Guides

Short, plain answers about editing PDFs in the browser: what can be changed, what cannot, and why a scanned page behaves differently.

• How to edit a PDF without uploading your file

  Most online PDF tools upload your file before you can change a word. Here is how to edit a PDF in the browser instead, with the file staying on your computer.

• How to edit existing text in a PDF

  Adding text to a PDF and changing text that is already there are two different jobs. Here is what happens when you edit existing PDF text, and why some lines resist.

• Why can’t I edit text in a scanned PDF?

  In a scanned PDF the words you see are often a picture, not text. Here is how to tell the difference, what a hidden text layer is, and what can be done today.

• What is actually inside a PDF?

  A PDF page is not a flat picture. It is a stack of separate things — text, images, links, form fields, annotations — and knowing that explains how editors behave.