Capabilities and limitations
SandboxPDF processes supported documents on your device. Different operations preserve different parts of a PDF, so choose the tool and inspect its output with the intended use in mind.
Pages, layout and document structure
Merge, split, extract, organise and rotate tools work with PDF pages. N-up and booklet tools arrange embedded pages onto new sheets. Page content can remain sharp, but a rebuilt document should not be assumed to preserve every original bookmark, attachment, interactive feature or digital signature. Cropping hides content outside a page boundary; it is not permanent redaction.
Redaction and metadata
Permanent redaction rebuilds pages from rendered images after applying the marked regions. Original text objects, attachments and hidden structures are discarded. This also removes searchability and interactivity. Text snapping uses extractable text runs; on scans, mark the complete sensitive region manually.
Metadata cleaning removes supported PDF properties and structures. The text-preserving mode does not promise to remove EXIF inside embedded images or sensitive content visible on pages. The visual sanitising mode discards original objects by rebuilding rendered pages. Inspect the exported copy before sharing it.
Office conversions
Word, Excel and PowerPoint imports use a local LibreOffice engine, including supported tables, images, fonts and print layouts. Missing fonts and complex layouts can need correction. PDF-to-Word and PDF-to-PowerPoint reconstruct positioned editable text over page graphics. PDF-to-Excel detects ruled tables and runs OCR automatically for image-only pages, with source-page reference images. Values remain text; verify OCR symbols and amounts before calculations. Borderless tables, merged cells and original formulas are not reliably reconstructed. Scans used in other Office exports need checked OCR first.
AI, OCR and document chat
OCR uses local recognition models. Downloadable AI selects summary sentences directly in English, French, Arabic, Chinese and Spanish; it does not translate through English to summarise. Translation supports these languages and German. Check meaning, figures, qualifications and reading order against the source. Local processing does not guarantee an accurate answer.
Chat searches for relevant source passages and provides page citations. Meaning search downloads a multilingual model on first use; wording-only search is available without that download. An optional local AI model can compose an answer from the retrieved evidence. Search can miss relevant passages and generated answers can misinterpret them: a search miss does not establish that the document lacks the answer. It does not perform reliable arithmetic or provide unrestricted expert advice. An initialised model session can work offline, but fresh sessions can need downloads if browser storage has been cleared or evicted.
Summary and translation results can be read and copied in the workspace or downloaded as formatted PDFs. These reading-copy PDFs preserve their rendered appearance; use the on-screen copy action when you need selectable text.
Signing and archival copies
Visual signatures are page marks. Certificate signing uses an RSA P12/PFX bundle locally, but does not establish issuer trust, check revocation or add a trusted timestamp. Remote signing is not offered. Keep signed originals when making modified copies.
PDF/A conversion uses the selected archival export profile and checks expected output properties. It is not a complete standards validator. Validate the final file with an independent validator such as veraPDF or the receiving archive’s required service, and compare its appearance with the source. Forms, attachments and existing signatures are not retained through the rebuilding conversion.
Device and file limits
Heavy Office and AI engines require substantial downloads and memory. Mobile browsers can suspend background tabs, evict cached resources or run out of memory on large jobs. Keep an original, start with a representative sample and inspect the downloaded result. Read the mobile workflow guide for practical checks.
Found an unexpected result? Contact SandboxPDF with the tool, settings and a non-sensitive description of the problem.