PDF to PDF/A

Convert to the long-term archival PDF/A standard. Free, no signup.

Honest scope: this adds what PDF/A actually requires — an embedded sRGB colour profile, XMP metadata declaring PDF/A-1b conformance, and strips embedded JavaScript and auto-run actions. It's a strong best-effort pass, but we don't run a full ISO 19005 compliance validator — for strict legal or archival submission, verify the output with a dedicated checker before relying on it. Note: PDF/A doesn't allow encryption, so the password-protect and copy-restriction options below aren't available here.

No signup required — start immediately
Real document security, not just a marketing label
Completely free, no hidden limits

Click to select a PDF file

or drag and drop

Add copyright notice — FreeEmbeds a hidden copyright notice in the file's metadata and page content. No account needed.

Add a watermark — FreeStamps visible text diagonally across every page. No account needed.

Password protect — FreeLocks the result with real AES-256 encryption. No account needed.

Disable copy & select — FreeOpens normally, no password needed — just blocks copying text or images out of it in readers that respect PDF permissions. Not foolproof (screenshots and some tools ignore this), but stops the one-click copy-paste path. No account needed.

PDF to PDF/A — GuardedProConvert and fingerprint the result so every copy traces back to you. You still get your own direct download, plus a share link to send instead of the raw file. Sign in to enable

This is just the start — Pro also gets you, from £4/month

•Invisible fingerprinting on every document
•Share links for Guarded documents
•Photo verification on open — approve or deny in 60 seconds
•View-only mode — no download on shared links
•Revoke access instantly, even after it's been opened
•Burn-after-read — set a view limit or expiry date
•Geofencing — restrict who can open it by country
•One-click legal evidence export if a leak needs to be traced
•Document analytics — views, shares, countries, and timestamps for every document you send
•Real-time alerts the moment someone copies, screenshots, or opens on a new device
•Tracking beacon — get pinged the moment a document is opened in Adobe Acrobat/Reader, even offline
•Auto-lock on copy or screenshot attempt — the share link revokes itself the instant one is detected

See everything Pro unlocks — £4/month →

How to convert a PDF to PDF/A

Upload the PDF you want to archive.
It converts automatically to the PDF/A standard.
Download the archival-ready file.

Common reasons to convert to PDF/A

Meeting a legal or regulatory requirement for long-term document archiving
Submitting a document to a government or institutional system that requires PDF/A specifically
Future-proofing an important record so it opens correctly decades from now

FAQ

What's actually different about PDF/A?

It embeds all fonts and removes elements — like JavaScript and certain external references — that could break rendering in the future, so the file looks identical no matter what software or year opens it.

Will my document look different after conversion?

Visually, no — the conversion changes what's embedded and disallowed internally, not the visible layout.

Is this the same as just renaming a .pdf file to .pdfa?

No — it's a real structural conversion that meets the ISO 19005 standard, not just a label change.