Document Privacy Checker User Guide

Qudo Document Privacy Checker is provided by Qudo Tools. It checks PDFs, images and selected Office documents for hidden data that may expose personal or organizational information, such as author names, GPS locations, device models, creation software, timestamps, XMP metadata, annotations, attachments, form fields and external links.

The tool emphasizes browser-local processing: files are read and analyzed in the current device's browser without being uploaded to Qudo servers. After inspection, users can select items to clean and download newly generated cleaned files. Original files are never overwritten.

This tool is designed for pre-sharing privacy checks and metadata cleaning. It is not equivalent to virus scanning, file repair, or permanent redaction of body text. To permanently delete sensitive text or images in PDF pages, use a dedicated PDF redaction tool.

Browser-local processing: Files are read, analyzed and results generated in the current browser, reducing the risk of transmitting original files to third-party servers.

Multi-type privacy information check: Checks authors, titles, creation software, timestamps, GPS, device information, EXIF, XMP, annotations, attachments, form values, links and script actions for potential risks.

Inspect before cleaning: Shows an inspection report first, then lets users confirm which items to process, avoiding unnecessary deletion of useful information.

Generate new files: Cleaned results are saved as new files without directly modifying the user's original files, making it easy to keep comparisons and fall back.

PDF and image privacy checks: Provides inspection and cleaning for PDF document properties, XMP, annotations and attachments, as well as image EXIF, GPS and device information.

Risk alerts and manual review: Provides prompts for digital signatures, hidden content, image re-encoding and pattern-matching false positives, and requires users to check again before sharing.

No registration required: Users can open the page directly to use core features without creating an account or logging in.

File Category | Common Extensions | Inspection and Cleaning Notes

PDF Documents | .pdf | Check document properties, XMP metadata, annotations, attachments, form fields, links, JavaScript actions and some hidden content; modifying signed PDFs may invalidate digital signatures.

JPEG Images | .jpg .jpeg | Check and clean EXIF, GPS coordinates, device models, shooting time and other image metadata; thorough cleaning may require re-encoding.

PNG Images | .png | Check text chunks, XMP or other attached metadata; re-exporting usually does not modify visible content, but file size may change.

WebP Images | .webp | Check EXIF, XMP and other metadata and generate cleaned new files; results should be verified again for image quality and transparency.

Word Documents | .docx | Upload area indicates support, but page help still says Office documents are not yet supported. If the current version is open, core properties, authors, annotations etc. can be checked; subject to actual interface.

Excel Workbooks | .xlsx | Upload area indicates support, but page help still says Office documents are not yet supported. If the current version is open, document properties, authors and annotations etc. can be checked; subject to actual interface.

PowerPoint Presentations | .pptx | Upload area indicates support, but page help still says Office documents are not yet supported. If the current version is open, document properties, authors and annotations etc. can be checked; subject to actual interface.

Legacy Office Formats | .doc .xls .ppt | Not listed in the current upload area; it is recommended to save as DOCX, XLSX or PPTX in Office first, then try processing according to page prompts.

Step 1: Visit the tool page. Open https://www.qudo.cc/en/document-privacy-checker in your browser. Confirm that the top of the page or the file selection area shows "Files are only read and processed in the current browser and will not be uploaded to the server." It is recommended to use a newer version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. Before processing important files, make a copy of the original file as a backup.

Step 2: Select and load the document. Drag the file into the file area on the page, or click "Drag files here, or click to select files" to select the file to be checked from your device. After selection, wait for the browser to finish reading. If the page prompts that the format is not supported, the file is corrupted, the file is too large, or a password is required, follow the prompts to change the file, enter the known password, or use other tools to process it first. Do not try to bypass unknown passwords.

Step 3: View the report and select cleaning options. Click the "Start Privacy Check" or equivalent button on the page. The tool will scan document properties, EXIF or XMP metadata, GPS, device information, annotations, attachments, form fields, external links and other potential privacy risks based on the file type. After the check is complete, read the detection results item by item. Only check items that really need to be deleted; for author information, annotations, form values, attachments and external links, manually confirm based on the file's purpose to avoid accidentally deleting information that still needs to be retained.

