What this checklist covers
This is practical guidance for the stated workflow. It does not replace checking the output for your own document and use case.
1. Use repair for a concrete opening or rendering problem
Try Repair PDF when a PDF viewer reports structural errors, refuses to open the document, or renders pages incorrectly. It is not a general quality enhancer and it will not restore information that was never present in the source.
NetroDoc checks that the source looks like a PDF and verifies that the resulting file can be opened with the expected page count. That is a structural check, not proof that every interactive or legally significant feature survived.
- Keep the exact original before repair.
- Use repair when there is a visible document problem.
- Do not overwrite the source with the rebuilt output.
2. Compare the repaired file with the original wherever possible
Open the repaired PDF in the viewer that matters for your recipient. Compare page count, visible text, images, page orientation, bookmarks, links, form fields, attachments, and annotations. If the original opens only partly, compare the pages that are accessible and retain both files.
A digital signature can be invalidated by any rebuild or resave. Repair is therefore not suitable as a way to preserve a signed document's signature status. Ask the issuer for a new source when signature validity matters.
- Check links and form fields manually.
- Check page order and page size.
- Do not rely on a repaired copy for signature validation.
3. Escalate rather than forcing a damaged official document
For an invoice, certificate, tax filing, legal record, medical record, or other official document, the issuer's original replacement is usually safer than a repaired derivative. Use a repaired copy only when the receiving workflow allows it and you have checked the result.
If the repair fails, the file may be incomplete, encrypted, not actually a valid PDF, or damaged beyond the available recovery path. That failure is safer than inventing missing pages or content.
- Request a new copy from the sender for official records.
- Never add or infer missing data after repair.
- Retain evidence of the original file if the issue is disputed.
Temporary processing and privacy
Repair uses temporary processing, but the repaired file can retain all readable content from the source. Handle it as sensitively as the original.
Read the Privacy Policy →Troubleshooting
The repair failed
The source may be too damaged, encrypted, or not a valid PDF. Request a new source if possible.
The repaired PDF opens but a feature is missing
Use the original or request a replacement; repair does not guarantee preservation of interactive PDF features.
The document was signed
Do not use repair to preserve signature validity. Obtain a new signed original instead.
Editorial note
NetroDoc practical guides explain a specific file workflow and link to the tools that carry out each step. They avoid presenting a general recommendation as a guarantee for every file.