Key takeaways
- Some online tools upload your file to a server. Others process it inside your browser.
- Browser-based tools keep the file on your device, which is the safest option for private documents.
- You can check what a site does by watching network activity in your browser's developer tools.
- Toolkitties is built so that its tools process files locally.
Two very different kinds of online tool
When you use an online PDF or image tool, one of two things happens to your file.
| Upload-based tools | Browser-based tools | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the work happens | On the company's server | On your own device, in the browser |
| Does your file travel? | Yes, it is sent over the internet | No, it stays on your device |
| Who handles the file? | The service and its infrastructure | Only you |
| Good for private documents? | Depends on trust in the service | Better by design |
Why it matters for PDFs
PDFs often hold contracts, ID scans, bank statements and medical papers. The less often a document leaves your device, the fewer places it can be seen, stored or leaked. Browser-based processing removes the upload step entirely.
How to check what a tool does
You do not have to take anyone's word for it, including ours. On a computer you can check it yourself:
- Open the tool in your browser and press F12 to open the developer tools.
- Go to the Network tab.
- Add a file and run the tool.
- Look at the requests. A tool that processes locally will not send your file to a server.
Other signs worth looking for are a clear privacy policy, a site address that starts with https, and plain language about what happens to files.
How Toolkitties handles your files
Toolkitties tools such as Compress PDF, Merge PDF and Protect PDF run in your browser. Your files are not uploaded, there are no accounts and there are no tracking cookies. You can read the details in the Privacy Policy.
Good habits for any document
- Keep an untouched original of every important file.
- Protect sensitive PDFs with a password before sharing them. Protect PDF can do this.
- Share files only with the people who need them.
- Do not reuse the same password for different documents.
Frequently asked questions
What is a browser-based tool?
It is a tool that runs its code inside your web browser, so your file is processed on your own device instead of being sent to a server.
Does Toolkitties upload my files?
No. Toolkitties tools process files in your browser.
How can I check that a tool is not uploading my file?
Open the Network tab in your browser developer tools, run the tool and look at the requests it makes.