Any PDF tool can claim that your files stay private. But unlike password security or encryption, you can actually verify this claim yourself — in under two minutes, using tools already built into your browser. No technical expertise required.
Understanding the Browser Network Tab
Every modern browser includes a Developer Tools panel that shows you every network request your browser makes — every file downloaded, every API call, and every file upload. When a website uploads your file to a server, it must make a network request to do so. That request is visible in this panel and cannot be hidden from you.
This means you can independently audit any PDF tool's privacy claims simply by watching the Network tab while you use it.
Step-by-Step: How to Check Any PDF Tool
Step 1 — Open Developer Tools
Press F12 on Windows/Linux or Command + Option + I on Mac. This opens the browser's Developer Tools panel. It works in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
Step 2 — Navigate to the Network Tab
Click the Network tab at the top of the Developer Tools panel. You will see a list of all network requests — this list is currently recording every connection your browser makes.
Step 3 — Clear the Network Log
Click the clear button (usually a circle with a line through it, or a trash icon) to clear any existing network entries. This gives you a clean baseline so you can focus only on what happens during the file processing step.
Step 4 — Upload and Process Your File
Now go to the PDF tool and process a file as you normally would. Upload a file, click Convert or Compress, and wait for the result.
Step 5 — Examine the Network Log
Look at the Network tab. You are looking for:
- POST requests to external domains — a POST request to a domain other than the current website is the most common way a file gets uploaded to a server.
- Large request sizes — if you uploaded a 2MB PDF and a network request shows a 2MB payload being sent, that is your file being uploaded.
- Requests to cloud storage domains — look for requests to amazonaws.com, storage.googleapis.com, azure.com, or similar cloud storage services.
What You See With FixIt Localy
When you process a file with any FixIt Localy tool (compress, merge, split, sign, etc.), the Network tab will show no upload requests. The only network activity is loading JavaScript libraries and the page assets — no file data is transmitted.
The exception is the PDF to Word converter, which uses a stateless Adobe API endpoint. You will see one POST request to our cloud function — this is the conversion request. The function processes the file and immediately destroys it. No storage occurs.
What to Look for in Cloud Tools
If you run this test on iLovePDF, Smallpdf, or Adobe Acrobat Online, you will see large POST requests going to their servers during the upload step. This is not hidden — it simply cannot be hidden, because it is a fundamental network operation. The Network tab makes it visible to anyone who looks.
This test takes less than two minutes and gives you independently verifiable proof of how any tool handles your data. It requires no technical knowledge beyond opening the Developer Tools and watching the Network tab.
Try the audit on FixIt Localy
Open F12, go to the Network tab, then compress or merge a PDF. Watch — zero upload requests.
Open PDF Compressor →