Why not just use Adobe Acrobat?+
Acrobat's Sanitize tool removes the metadata Acrobat can see — author, title, comments, basic XMP. It does not strip embedded hexadecimal residue, orphaned object streams, font-cache fingerprints, or producer-chain traces left by the originating application, and it produces no audit certificate, no SHA-256 hash, and no per-file record that sanitisation ran. PDF Cleanse performs a four-stage clean down to the byte level and issues a per-file audit certificate (PDF + JSON, SHA-256 hashed) — a documented, repeatable record of what was removed, when, and from which file. The
technical brief sets out the architecture and certificate format in detail. Plus: no Adobe licence required (£2,400/year for 10 seats), no install, no procurement cycle, no per-user subscription. £97 one-time for one user, £397 for up to 10, £987 for up to 30.
Do I need to run Adobe Sanitise first, or does it work on its own?+
It works entirely on its own — no Adobe Acrobat, no Sanitize step, no licence required. PDF Cleanse performs the full four-stage clean regardless of what's been run beforehand. Two things worth knowing: it only processes PDF files — it doesn't clean JPG, PNG, DOCX or other formats directly — and it doesn't strip EXIF or GPS data from images embedded inside a PDF, since that data lives inside the image itself rather than the PDF structure (see the question below on GPS data).
How much paralegal time does this save?+
Manual metadata checking typically takes around 15 minutes per document. At a fully-loaded paralegal cost of roughly £40/hour, that's £10 per document in staff time — whether or not it gets billed on. A firm processing 10 documents a week spends around £4,800 a year on manual checks. The Team tier pays for itself inside a month at that volume. PDF Cleanse processes a batch of twelve documents in under thirty seconds.
How do I know my file genuinely isn't uploaded?+
Open your browser's developer tools (F12) → Network tab, then drop a file. You will see zero network requests made during processing. The file is read via the FileReader API and processed entirely in browser memory. This is verifiable by anyone with basic developer tools.
How many computers can I install it on?+
There is nothing to install — it is a single HTML file that opens in any browser. The licence is contractual, not technical. Individual covers 1 user on any device they use. Team covers up to 10. Departmental covers up to 30. You can copy the file to a shared drive, a USB, or your intranet.
How long will my licence last?+
Your licence is permanent — the tool itself keeps working for as long as your browser opens HTML files, which is likely well beyond 5 years. This is a one-time purchase: no subscription, no renewal, no follow-up emails to manage. If a newer version is ever released, it'll simply be available on the site for you to download if you want it — there's no obligation on either side to track it.
Does it work in an air-gapped environment?+
Yes. Once the page has loaded, it functions entirely offline. For fully air-gapped networks, self-host the pdf-lib script alongside the HTML file — instructions are in the technical whitepaper.
Can we purchase by purchase order?+
Yes. Email info@pdfcleanse.com with your organisation name and required licence tier. We will issue a proforma invoice. A receipt is provided on payment. This avoids the need for a credit card and fits standard government and legal procurement workflows.
Can I read the technical detail before buying?+
Yes. The
technical whitepaper (12 pages, PDF) sets out the four-stage architecture, the audit certificate format, the security posture, deployment options, known limitations, and a competitor comparison. It is written for IT administrators, data protection officers, and procurement teams evaluating the tool for internal use. No email required to download.
Does this guarantee
GDPR compliance?
+No. PDF Cleanse is a technical utility that supports compliance workflows. It removes the metadata layers described in the whitepaper but cannot guarantee that every form of embedded data is removed from every PDF. It does not constitute legal advice. Your
DPO remains responsible for your organisation's compliance obligations.
What happens to my files after I clean them?+
Nothing. The cleaned file is downloaded to your device. The original and cleaned versions exist only in browser memory during processing and are discarded when you close the tab. PDF Cleanse has no server, no database, and no storage. It is physically impossible for us to retain your files.
Will cleaning a PDF invalidate its digital signature?+
Yes, in most cases. Digital signatures in PDFs cryptographically cover the file's byte content — including metadata. Stripping metadata alters that content, which will invalidate any existing signature. If your document carries a digital signature that must remain verifiable, clean first, then re-sign the output.
Does PDF Cleanse remove GPS or location data?+
Not from embedded images. PDF Cleanse removes PDF-level structural metadata — Info dictionary, XMP packets, document IDs, and PieceInfo streams. If your PDF contains embedded images, those images may carry their own EXIF metadata including GPS coordinates. That data lives inside the image itself. If location data in embedded images is a concern, strip EXIF data from the images before embedding them.