Overview

PDFTheGuide ("we", "us", "our") operates the website at pdftheguide.com. We are committed to protecting your privacy. The core architecture of our product is designed with privacy as the default: all PDF reading, editing, and downloading occurs exclusively in your web browser using client-side JavaScript and WebAssembly. No PDF content ever leaves your device.

This Privacy Policy describes what information we collect when you visit the site, how we use that information, and the choices you have. It does not apply to third-party websites or services that may be linked from our pages.

File processing

Your PDF files never leave your device. When you open a PDF in the editor, it is read directly from your local file system into your browser's memory using the Web File API. All editing operations — adding text, images, shapes, annotations, signatures, form fields, and downloads — are performed entirely within the browser using pdf-lib and pdfjs-dist compiled to WebAssembly.

We do not transmit, receive, store, log, or process your PDF files or their contents on any server. No employee of PDFTheGuide can access your documents. When you close your browser tab, your file is gone from memory. If you enable session autosave, a compressed representation of your editing session (not the original PDF) may be stored in your browser's localStorage — this data never leaves your device and is deleted when you clear your browser's site data.

Data we collect

We collect minimal data necessary to operate and improve the website:

• Server access logs — Standard web server logs (IP address, browser user-agent string, page URL, HTTP status code, referrer, timestamp). These are used for security monitoring and aggregate traffic analysis. Logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days and are not linked to individual users.
• Analytics — We may use privacy-respecting, cookieless analytics (such as aggregate page view counts) to understand which features are used most. No personally identifiable information is collected or stored.
• Contact submissions — If you contact us by email, we will retain your message and email address solely to respond to your enquiry.

We do not collect your name, date of birth, financial information, or any other personal data as part of normal product use. No account registration is required or offered.

Cookies & local storage

We do not set advertising or tracking cookies. The site uses browser localStorage for two purposes:

• Theme preference — Storing your light/dark mode selection so it persists across visits. This is a single key stored in localStorage and contains no personal information.
• Session autosave — If you are actively editing a PDF, the editor saves a snapshot of your editing operations to localStorage approximately every 30 seconds. This allows recovery if you accidentally close the tab. This data is stored only in your browser, is never transmitted, and can be cleared at any time by clearing your browser's site data for pdftheguide.com.

No third-party cookies are set by our pages. If we add any third-party scripts in the future (such as an analytics service), we will update this policy and provide opt-out mechanisms where required by law.

Third parties

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. We may share aggregate, non-identifiable usage statistics with analytics providers solely for the purpose of understanding site performance.

The site is hosted on infrastructure provided by cloud hosting providers (such as Vercel). These providers may process server access logs as described above in accordance with their own privacy policies. They do not have access to your PDF files, which are processed exclusively in your browser.

Children's privacy

PDFTheGuide is a general-purpose productivity tool not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Your rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding any personal data we hold:

• Access — Request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
• Correction — Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Deletion — Request deletion of your personal data.
• Objection — Object to certain types of processing.
• Portability — Request your data in a portable format.

Because we do not require accounts and collect only minimal server logs, the practical scope of these rights is limited. To exercise any right, contact us at the address below. We will respond within 30 days.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

PDFTheGuide
pdftheguide.com
contact@pdftheguide.com