Will the output pass a strict PDF/A validator?

Not guaranteed. Full conformance requires ICC output intents and complete font embedding, which this browser-based conversion does not add. If the original PDF already embeds its fonts (most modern ones do), you're much closer; if a validator still rejects it, a desktop tool like Acrobat or LibreOffice is the fallback.

Which PDF/A version should I aim for?

PDF/A-2b is the most widely accepted general-purpose profile; some older systems still ask for PDF/A-1b. Check what your recipient specifies — 'b' (basic) levels concern visual reproducibility and are what most portals mean.

Are existing signatures preserved?

Visual signature images survive. Cryptographic digital signatures will be invalidated, because any re-save changes the bytes the signature was computed over. Convert first, sign last.

Does conversion change how my document looks?

No. Content streams aren't altered — pages render exactly as before. The changes are to metadata and file structure.

PDF to PDF/A

Convert your PDF to PDF/A archive format for long-term preservation.

Note: This performs a best-effort conversion by optimizing metadata and structure. For strict PDF/A compliance with ICC color profiles, a desktop tool may be needed.

Drop PDF files here or browse

Max 100MB per file

About Convert PDF to PDF/A

PDF/A is the archival profile of PDF, designed so a document renders identically decades from now: fonts embedded, colors defined by embedded profiles, and volatile features like JavaScript and external references prohibited. Courts, government portals, and institutional repositories commonly require it for submissions.

Convertora performs a best-effort conversion toward that goal, entirely in your browser: it normalizes the document's metadata (filling in missing title and author fields, setting the producer and creator) and re-saves the file with a clean, optimized structure. For many PDFs that are already self-contained — which most digitally-authored PDFs are — this produces a file that archival systems accept.

Honesty matters here: strict PDF/A conformance also requires embedded ICC color profiles and verified font embedding, which can't be reliably retrofitted in a browser. If your destination runs a formal validator (such as veraPDF) and rejects the output, you'll need a desktop conversion tool for that particular file. The tool itself tells you the same thing before you convert.

How to use it

1Upload a regular PDF (up to 100 MB).
2Click Convert. The document's metadata is normalized — empty title and author fields are populated, producer and creator are set — and the file is re-serialized with compressed, well-formed structure.
3Download the result, saved with a -pdfa suffix.
4If your recipient validates strictly, test the file against their checker before the deadline; requirements differ between PDF/A-1b, 2b, and 3b profiles.

Common use cases

Preparing documents for portals that ask for 'PDF/A preferred' rather than enforcing strict validation.
Normalizing messy generated PDFs — missing titles, anonymous authors — before archiving them.
Creating a consistent, cleanly-structured copy of a document for long-term storage.
Getting a head start on a court or university submission before final validation on a desktop tool.

Frequently asked questions

Tips

Set a meaningful title and author with the Edit PDF Metadata tool before converting; archival systems index those fields, and the converter only fills blanks with placeholders.
Test against the recipient's actual validator early. 'PDF/A required' means different things at different institutions, and finding out at the submission deadline is the worst time.

100% private — runs in your browser

Convertora processes everything on your device using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Files never leave your browser, are never uploaded to a server, and are never seen by us or anyone else. The moment you close the tab, the data is gone — there is no temporary cloud copy, no log entry, no retained backup.

Because the work happens locally, processing speed depends on your device — but there are no rate limits, no daily caps, and no file size restrictions beyond what your browser can handle in memory. No signup, no account, no payment. The tool works the same in incognito mode, on a corporate network, or after the page has loaded once, even with the network disconnected.