Sanitize then writes the file as one version: earlier versions go, and so does everything nothing in the current version uses any more. It also removes the other things Leak Check lists as removable — page thumbnails, hidden form field values, metadata, attachments and scripts — and checks the file again. Apart from the small “Made with Bindery” line on free exports, the visible pages are not changed. One thing does change: a digital signature covers the version it was made on, so writing one version invalidates any signature in the file. Sanitize before signing, not after. Checking uses no job; Sanitize counts as one of the 3 free daily jobs, and the file never leaves your device.
How it works
- Drop the PDF and open Leak Check — earlier versions are found and compared on your device
- Read what each earlier version holds that the current one does not, page by page
- Sanitize to write the file as a single version, then check it again and download it
Questions people ask
How do I know whether a PDF has earlier versions?
Each incremental save ends with its own end-of-file marker, so a file with more than one normally has earlier versions inside it. A file saved for fast web view has one extra marker near the start that ends no version, and Leak Check does not count it. For each earlier version, Leak Check lists the lines of text that are in it but not in the current one, with the page they were on. A save that changed only a form value, a signature or metadata has no such lines but is still reported as an earlier version.
Will removing earlier versions break a digital signature?
Yes. A digital signature covers the bytes of the version it was made on, so a file written as one new version no longer matches it, and every signature in it shows as invalid. Sanitize before you sign or certify, not after. If a file you received is signed and holds an earlier version you would rather not pass on, ask the sender for a new signed copy instead; Verify signatures shows which version each signature covers.
Does saving again in my editor remove them?
It depends on the editor and the option used. Some write the whole file afresh on Save As or when asked to optimise it; others keep appending. Rather than guess, drop the saved file here: Leak Check counts the versions inside it and shows what each earlier one still holds.