PDF Permissions Viewer
View PDF permissions and security settings online for free. Check printing, copying, editing, and encryption status. All processing in your browser.
How to Use
Inspect the security settings of any PDF in three steps:
- Upload your PDF — Drag and drop a PDF file onto the dropzone or click to browse your device. The tool loads the file entirely within your browser and begins parsing its internal structure. No data leaves your machine.
- Review the results — The viewer displays three sections: document information (title, author, creator, page count, PDF version), encryption status (whether encrypted, which algorithm, and which password types are set), and a detailed permissions grid showing exactly which operations the document allows or restricts.
- Interpret permission flags — Each flag maps to a specific PDF operation. "Allowed" (green) means the operation is unrestricted. "Low-res only" (amber) means printing is permitted but limited to low resolution. "Restricted" (red) means the document owner has disabled that capability. Note that these flags are enforced by PDF readers — they do not prevent all software from performing the operation.
After reviewing, click "Inspect another PDF" to analyze a different file. The tool resets completely — no previous file data is retained in memory.
About This Tool
PDF encryption and permissions are defined in ISO 32000-2:2020, the international standard governing PDF structure. When a PDF creator applies security settings, two mechanisms work together: an encryption algorithm that scrambles the file content, and a permissions bitmask that declares which operations are allowed. Understanding both is essential for anyone working with secured documents.
The encryption algorithm protects the document bytes. PDF supports four encryption revisions: RC4-40 (introduced in PDF 1.1, now considered weak), RC4-128 (PDF 1.4), AES-128 (PDF 1.5), and AES-256 (PDF 2.0). AES-256 with revision 6 is the current recommended standard — it uses a 256-bit key derived through an improved key derivation function that resists brute-force attacks. This viewer identifies the exact algorithm by reading the /Encrypt dictionary in the PDF trailer, inspecting the /V, /R, and /CF entries.
PDF security uses two distinct passwords. The user password (also called the open password) prevents anyone without the password from viewing the document at all. The owner password (also called the permissions password) controls what operations are allowed once the document is opened. A PDF can have an owner password without a user password — in that case, anyone can view the document, but the permission restrictions still apply in compliant viewers like Adobe Acrobat. The permission bitmask is stored as a signed 32-bit integer in the /P entry of the Encrypt dictionary.
The permission bitmask encodes seven distinct flags using individual bits of the /P integer: bit 3 controls printing, bit 4 controls content modification, bit 5 controls text and image extraction (copying), bit 6 controls annotations and form field creation, bit 9 controls form filling, bit 10 controls content extraction for accessibility purposes, and bit 11 controls document assembly (inserting, rotating, and deleting pages). Bit 12 controls high-quality printing — when bit 3 is set but bit 12 is not, printing is allowed but restricted to a low-resolution rendering.
This tool uses pdf-lib to parse the PDF structure without modifying any bytes. The library loads the document with ignoreEncryption: true, which allows reading the trailer and Encrypt dictionary even when the content is encrypted. The processor then extracts the /P value and applies bitwise operations to decode each permission flag individually.
Why Use This Tool
Inspecting PDF permission flags serves concrete needs across professional, legal, and personal workflows:
- Pre-distribution verification — Before sharing a PDF externally, confirm that the intended restrictions are correctly applied. Verify that printing is disabled for draft documents, that copying is restricted for proprietary content, or that form filling is the only operation permitted for contract templates.
- Compliance auditing — Regulatory frameworks (HIPAA, GDPR, SOX) may require documents to carry specific security configurations. Audit PDFs received from vendors or partners to confirm they meet your organization's encryption and access control standards.
- Troubleshooting print failures — When a PDF refuses to print or prints at poor quality, the cause is often a permission flag rather than a printer issue. This viewer instantly shows whether printing is allowed, restricted to low resolution, or completely disabled.
- Evaluating document integrity — When receiving signed contracts or legal filings, check whether the document permits modifications or annotations. A fully locked PDF with AES-256 encryption and no modification permissions is more trustworthy than an unencrypted file.
- Understanding encryption strength — Older PDFs may use RC4-40, which can be cracked in seconds with modern hardware. Identifying weak encryption helps prioritize which documents need re-encryption with AES-256 before archival or transmission.
Cloud-based PDF inspection tools require uploading your documents to remote servers — unacceptable for confidential materials, legal evidence, or classified files. This tool processes everything in your browser using WebAssembly-compiled JavaScript. The PDF bytes never leave your device, making it safe for medical records, financial reports, attorney-client communications, and any document subject to data handling regulations.