Validate
a PDF/A.
A file named PDF/A is not necessarily one. Validation reads it against the standard and says yes or no, with the reasons when the answer is no. Free, processed in France.
- tool.pricefree 0 €
- tool.installnothing to install
- tool.retentiondeleted after the job
- tool.hostingFrance 100%
Your files are processed on servers in France and deleted automatically once the job is done. More on security.
What it takes, what it gives back
- You uploadOne PDF file, up to 100 MB
- What happensThe file is read against ISO 19005, at the level it declares
- You get backA verdict on screen, with the reasons when it fails
- What is not doneNothing is repaired and no file comes back. This tool only reports
- RetentionNone. The file is erased once the verdict is written
Three steps, nothing to install
Upload your PDF
Up to 100 MB.
It is read against the standard
At the conformance level the file declares for itself.
Read the verdict
Valid, or not valid with the reasons. No file is produced.
Three situations it was made for
Before a submission that will be refused otherwise
Some bodies reject a file that fails validation, without saying why. Better to know first.
Checking what a supplier sent you
A file labelled PDF/A in an email is a claim. Validation is what turns it into a fact.
Checking your own conversion
A conversion should produce a conforming file. Should is not the same as does.
What the tool actually does
The name on the file proves nothing
Anything can be called document-pdfa.pdf, and software that claims to export PDF/A does not always succeed. Only reading the file against the standard settles it, and that is all this tool does.
The level comes from the file
A PDF/A declares its own conformance level inside itself. Validation reads that declaration and checks the file against that level, which is why you are not asked to pick one here.
Not valid does not mean unusable
A file that fails validation is still a perfectly good PDF for reading and sending. It simply does not meet the archiving standard, which matters only when someone requires it. If they do, conversion to PDF/A is the next step.
Before you upload anything
Do I get a file back?
No. This tool reports a verdict, it does not produce a document.
Which level is it checked against?
The one the file declares for itself. You do not have to choose.
My file is not valid, what now?
Convert it to PDF/A, then validate the result. Most failures come from fonts that were never embedded.
Can it repair the file?
No. It reads and reports. Conversion is the tool that changes the file.
Is the tool free?
Yes, with no sign-up and nothing to install.
Is my file kept?
No. It is deleted once the verdict is written.
Where is my file processed?
On servers in France. Your data stays in the European Union, under the GDPR.
Do I need an account?
No. An account is what lets you keep, find and share your documents afterwards.
More questions about the tools? See the toolbox section of the help centre.