Common Questions

Frequently asked questions about PDF Ghost

Find answers to the most commonly asked questions about PDF Ghost.

PDF Ghost is a web application that fingerprints PDF documents so you can trace leaks back to specific recipients. Each recipient gets a unique copy with invisible marks that can be detected if the document is leaked.

How does PDF fingerprinting work?

PDF Ghost embeds unique, invisible identifiers into each copy of your PDF using:

Metadata fingerprints
Invisible text layers
Cryptographic signatures unique to each recipient

These marks are undetectable to recipients but can be extracted by PDF Ghost if the document is leaked.

Is PDF Ghost secure?

Yes, PDF Ghost uses enterprise-grade security including:

Encrypted data storage
Secure HTTPS transmission
Role-based access controls
Regular security audits
Isolated organization data

How much does it cost?

PDF Ghost offers several pricing tiers:

Free - Limited usage to test the system
Starter - For individuals and small projects
Pro - For regular professional use
Team - For teams with higher limits
Enterprise - Custom solutions with unlimited usage

Visit the pricing page for current rates and plan details.

Account & Organizations

How do I create an account?

Click Sign Up on the homepage
Enter your email and create a password
Verify your email address
Create your first organization
Start fingerprinting PDFs

Can I belong to multiple organizations?

Yes! You can be a member of multiple organizations. Use the organization switcher in the dashboard to switch between them. Each organization has its own:

Jobs and artifacts
Team members
Billing and subscription
Settings

What's the difference between user and organization?

User Account - Your personal login and profile
Organization - A team or company workspace where jobs are created
One user can be part of multiple organizations
Organizations can have multiple members

How do I invite team members?

Organization admins can invite members:

Go to Organization Settings → Members
Click Invite Member
Enter email address and select role
Send invitation
They'll receive an email to join

What are the different user roles?

Owner - Full control including ability to transfer or delete the organization
Admin - Full access, can manage settings and billing
Member - Can create jobs and view organization jobs with ORGANIZATION privacy

Jobs & Fingerprinting

What file types are supported?

Currently, PDF Ghost supports:

PDF files only
Maximum size: Varies by plan (Free: 1 MB, Starter: 5 MB, Pro: 100 MB, Team: 250 MB, Enterprise: 1000 MB)
No password-protected PDFs
Standard PDF format (version 1.4+)

How many recipients can I add per job?

Recipient limits depend on your plan's monthly token allowance. Check Settings → Billing for your specific limits.

Organization member limits:

Free: 1 member
Starter: 1 member
Pro: 3 members
Team: 10 members
Enterprise: Unlimited members

How long does processing take?

Processing time varies based on:

PDF size and complexity
Number of recipients
Current system load

Typical times:

Small PDFs (< 5 MB, < 10 recipients): 1-2 minutes
Medium PDFs (5-20 MB, 10-50 recipients): 5-10 minutes
Large PDFs (20-100 MB, 50-100 recipients): 15-30 minutes

Can I cancel a job after starting?

Yes, you can cancel a job while it's queued or processing. Once completed, you can delete the job, but artifacts that have been downloaded cannot be recalled.

What happens if my job fails?

If a job fails:

You'll see an error message explaining why
Common issues: corrupted PDF, invalid recipients, insufficient credits
The system will automatically retry some errors
Contact support if the problem persists
You won't be charged for failed jobs

How long are my fingerprinted PDFs stored?

Storage duration depends on your plan:

Free: 7 days
Starter: 30 days
Pro: 90 days
Team: 180 days
Enterprise: 365 days (1 year)

Download your artifacts promptly if you need them longer.

What happens to draft jobs?

Draft jobs that remain unsubmitted expire according to your plan's draft retention period (Free: 3 days, Starter: 7 days, Pro: 14 days, Team/Enterprise: 30 days). Expired drafts are automatically cancelled and the source file is removed.

What happens to my original uploaded PDF?

Original uploaded PDFs are automatically deleted from storage after successful processing. Only the generated fingerprinted copies are retained. Keep a local backup of your source files if you need them.

Can I download files after the retention period?

No. Once the retention period expires, fingerprinted artifacts are permanently deleted from storage and cannot be recovered. Make sure to download everything you need before your plan's retention period ends.

Watermarks & Options

Should I use visible watermarks?

Visible watermarks provide benefits:

Pros: Deters sharing, clear confidentiality notice, visual reminder
Cons: Affects document appearance, may be distracting

We recommend visible watermarks for highly confidential documents, even though invisible fingerprints always track the source.

Can recipients see the invisible fingerprints?

No! Invisible fingerprints are completely undetectable to recipients. They won't see any marks, text, or indications that the document is fingerprinted (unless you add visible watermarks).

Can fingerprints survive printing and scanning?

Invisible fingerprints are designed for digital tracking and may not survive printing and scanning. However:

Metadata fingerprints survive digital forwarding
Text layer marks survive most digital manipulations
Physical printing may remove digital marks
Visible watermarks remain after printing

Can someone remove the fingerprints?

While sophisticated attackers might attempt to remove fingerprints:

Multiple layers make complete removal difficult
Visible watermarks require document editing
Removal attempts may damage document
Most casual sharing retains fingerprints

PDF Ghost uses defense-in-depth with multiple fingerprinting techniques.

Leak Detection

How accurate is leak detection?

Leak detection is highly accurate when:

Document is unmodified or minimally edited
Original fingerprints are intact
Document is from your organization
Full document is uploaded (not partial pages)

The system provides a confidence level with each result.

What if the leaked document was modified?

PDF Ghost can often detect fingerprints in modified documents:

Minor edits usually don't affect detection
Text changes typically preserve fingerprints
Removed pages still show fingerprints on remaining pages
Heavy modification may prevent detection

Can I check documents from other organizations?

No, leak check only works for documents fingerprinted by your organization. You cannot detect fingerprints from:

Other PDF Ghost organizations
Documents you didn't create
Non-fingerprinted PDFs

How long does leak analysis take?

Leak analysis is usually quick:

Small PDFs: 30-60 seconds
Large PDFs: 1-2 minutes
Complex PDFs: Up to 5 minutes

Results appear automatically when ready.

Billing & Plans

How is usage calculated?

Usage is based on:

Number of jobs created
Number of recipients (artifacts generated)
Storage used
Team member count (some plans)

View detailed usage in Settings → Billing.

What happens if I exceed my plan limits?

Depends on your plan:

Hard Limits - You cannot create jobs until next billing cycle
Metered Overage - Excess usage billed automatically
Notifications - You'll receive warnings before hitting limits

Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

Yes, you can change plans anytime:

Upgrades take effect immediately
Downgrades take effect at next billing cycle
Plan changes are initiated from the app billing page
Customer portal is used for payment method, invoices, and cancellation scheduling (cancellations take effect at end of current billing period)