This page explains exactly how PDFRun.io handles your files: where they are processed, how long they are kept, how they are protected in transit, and what we never do with them. We keep it public and specific so you can verify our claims rather than take them on trust.

Two processing modes

PDFRun.io processes files in one of two ways depending on the tool you use:

Browser-mode (in-browser) processing. On 8 tools — merge, split, rotate, organize, watermark, page numbers, remove pages, and extract pages — your file can be processed entirely inside your own browser. The file never leaves your device and never reaches our servers. You can verify this yourself: open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the Network tab, and run the tool. You will see no file upload during processing. This is the strongest privacy guarantee we offer, and it is available without an account.

Server-side processing. Some tools — compression, OCR, and format conversions — run on our servers because they need processing power or libraries that are not practical to run in a browser. For these, your file is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed, returned to you, and then deleted. The details of that lifecycle are below.

The server-side file lifecycle

When a file is processed on our servers:

  • Upload. The file travels from your device to our server over an HTTPS (TLS) encrypted connection. It is not transmitted in plain text.
  • Processing. The file is processed to perform the operation you requested (for example, compression or OCR). It is not inspected for any other purpose, not read by a human, and not analysed for content.
  • Return. The processed result is made available for you to download.
  • Deletion. Both the original upload and the processed output are automatically deleted within one hour of processing. We do not retain copies.

What we never do with your files

  • We do not sell your files or any data derived from them.
  • We do not share your files with third parties for advertising or any other commercial purpose.
  • We do not use your uploaded documents to train AI or machine-learning models. Your files are processed to perform the task you asked for and then deleted — they are never added to a training dataset.
  • We do not require an account to use the core tools, so for most uses we hold no profile linking files to an identity.
  • We do not read, index, or store the content of your documents beyond the brief processing window described above.

Encryption

All connections to PDFRun.io use HTTPS with TLS encryption. Files in transit between your device and our servers are encrypted. Browser-mode tools never transmit the file at all, so there is nothing to intercept.

Accounts and payment data

If you create a Pro account, we store the minimum needed to operate it: your email address and subscription status. Payment is handled by Stripe; we do not store your full card details on our servers. Stripe processes card data under its own PCI-DSS compliance.

Cookies and analytics

We use privacy-respecting analytics to understand aggregate usage (which tools are popular, where errors occur). In regions that require consent for non-essential cookies, analytics cookies are only set after you consent. You can decline analytics cookies and continue to use every tool normally. See our Privacy Policy for the full cookie detail.

GDPR and your rights

PDFRun.io is operated in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Because we delete files within one hour and hold no document content beyond processing, there is normally no stored file data to request or erase. For account data (email, subscription status), you have the right to access, correct, or delete it.

To make a data access or deletion request, or to ask any question about how your data is handled, email info@pdfrun.io.

Reporting a security issue

If you believe you have found a security vulnerability in PDFRun.io, please report it to info@pdfrun.io. We take security reports seriously and will respond as quickly as we can.

This page describes our current practices and may be updated as the product evolves. Material changes will be reflected here.