Privacy
Where your files go
The short version: your PDF stays on your machine while it is converted. The whole conversion runs locally, in your browser. I receive a copy only if you later choose to attach it to a problem report.
Most PDF tools want you to upload your document to their server first. Some of what I work with is sensitive, and I never liked the idea of my files sitting on someone else’s machine. So this one was built the other way around. Below is exactly what happens to your file, and an honest answer on the questions people keep asking: open source, self-hosting, and private deployment.
What actually happens to your file
- Conversion stays on your device. The PDF is read and converted by code running in your own browser tab. There is no server in the conversion loop.
- No account, no sign-up. You do not create an account or hand over an email to use it. Open the page, pick a file, get Markdown back.
- No upload by default. I do not receive your PDF unless you deliberately attach it to a problem report using the default-off checkbox.
- Works without a connection. Once the page has loaded, the conversion itself does not need the network. You can disconnect and it still runs.
- Verify the conversion. Open your browser’s DevTools, watch the Network tab, and convert a file. You will not see the PDF go out during conversion.
One honest caveat: the tool loads a few things over the network the normal way a web page does (the app code, fonts, and a built-in sample file if you try it). Conversion still does not send your PDF anywhere.
The optional feedback attachment
After a thumbs-down, you can choose to include that PDF so I can reproduce the problem. The checkbox is off by default; leaving it off sends only your note and basic conversion details.
If you turn it on, the PDF goes straight into private storage. Access is shared only in the private issue notification, and the file is deleted within 24 hours. The file is used only to investigate that report.
Open source & self-hosting
I’ll be straight about where this stands, rather than dress it up. The code is not open source today, and there is no official self-host build yet. Both come up a lot, and both are on my “considering” list, but I’d rather not promise a date I can’t keep.
The good news is that privacy here doesn’t depend on either one. The conversion already runs on your own device, so you get the “my files stay mine” part today, without waiting for a self-host release. If a self-host or open-source version is the thing that would actually make this work for you, that is exactly what I want to know.
One thing I’ll leave the door open on: some hard jobs (heavy OCR, big batches) are tough inside a browser tab, so down the road there may be an optional server-side path, and a paid tier to go with the bigger stuff. If that ever happens it’d be a clearly-marked choice, never the default. The free, in-browser tool you’re using now stays local and private either way.
Need self-hosting, a private deployment, or a Pro version?
I’m trying to figure out who actually needs what here, so I can build the right thing instead of guessing. Tick whatever matters to you and, if you like, leave a word on why. Email is optional, only fill it in if you want me to follow up.
Got it, thank you 🧡 This goes straight onto my list. If you left an email, I’ll reach out when there’s something to share.
— Jerome
Questions people keep asking
Do my files get uploaded to a server?
Not for conversion. The conversion runs entirely in your browser. The only exception is optional feedback: if you check “Include this PDF” and send the report, that copy is uploaded to private storage so I can investigate it, then deleted within 24 hours. The box is off by default.
Is pdfmarkdown.app open source?
Not yet. The code is not public today. Open-sourcing it is something I am considering, but I am not promising a date I cannot keep.
Can I self-host or run it offline?
There is no official self-host build today. That said, the conversion already runs locally in your browser, so once the page has loaded you can convert files with the network disconnected. A proper self-host option is on the “considering” list, not a commitment.
Do you store or log my documents?
Not when you convert. If you explicitly attach a PDF to feedback, the private copy is retained only for investigating that report and deleted within 24 hours. I cannot access PDFs you do not attach.
I have a private deployment or enterprise need. What now?
Email me at hey@pdfmarkdown.app and tell me what you need. I am collecting these to figure out whether a self-host or private-deployment option is worth building, and what it should do.
That’s the privacy story: conversion stays in your browser, and sharing a problem file is always your choice. If you want to see where the rest of the tool is heading, the roadmap lays out what works, what’s rough, and the maybe-someday server-side option.