How to open a PDF online without uploading it
To read a PDF locally with PDF2WEB, open the reader, choose a PDF from your device and use the page controls. You do not need an account, and the PDF is not uploaded unless you create a sharing link.
本地阅读无需上传或注册。选择 PDF 文件后即可翻页、缩放和跳页；需要分享时再生成链接。
Open and read the file
- Open the PDF2WEB reader. The interface defaults to English. You can switch to Chinese, Spanish or Japanese in the language menu.
- Click Choose PDF file, or drag a PDF into the file area on a desktop browser.
- Choose a valid PDF up to 50 MB. The file opens in the reading area.
- Scroll through the document. Use the page number field to jump, the plus and minus buttons to zoom, or the fit-width button to reset the view.
What stays on your device?
Local reading processes the PDF in your browser. Loading the website still requires a network connection for its application resources; this is not an offline application guarantee. Selecting a file does not itself upload the PDF. The separate Create sharing link action uploads it to create a link for others.
Reading on a phone
First save the PDF to a location your phone's file picker can access. If a PDF arrived in a messaging app, save it to the device before choosing it in the browser. A browser cannot automatically retrieve files from another app's private storage. Use the reader's fit-width control if a page appears too wide.
Password-protected or damaged PDFs
If the reader requests a document password, enter the password supplied by the file owner. The password is used to open the document in your browser; PDF2WEB does not remove or bypass it. If the document is damaged or cannot be opened, try a fresh copy from the source. A filename ending in .pdf alone does not make a file a valid PDF.
When you need to send it to someone
Reading locally does not create a URL for your file. Follow the PDF sharing guide to upload intentionally and create a free link that lasts 12 hours. Anyone with that link can view the PDF, so choose a different method for sensitive documents.