Step 4: Perform privacy cleaning. After confirming the options, click "Clean", "Start Cleaning" or the equivalent button provided by the page. Do not close the page, refresh the browser or remove the file during processing. The tool will generate a new cleaned file based on the selected items. Images may be re-encoded during thorough cleaning, and file size or image quality may change slightly; digital signatures in PDFs may become invalid because the file has been modified.

Step 5: Download and review results. After cleaning is complete, click "Download cleaned file" or the equivalent button to save the result to your device. It is recommended to keep both the original file and the cleaned file, and add "cleaned" to the file name for easy distinction. Open the cleaned file and check whether pages, images, tables, annotations, attachments and visible content are complete. If necessary, re-import into the tool for re-inspection; after confirming that everything is correct, send, upload or publish.

Qudo page states that file content, file names, metadata values and detection results are all processed in the current browser and will not be uploaded, stored or recorded to the server. After closing the page or removing the file, temporary data will be released from the browser memory. This design is suitable for processing files containing personal information, work materials or unpublished content.

To further reduce risks, it is recommended to follow these practices: Use the tool on trusted devices and trusted network environments, and avoid processing confidential files on public computers. Keep a copy of the original file before processing, and save the cleaned file as a new file after cleaning; do not overwrite the only original. Do not rely solely on automatic detection; manually check the body text, images, annotations, attachments and hidden content before sharing. Close the tool page after cleaning is complete, and delete browser download records and local temporary files as needed. If the file involves business secrets, legal, medical or identity information, it should be reviewed again according to the organization's data security system.

Do I need to register or log in to use the tool? No. The current page can be used directly for core inspection and cleaning functions.

Will files be uploaded to Qudo servers? No. The page states that all reading, inspection and cleaning are completed locally in the current browser, and files will not leave the device.

Is batch processing supported? Whether multiple file batch selection is supported depends on the current page version. If the file selection area only accepts a single file, please process one by one; subject to the actual interface.

Will cleaning affect the original file or layout? The tool generates new files and does not directly modify the original files. It usually does not change visible content, but image re-encoding may cause slight changes in image quality or file size, and complex PDF or Office documents should also be reviewed for formatting after cleaning.

Can Office documents be used? The page upload area indicates support for DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, but the help description on the same page still says Office documents are not yet supported, which may be in the process of gradual opening or the description has not been synchronized. Please refer to the prompts after actual upload.

Can the tool find all sensitive information? It cannot be guaranteed. Automatic inspection is limited by file structure, browser libraries and pattern matching capabilities, and false positives or omissions may occur. Manual review is required before publishing.

Create a backup before processing files, and do not delete the original file until cleaning is complete and confirmed to be correct.

The page support scope may change with versions; file types, button names and options are subject to the actual interface.

The tool is used to clean metadata and additional information, and is not equivalent to permanently deleting sensitive text or images in the body.

Ordinary black rectangle covers cannot permanently delete the underlying text of PDF; please use a professional redaction tool when permanent deletion is needed.

Modifying a digitally signed PDF may invalidate the signature; important signed files should first confirm business or legal requirements.

Encrypted PDFs can only be opened when the user knows the password and has the right to process them; the tool cannot crack or guess unknown passwords.

Image re-encoding may change file size, color performance, transparency or image quality; zoom in to check after downloading.

Automatic detection may have false positives and omissions, especially for content outside the crop area, hidden layers, complex attachments and custom data structures.

Before cleaning annotations, attachments or form fields, confirm that these contents are no longer used for review, archiving or business processes.

Reopen the file after cleaning and check again to confirm that the file can be read normally and the required content is complete.

When involving highly confidential or regulated data, it should be reviewed in combination with the organization's internal processes and professional security tools.

It is recommended to adopt the process of "backup original file, perform inspection, manual confirmation, selective cleaning, download new file, re-review, then share". This can not only use automated tools to improve efficiency, but also reduce the risk of accidentally deleting content or missing sensitive information.