About Repair PDF
When a PDF won't open, the cause is usually a corrupt cross-reference table, a truncated download, or a partial save. SnapToolz' Repair PDF runs a best-effort recovery pass: it scans the byte stream, rebuilds the cross-reference index from any intact object headers, and writes a fresh valid PDF wrapper around whatever content survives. It won't recover what's truly missing — if half the file was lost, half the pages will be missing too — but for the common case of a damaged cross-ref or trailer, it's the difference between a file you can't open and one you can. Runs entirely in your browser, no upload.
- No uploads
- Browser-only
- Works offline
- 100% free
How it works
- 1
Drop the damaged PDF
Drag the file that won't open. The repair engine scans up to 200 MB.
- 2
Run the recovery pass
SnapToolz parses each PDF object header, skips the broken cross-ref, and rebuilds the index from scratch.
- 3
Download the repaired PDF
If recovery succeeded, the file downloads. The report shows how many pages and objects were rescued.
Related tools
Browse allFrequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Every tool on SnapToolz runs entirely inside your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Your file is read locally, processed in memory, and the result is offered as a download. Nothing is sent to a server — there isn't one to send to.
What kinds of damage can it repair?
Broken cross-reference (xref) tables, missing trailers, partial saves, and minor stream-level corruption. It can't recover bytes that are genuinely missing — if your download was cut short or the file was overwritten, recovery is limited to whatever bytes remain on disk.
Will the repaired PDF be identical to the original?
Visually, in most cases yes — pages, text, images and annotations are preserved when their underlying objects are intact. Some metadata and advanced features (form data, JavaScript actions, deep bookmarks) may be lost if their referencing structures are damaged.
What if SnapToolz can't repair my PDF?
The recovery report tells you which objects were salvageable. If nothing reads at all, the file is likely corrupt past the document header — at that point, restoring from a backup or re-exporting from the source application is the only path forward.
Does it work offline?
Yes. SnapToolz is a Progressive Web App. After your first visit, the app is cached on your device and every tool keeps working without an internet connection.
Is SnapToolz free?
Yes — every tool is 100% free with no sign-up, no watermark, no hidden tier. The whole platform is open source and we have no plan to gate features.