Check a PDF before sharing or publishing

Before sending a PDF to a customer, publishing it online or archiving it, check both its visual quality and technical content. A readable document may still contain an obsolete link, a forgotten attachment, a script or internal metadata.

Quick checklist before sharing

• open all pages and check their order, orientation and margins;
• test the document in at least two PDF readers;
• check fonts, images, links and form fields;
• check for JavaScript, automatic actions and embedded files;
• reread metadata and delete unnecessary internal information;
• verify accessibility and, if necessary, archiving compliance.

1. Check rendering and fonts

Browse the page-by-page document at the normal zoom level, then enlarge the complex areas. Check dimensions, orientations, white pages, pixelated images, transparency issues and elements close to margins. For an impression, also ask for the bleed and color-profile requirements.

Then open the file in two different readers, for example a browser and a dedicated application. An unembedded font or poorly supported function can change the layout for the recipient.

2. Test links and forms

Click on each link and check its final destination, HTTPS protocol and absence of test or administration address. Also check buttons, bookmarks, form fields and signatures. If the document is intended for reading only, remove the interactive functions that have become useless.

3. Identify scripts and attachments

A PDF may contain JavaScript, actions triggered on opening, forms or embedded files. These elements are not necessarily malicious, but they increase the risk and can cause a safety warning. Remove anything that is not essential.

A static inspection allows them to be identified without executing them. It completes, but does not replace, the antivirus file analysis and the PDF reader updates.

4. Clean metadata

The title, author, organization, producer software and dates may reveal internal information. Also check the embedded file names, comments, annotations and links that point to a test environment. However, do not delete the data necessary for document traceability.

5. Check accessibility

Check the language of the document, the title structure, the reading order, the textual alternatives of the images, contrast and keyboard navigation. The presence of tags does not guarantee their quality: a test with a suitable reader remains necessary for a document intended for the public.

6. Validate archival compliance

A PDF/A entry in metadata is not sufficient to certify compliance. For a regulated archive, use a specialized validator, keep its report and document the production chain. Also keep a copy of the source when required by your retention policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to check a PDF before sending?

Open it in multiple readers, check each page, fonts, images and links, and then search for scripts, attachments and metadata that should not be released.

How do I know if a PDF contains a virus or script?

Inspect the document with a tool that lists JavaScript, automatic actions, embedded files and links without executing the content. This inspection reduces the risk, but does not replace an updated antivirus scan.

What metadata should be deleted from a PDF?

Remove or correct fields that unnecessarily reveal an author, software, organization, internal path or the name of an attachment. Keep the information required by your document-management process.

How to control the accessibility of a PDF?

Check the language, titles and tags, reading order, alternative text of images, contrast and keyboard navigation with a suitable reader.

See also how PDF analysis works online and its limitations.

Published on 19 July 2026, updated on 20 August 2026.