03 / HOW THE WORKFLOW B
How the workflow builder works
Chain between 1 and 6 steps from a list of supported tools: Compress, Repair, OCR, PDF to Image, PDF to Word, PDF to Excel, PDF to Markdown, and PDF/A. The steps run in the order you set, each one passing its output to the next. Because the steps run on the server after you upload a file, no download or re-upload is needed between steps.
The workflow accepts a single PDF file, up to 50 MB in size and up to 500 pages. The file type is determined by reading the actual bytes, not by the file name – so renaming a non-PDF to .pdf will not get it through. The upload is scanned for malware before any engine opens it, which means an infected file never reaches the processing stage.
04 / WHAT YOU CAN DO WI
What you can do with a workflow
A typical use is to repair a PDF and then compress it for email, or to run OCR so text becomes selectable and then convert to Word. Since each step uses its own tool's engine in turn, you can combine operations that would normally require several separate uploads and downloads.
The output of the chain is the result of the last step. So if you chain PDF to Word, the final download is a Word file. If you chain OCR then PDF to Word, you get a Word document with searchable text (provided the OCR step succeeded).
The whole chain shares one time budget, split between the steps. This means a six-step chain gives each step less time than a one-step job would. If a step times out or its engine crashes, that step is retried once. Anything else stops the chain immediately, and the error message names which step number failed.
05 / LIMITATIONS YOU SH
Limitations you should know
There are no per-step settings in the workflow builder. Every step runs with its default options. That is why steps that require a password or a marked area cannot be chained here – they would need input you cannot provide in a preset workflow. For example, you cannot set the output quality for compression or define a page range for PDF to Image.
The workflow processes exactly one PDF file per job. If you need to run the same chain on several files, you must start a separate job for each.
Because the steps run automatically, you cannot intervene if a step produces a warning. The warnings from every step are collected and shown together at the end. You can see which step each warning came from, but you cannot pause the chain to adjust anything.
06 / WHAT HAPPENS TO YO
What happens to your file
Your uploaded file is sent to private object storage. If you use the tool anonymously, the file is deleted after 1 hour. If you are signed in to an account, it is deleted after 7 days. This deletion happens automatically, so you do not need to manually remove anything.
The produced file is re-opened and parsed before it is offered for download. If a job silently produced something broken, the tool fails and does not hand over a corrupt file. This verification step adds a little time but ensures you do not download a useless result.
07 / IF A WARNING APPEA
If a warning appears
The workflow returns the notes of every step it ran, collected together. These notes may alert you to issues such as a repair that changed text or an OCR step that had low confidence on certain pages. Read the notes to decide whether the output is usable.
If a step fails and stops the chain, the error message names the step number. If that happens, check the original PDF – for example, a file with complex fonts or unusual encodings may cause a conversion step to fail. You can then try running fewer steps or use the individual tool directly with more control, if that option is available.
FAQ
Common questions
What file formats can I upload?
Only PDF (one file) is accepted. The file must be genuinely a PDF – the tool reads the file's content, not the name, so renaming a file to .pdf will not fool it. The PDF can be up to 50 MB and 500 pages.
How long does my file stay on the server?
If you are not signed in, the file is deleted after 1 hour. If you are signed in, it is deleted after 7 days. In both cases, deletion is automatic.
Will compression reduce the quality of my PDF?
The Compress step runs with default settings. It aims to reduce file size but may change image quality. The exact outcome depends on the original content. You will see any warnings about changes in the collected notes after the job finishes.
Why did a step fail with an error?
If a step times out or its engine crashes, that step is retried once. If it still fails, the chain stops and the error message tells you which step number failed. This can happen with very complex PDFs. You could try a shorter chain or use a single-purpose tool.
Can I choose settings for each step?
No. Every step runs with its default options. That is why password-protected PDFs or steps needing a marked area cannot be chained. If you need specific settings, you must use the individual tools separately.
What output do I get if I chain several tools?
You get the output of the last step. For example, if you chain PDF to Image, you get image files. The warnings from all steps are shown together after the job.