Optimize a PDF for the web
Publishing a PDF on a website? A linearized (“Fast Web View”) file lets browsers show page one immediately while the rest streams in.
Drop a PDF file here
Free · no signup · no watermark · files stay on this device · how local processing works
How to use Optimize for web
- Open the PDFAny PDF that opens without a password.
- Run the optimizerqpdf rewrites the file in linearized order and packs objects.
- PublishUpload the optimized copy to your site or CMS in place of the original.
What linearization changes
A normal PDF keeps its index at the end, so a viewer must fetch the whole file before showing anything. A linearized PDF puts a “hint table” and everything page one needs at the front. With a web server that supports byte-range requests (nearly all do), large catalogs and manuals start displaying almost instantly.
Under the hood
This tool runs qpdf, the open-source PDF transformation library, compiled to WebAssembly. It is downloaded once (about 1.3 MB) and runs entirely in your tab. Content is not altered — only the byte layout of the file.
Who should bother
Linearization matters when a large PDF is opened from a web link: catalogues, manuals, annual reports or menus hosted on your own site. A 30 MB catalogue that is linearized shows its cover after the first few hundred kilobytes, instead of a blank viewer while the whole file downloads. For files that are emailed or opened from disk it makes no visible difference — use Compress PDF if size is the problem.
Need more than one step? The Workbench runs Optimize for web together with other operations on the same file in one go — for example merge → compress → protect.
Questions about Optimize for web
Will linearization make my PDF smaller?
Sometimes slightly, thanks to object streams, but its goal is speed of first display. Use Compress PDF to reduce size.
How can I tell if a PDF is linearized?
Acrobat shows “Fast Web View: Yes” in document properties; on the command line, qpdf --check reports it.
Does it work on encrypted files?
Remove the password first with Unlock PDF, optimize, then re-protect if needed.
Will later edits undo linearization?
Usually yes. Most editors rewrite the file layout when they save, so linearize as the very last step — on the Workbench put “Optimize for web” at the end of the chain, just before any password step.