PDF Metadata Inspector
Inspect document properties, creation dates, embedded JavaScript actions, attachments, and catalog structure directly in your browser.
Inspects PDF version, encryption status, author, creator, page dimensions, and font tables locally in browser memory without sending data to any server.
The FileTools PDF Metadata & Structure Inspector performs forensic client-side inspection of your PDF documents without server uploads. Analyze document metadata (Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Creation and Modification timestamps), document properties (PDF version, encryption status, page count, box dimensions), embedded objects (AcroForms, XFA forms, annotations, embedded files, OpenAction triggers, additional actions), and calculate a privacy and security risk assessment.
Key Challenges Solved
- ✓ Cannot see hidden author names, timestamps, or software tags.
- ✓ Uncertain whether a received PDF contains malicious scripts or attachments.
- ✓ Confidential documents cannot be uploaded to remote inspection websites.
Who Is PDF Metadata Inspector Built For?
Security analysts and privacy officers reviewing incoming documents
Attorneys and paralegals auditing confidential filings
Developers and researchers inspecting PDF dictionary structures
Structural PDF Catalog & Dictionary Inspection: Uncovering Hidden Metadata
How low-level object graph inspection audits /Info dictionaries, /OpenAction triggers, and /EmbeddedFiles
What We Verified
- ✓ Document /Info & XMP parsing: Extracts standard Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, and ModDate metadata streams.
- ✓ Security trigger identification: Audits root catalog entries for automated execution triggers (/OpenAction and /AA) and dynamic JavaScript actions (/JS).
- ✓ Physical page box forensics: Reads MediaBox, CropBox, BleedBox, and TrimBox dimensions to verify document structure and prepress margins without rasterization.
- ✓ Zero-network forensic confidentiality: Sensitive legal briefs, internal audit reports, and confidential contracts are inspected entirely in client RAM.
Why This Happens (Technical Architecture)
Auditing PDF documents before public release requires inspecting both legacy /Info dictionary key-value pairs and modern Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) metadata streams. Naive metadata viewers only display title and author fields, missing hidden embedded attachments (/EmbeddedFiles) or automatic script execution vectors. FileTools combines Mozilla PDF.js metadata extraction with deep dictionary inspection, categorizing privacy risk levels and rendering structural metrics with zero external network requests.
Key Features & Benefits
Complete Metadata Audit
Extract standard Info dictionary values and hidden XMP metadata properties with formatted timestamps.
Privacy & Security Risk Assessment
Identifies high-risk embedded elements including automated OpenAction scripts, embedded files, and sensitive author info.
Direct Remediation Actions
Contextual one-click navigation to sanitize metadata, remove form fields, or repair corrupted documents.
Zero-Upload Privacy Guarantee
All document catalog parsing executes entirely in your browser memory using Web APIs and pdf-lib.
How to Use PDF Metadata Inspector
- Upload or drag and drop your PDF document into the inspector.
- Review document metadata, PDF version, page count, and page box dimensions.
- Check the structural checklist for embedded files, OpenAction triggers, and form fields.
- Evaluate the automated privacy risk assessment score and recommendations.
- Export the complete inspection report as JSON or navigate to sanitize sensitive data.
Common Use Cases
Pre-Publication Legal Compliance
Audit public filings and exhibits to ensure author names, draft timestamps, and hidden annotations are not inadvertently disclosed.
Document Security & Integrity Verification
Identify suspicious automated OpenAction scripts, hidden JavaScript, and unexpected embedded binary attachments in incoming PDFs.
Print & Prepress Specification Checks
Verify MediaBox, CropBox, BleedBox, and TrimBox dimensions across multi-page brochures and books before professional printing.
Continue Your Workflow
Recommended logical next steps after using PDF Metadata Inspector:
PDF Metadata Remover
Detect and strip hidden author details, creation dates, software signatures, and XMP streams from PDF files.
Use PDF Metadata Remover →Sanitize PDF
Sanitize PDF files by neutralizing executable JavaScript, automated launch actions, tracking streams, and embedded attachments.
Use Sanitize PDF →PDF Repair
Diagnose and recover damaged, corrupted, truncated, or unreadable PDF documents directly in your browser.
Use PDF Repair →You May Need This Before
Common preparation and prerequisite steps before PDF Metadata Inspector:
Split PDF
Extract specific pages from a PDF document.
← Prerequisite: Split PDFSanitize PDF
Sanitize PDF files by neutralizing executable JavaScript, automated launch actions, tracking streams, and embedded attachments.
← Prerequisite: Sanitize PDFPDF Repair
Diagnose and recover damaged, corrupted, truncated, or unreadable PDF documents directly in your browser.
← Prerequisite: PDF RepairStructural PDF Catalog & Dictionary Inspection
Extracts standard PDF Info dictionary entries (Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate), inspects root catalog entries for embedded files (/EmbeddedFiles, /EF), automated execution triggers (/OpenAction, /AA), and AcroForm/XFA architectures, and parses MediaBox, CropBox, BleedBox, and TrimBox dimensions to verify document structure without server execution.
Auditing a Legal Document Before Public Disclosure
A legal team needs to verify that a court filing PDF does not contain hidden author names, creation software history, or automated script actions before public submission.
The user uploads the filing, reviews the author/organization metadata, verifies no OpenAction triggers exist, and exports the inspection JSON report.
Important Operational Notes & Realistic Limitations
- Document structure inspection is client-side and relies on PDF syntax conformity; obfuscated binary streams may require sandbox forensics.
- Does not replace dedicated enterprise antivirus or malware detonation engines.
- Password-protected documents must be unlocked before metadata and structure can be parsed.
PDF/A Compliance Guide: Archiving Standards
Understand PDF/A compliance, mandatory XMP metadata schemas, and long-term document preservation requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I view the metadata inside a PDF?
The pdf metadata inspector reads document properties without uploading the file: view PDF metadata online, check PDF properties and structure, and review embedded actions or attachments.
What information does this metadata inspector reveal?
It extracts all document properties including Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator application, PDF Producer, Creation/Modification dates, PDF version, page count, page box dimensions, embedded files, AcroForm/XFA form fields, annotations, and automated execution triggers (/OpenAction and /AA).
Can this tool detect malware in PDFs?
This tool performs document structure inspection and flags suspicious structural patterns such as automated OpenAction launch scripts and embedded binary attachments. However, it is not an antivirus scanner and should not be used as a replacement for dedicated endpoint protection software.
How do I remove the metadata if sensitive info is found?
You can click the direct link to our PDF Metadata Remover tool or PDF Sanitizer tool to completely strip all author names, software fingerprints, and embedded objects in one click.
Can I export the inspection results?
Yes. You can copy the full inspection report to your clipboard or download it as a structured JSON file for auditing and compliance records.
Are my files sent to any remote server or AI model?
No. The entire inspection runs 100% locally in your browser memory using client-side JavaScript. Zero bytes or metadata leave your device.