Flatten PDF

Bake annotations, comments & form fields into the page — 100% local, never uploaded

⧉

Select PDF to Flatten

Click to browse or drag & drop here

✓ No upload✓ No watermark✓ No sign-up

Feeding PDFs to an AI support agent?

helpGPT answers your customers' questions from your own docs, with citations and honest refusals.

Try helpGPT Free
1Standard flattenVector-preserving flatten — form fields and annotations merge into static content, text stays searchable.
2Full flattenMaximum security — every page re-rendered so nothing stays editable.
3Strip + flattenPrivacy mode — metadata stripped, then flattened. Stealth for ghost mode.

Bake forms and annotations into the page

Filled values stay visible but no viewer can change them afterwards — the safe way to file or send finished forms.

Private by design

Flattening bakes form entries and annotations into the page locally in your browser, so finished visa applications and filed tax forms leave your device only when you send them.

How to flatten PDF

  1. 1Upload your PDFUpload your document to open the flatten tool.
  2. 2Review optionsChoose whether to also strip metadata, remove JavaScript, and flatten annotations.
  3. 3FlattenClick "Flatten PDF". The process runs locally and takes a few seconds.
  4. 4DownloadDownload the permanently flattened, non-editable PDF — no watermark.
Was this useful?

Frequently asked questions

What does flattening do?

It bakes form-field values into fixed page content and removes remaining annotations, so no viewer can change them. Optional-content layers themselves are left as-is.

When should I flatten?

Before sending filled forms or annotated documents for final filing or printing.

More essential PDF tools — all free, no upload

Read the free PDF guides — step-by-step walkthroughs for this tool and more.