the technical facts of the file appear instantly. It works the same on desktop and mobile.

Is anything stored when I view a PDF here?

No. The file is read only long enough to extract its metadata, then discarded. Nothing about the document is saved, logged against your identity, or shared. The metadata read costs nothing and requires no signup.

Secure your workflow

Create your account — API key on signup, free test environment on every plan.
From $15/mo. No sales call. Cancel any time.