Practical guidance for PDF operations, OCR extraction, redaction safety, and the full FAQ.
Quick start
Open Tools and pick a workflow — Merge, Split, OCR, Watermark, Redact, etc.
Drop your file into the dropzone (drag-and-drop or click to browse).
Set any tool-specific options (page ranges, language, redaction targets).
Click the action button and watch the progress bar.
Download your output file or ZIP. Review against the Quality checklist before sharing.
💡 Start with a sample
Before processing large or sensitive docs, test with 1–2 pages to validate output formatting and confirm the tool behaves as expected.
Local vs Edge mode
Every tool page shows a trust panel that declares its processing mode, retention, and limits.
Local (browser-native): pdf-lib, PDF.js, and Tesseract.js run inside your browser tab. Files are never uploaded. 15 of 16 tools are local-mode.
Edge (Cloudflare Workers): Used only for workloads that exceed browser limits (e.g., PDF→DOCX via Gotenberg). Retention is disclosed per-tool. 2 tools are currently edge-mode.
Common workflows
Merge PDFs into one deliverable
Use when you need a single file for submission or review. Drag to reorder files in the queue before merging. Best practice: name files with numeric prefixes (01_cover.pdf, 02_main.pdf) so order is explicit.
Split / extract a page range
Use when you need to share a subset — a signature page, a single appendix, a chapter. Use Extract Pages for a single range, or Split PDF for multiple ranges exported as a ZIP.
OCR a scanned document
Use OCR to Text for image-only PDFs (scans, screenshots). Use PDF to Text if the PDF already has a selectable text layer — it's instant and needs no OCR engine.
Redact sensitive content
Use PII Redaction for automated detection (SSNs, emails, phone numbers). Use Manual Redaction when you need to draw specific boxes. Always verify the output (see Redaction safety).
OCR & extraction tips
Clarity beats cleverness: high contrast, minimal background noise, no motion blur. Scan at ≥300 DPI where possible.
Upright pages matter: Rotate pages to upright orientation before running OCR — skewed text significantly reduces accuracy.
Language selection: Mixing languages in a single document reduces accuracy. Choose the dominant language.
Tables: OCR struggles with merged cells. Export to text first, then manually sanity-check totals and column headers.
Handwriting: Treat as best-effort. Expect manual review for critical names, IDs, or figures.
Redaction safety
Redaction means permanently removing content — not covering it with a black box that can be removed. Verify every redacted document before sharing.
Try to select text in the redacted region. If you can highlight or copy it, it's not redacted — it's just hidden.
Search for known values. Use Ctrl+F (or your PDF reader's search) for a fragment of the redacted text. If search finds it, the document is not safe to share.
Flatten as a final step. Export the PDF as a flattened (image-based) document after redaction if you need a guarantee that no text layer survives.
Remove metadata. Check and strip author/title/keyword metadata before sharing externally (use PDF Metadata tool).
⚠️ Never share before verifying
For high-stakes compliance documents, always run a select + search verification pass before sending. Docually's local-mode redaction is permanent at the PDF level — but the verify step is yours to complete.
No. Local-mode tools work without any account. An account is required for quota tracking, saved history, and plan upgrades (Phase 2). You can try all 16 tools before signing up.
What sign-in options are available?＋
GitHub SSO (OAuth) and manual email/password accounts. Google and Microsoft SSO were removed to keep the auth surface small during beta. More options may be added in Phase 2.
How many free calls do I get?＋
Free accounts get 10 tool calls per month. During the beta, limits are soft — you won't be hard-blocked. Local-mode tools are never server-gated and remain accessible to anonymous users.
Privacy & files
Are my files uploaded to your servers?＋
Only when a tool requires edge-mode compute (currently: PDF→DOCX). All other tools (merge, split, OCR, redaction, convert) run entirely in your browser. The tool's trust panel always declares the mode before you run anything.
Can I use Docually for sensitive documents?＋
Use local-mode tools for sensitive data — files never leave your device. For strict compliance requirements, contact us before use. Always run the quality checklist and verify redaction before sharing.
How long are files kept?＋
Local-mode: files never reach servers, so nothing is retained. Edge-mode: outputs are stored with expiring links and deleted on schedule per the tool's trust panel. Contact us for a data deletion request at any time.
Tools & processing
Is there a maximum file size?＋
Local-mode tools are limited by your browser's available memory — typically 200–500 MB is reliable. For larger files, split the document first and process in parts. Edge-mode tools have per-tool limits disclosed in their trust panel.
Why is OCR text inaccurate?＋
Common causes: low scan DPI (aim for ≥300), page skew, mixed languages, or handwritten text. Rotate pages upright, increase scan clarity, and manually verify numbers and proper nouns. See OCR tips.
Redacted text is still selectable — what went wrong?＋
If you can select or search the redacted text, the original text layer is still present. Open the Manual Redaction tool and draw boxes over the content, then export. As a final safeguard, flatten the output (convert to image-based PDF, then re-run OCR if searchability is needed).
When will PDF → DOCX be fully available?＋
PDF→DOCX requires Gotenberg (a server-side document converter). It's currently in demo mode and will go live in Phase 3 alongside Stripe billing and real usage metering.
Billing
When does billing go live?＋
Billing via Stripe is planned for Phase 3. During beta, soft limits are in place — sign up for a free account and you'll be notified when paid plans become available.
What's the refund policy?＋
Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time. Credits packs and the Starter one-time purchase are non-refundable once processing has been used. For billing disputes, contact us via the Contact page.
Support
How do I report an issue?＋
Use the Contact page and include: the tool you used, the file type/size, what you expected, and what happened instead. For security issues, use the Security disclosure route.
Can I request a new tool or feature?＋
Yes — use the Contact page. Feature requests with a clear workflow use-case are prioritised. Docually favors local-mode additions (pdf-lib, PDF.js, Tesseract.js) that can ship at near-zero cost.
Changelog
2026-02-22
v9 — FIX-DA audit pass
Hero redesign (1-liner + search + Sign Up only). 16-tool directory with Watermark PDF, Extract Pages, PDF to Text, Page Numbers. Fully restructured docs with FAQ accordion. Competitive pricing redesign with comparison table. 3-column footer. Tool directory reliability bar + horizontal expansion notes.
2026-02-20
v8.1 — Trust panel + accessibility
Added Where-your-file-goes trust panel on every tool page (meta-driven, injected by layout.js). Global focus-visible rings. Small-screen spacing (375/430/768px). Local telemetry (page_view, tool_success, tool_error). Security disclosure contact route.
2026-02-20
v8 — SSOT nav refactor + new tools
Eliminated double-nav bug (layout.js is now the single source of truth). Added Rotate PDF (range support) and PDF Metadata Viewer (JSON download). Standardized inline error banners across all tool pages. Keyboard drag-reorder for Merge PDF queue.