A checklist for client-only PDF tools

Vendors reuse the word “private.” This list helps you separate marketing from mechanics before you drop a sensitive PDF into a new tab.

1. Network proof

Open developer tools → Network. Run a conversion. Do you see a multipart upload of your file to a domain you do not operate? If yes, you are not in a purely local effect path for that step.

2. Required account or API key

OAuth to a cloud OCR engine often implies remote processing. Read what token scopes cover.

3. Subprocessor list

Even “edge” architectures sometimes phone home for billing or model updates. The privacy policy should name who touches what.

4. ScannedLook’s angle

The scan tool is designed so the transformation you see in the preview is computed locally. Pair that design with your own device hygiene — patched browser, sensible extensions, trusted network.