Quick answer: PDF to PDF/A is a free online tool that creates a metadata-normalised copy of a PDF right in your browser, without uploading. Please read the limit below before using it for archival work.
Important limit: this output is not validated PDF/A. It does not embed fonts, does not add an ICC output intent, does not add full XMP metadata, and has not been validated with veraPDF or any PDF/A validator. Do not use it where PDF/A compliance is required without validating the result first with a proper validator.
What is PDF to PDF/A?
PDF/A is an archival flavour of PDF with strict rules about fonts, colour, and metadata, so a file still opens correctly decades later. This tool takes a PDF, sets the title, author, and subject metadata you enter, and re-saves it — all on your own computer or phone, with no file ever travelling to a server.
That metadata step is useful for organising documents, but it is only one small part of PDF/A. A truly compliant PDF/A file needs embedded fonts and other guarantees this browser tool does not provide.
How to use PDF to PDF/A
- Click the upload area and choose one PDF file.
- Enter a title, author, and subject if you want them set. Blank fields leave existing metadata untouched.
- Click the “Convert to PDF/A” button. Your browser re-saves the file locally.
- When processing finishes, the new file downloads automatically.
- If you need guaranteed PDF/A compliance, validate the result with veraPDF before archiving it.
PDF to PDF/A use cases
Organising documents with metadata
Setting a clear title, author, and subject makes a document easier to find and identify later.
Preparing a file before proper archival
Use this step to clean up metadata, then run a dedicated PDF/A validator and converter for the final archival copy.
Tips
- Do not label the output as compliant PDF/A unless a validator confirms it.
- Keep your original until you have checked the new file page by page.
- If a PDF asks for a password to open, remove the password first with the original software.