PDF Metadata Inspector Online — View Hidden XMP, Author & Document Info
Inspect hidden PDF metadata, author names, creation timestamps, XMP Dublin Core streams, and security flags online for free. 100% private in-browser viewer.
How PDF Metadata Inspection Works
Inspect trailer dictionaries, XMP metadata streams, embedded fonts, and permissions in three steps.
Queue Target Document
Select or drop your PDF file into the local inspection workspace. Files parse entirely in browser memory.
Traverse Info & XMP Streams
The client parser extracts standard /Info dictionaries, Dublin Core XMP XML packets, and security bitmasks.
Export Audit Report
Examine properties across five diagnostic tabs, copy summary details, or download a structured JSON report.
Four Document Metadata Inspection Features
Deep diagnostic auditing across classic PDF dictionaries, extensible XML streams, and cryptographic permission flags.
Info Dictionary Parsing
Extracts Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, and Producer strings alongside raw creation and modification timestamps.
XMP Metadata Streams
Parses extensible XML packets, Dublin Core schemas, Rights management, and PDF/A identification namespaces directly from stream objects.
Security Bitmask Auditing
Decodes 32-bit /P flag bitmasks to evaluate granular recipient permissions for printing, editing, copying, and form annotations.
Font & Page Geometry
Traverses page resource dictionaries to audit TrueType, Type 1, and CIDFont embedding status alongside physical page boundaries.
Utilvo In-Browser vs Cloud Metadata Viewers
Why client-side metadata and XMP inspection guarantees absolute privacy, full Dublin Core visibility, and instant diagnostics.
| Feature | Utilvo In-Browser | Cloud PDF Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Dual Schema Parsing (Info Dict & XMP) | Parses classic trailer /Info dictionaries & ISO 16684-1 XMP XML packet streams simultaneously | Standard Info dictionary only, stripping out extended XMP tags and custom namespaces |
| Font Subsetting & Descriptor Auditing | Traverses page /Resources /Font dictionaries detecting TrueType, Type 1, and CIDFont embedding | Surface-level PostScript font names only without binary embedding status or CID mapping |
| Security Handler & Permission Bitmask | Full 32-bit /P flag bitmask decoding (print, copy, edit, annotations, form fill) & /Encrypt revision | High-level protected/unprotected binary status without bitmask permission breakdown |
| Linearization & Archival Telemetry | Validates /Linearized first-page hint tables, XRef stream formatting, and PDF/A markers | Generic file size and version display without hint stream or archival schema verification |
| Zero-Persistence Local RAM Sandbox | 100% in-browser WebAssembly memory execution with zero cloud storage or logging | Multi-tenant cloud server queues with temporary filesystem persistence and egress transit |
Info Dictionary Keys vs XMP XML Packet Synchronization in PDFs
How our client engine traverses Document Catalog dictionaries, parses XML packets, and decodes security bitmasks.
Trailer /Info Dictionary Resolution
Legacy metadata resides in the trailer dictionary under the /Info indirect reference key. The engine dereferences this dictionary, converting PDFDocEncoding and UTF-16BE byte strings into normalized UTF-8 text.
ISO 16684-1 Extensible Metadata Platform
Modern PDF standards embed an XML stream in the Document Catalog under the /Metadata key. The engine reads raw packet streams and parses Dublin Core, Adobe PDF, and XMP Basic schema namespaces.
Cryptographic Permissions Bitmask Evaluation
When a PDF is protected, the /Encrypt dictionary contains a 32-bit signed integer (/P). The inspector applies bitwise bitmask operators to extract exact permissions for high-res printing, text extraction, and form field population.
Zero-Knowledge Privacy Guarantee
Metadata parsing, XML DOM inspection, and diagnostics export occur 100% locally inside your web browser sandbox. No document titles, authors, or metadata tags are ever transmitted to external endpoints.
What Hidden Metadata to Check Before Sharing Legal or Public PDFs
Verify these requirements before releasing public documents, legal productions, or archival editions.
Inspect Author & Creator Tags
Verify author names and producing software strings to prevent confidential identity leakage in public releases.
Check XMP Dublin Core Sync
Ensure legacy /Info keys match modern XMP metadata streams to prevent catalog discrepancies across PDF readers.
Verify Permissions Flags
Review 32-bit permission bitmasks to ensure intended print, copy, and annotation rights match organizational policies.
Confirm Font Embedding
Check typography catalogs to verify whether TrueType or Type 1 fonts are embedded subsets before prepress output.
Metadata Schemas vs Serialization Formats
Comparing structural characteristics across PDF specifications, metadata standards, and diagnostic exports.
| Operation / Format | Standard | Processing Engine | Output Type | Role | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unprocessed PDF Input | ISO 32000-1/2 | Local pdf-lib catalog parser | Binary PDF Stream | Source of this inspector | Litigation production, archival compliance, prepress inspection |
| Diagnostic JSON Export | RFC 8259 / ECMA-404 | Utilvo Diagnostics Serializer | Structured .json report | Target of this export | Automated compliance pipelines, digital forensics audit logging |
| Classic Info Dictionary | PDF Reference §14.3.3 | Trailer dictionary reader | Key-value string dictionary | Legacy metadata schema | Fast title/author lookup, compatibility with legacy readers |
| XMP Extensible Packet | ISO 16684-1 (XMP) | XML DOM stream parser | Dublin Core XML Stream | Modern metadata schema | Digital rights, archival preservation, PDF/A conformance |
| Font Descriptors Catalog | PostScript / OpenType | Page resource scanner | Typography descriptors array | Embedded resource audit | Commercial offset printing, layout fidelity verification |
| Security Bitmask (/P) | PDF Reference §7.6.3 | Cryptographic flag evaluator | Boolean permissions matrix | Access control audit | Enterprise DRM verification, copyright protection, legal compliance |
Frequently Asked Questions
Understand how client-side metadata inspection parses Document Catalog dictionaries, Dublin Core XMP streams, and security flags in local memory.
1What PDF metadata fields can be inspected with this tool?
The tool reads standard document Info dictionaries (title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, creation/modification dates) and Dublin Core XMP metadata streams.
2How does local in-browser metadata inspection protect confidentiality?
Document parsing executes entirely inside your browser's WebAssembly sandbox. Your PDF files and private metadata are never uploaded to any external server.
3Can I inspect embedded fonts and document security permissions?
Yes. The inspector audits embedded TrueType, Type 1, and OpenType font subsets while checking encryption flags and restrictions on printing, editing, and copying.
4What is the difference between Document Info and XMP metadata?
Document Info stores classic key-value text pairs in the PDF trailer/catalog, whereas XMP embeds extensible XML schemas following ISO 16684-1 standards.
5Can I export the extracted metadata and diagnostics report?
Yes. You can copy the full specification report to your clipboard or download a structured JSON report containing all metadata dictionaries, fonts, and permissions.
6How does the tool detect Fast Web View linearization and PDF/A compliance?
The client engine inspects the primary /Linearized dictionary in the first 1024 bytes and scans XMP metadata namespaces for PDF/A ISO 19005 identification schemas.
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