Frequently asked questions
Everything people usually want to know before they upload — sorry, before they open — their first file.
Are the tools really free?
Yes. Every tool on PDF Campus is free to use, with no account, no trial period, no daily cap and no watermark stamped on the result.
Do I need to create an account?
No. There is nothing to sign up for. Open a tool, choose your file and download the result.
What happens to the files I use?
The work happens inside your own browser tab and the finished file downloads straight to your device. A few tools that need artificial intelligence — summarising, translating — send the text they need to a processing service to do the job.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no fixed limit. The practical ceiling is your device's memory, so a very large scan takes longer on a phone than on a laptop.
Why is the text no longer selectable after compressing?
Strong compression rebuilds each page as an image, which is what makes the file so much smaller. Keep the original if you need selectable text, or run the compressed copy through OCR PDF to add a searchable text layer back.
Can I use the tools on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Every page is built for small screens, so you can pick a file from your phone, run the tool and download the result in the same tab.
Can I open a password-protected PDF?
Use Unlock PDF with the password you already have to create an unprotected copy. We cannot break or guess a password you do not know.
The result does not look exactly like the original. Why?
Conversions between formats always involve some interpretation — a fixed PDF page and a reflowing Word document simply work differently. Text, headings and reading order come across reliably; elaborate layouts are simplified.
Which browsers work best?
Recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari all work. Keeping your browser up to date gives the fastest processing.
Something went wrong with my file. What now?
Tell us on the contact page which tool you used and what kind of file it was, and we will look into it.
Still stuck? Send us a message and we will get back to you.