Last updated: 2026-11-11
1. The service
The Compress PDF API lets you send a PDF and receive a compressed version in the same response. It is offered free of charge with the limits shown on the API documentation page. By creating an API key or calling the API you agree to these terms.
2. What happens to your files
- Unlike our browser-based website tools, the API processes files on our server. Your PDF is sent over HTTPS through Cloudflare to our processing service, which runs on Render in the United States.
- The file is written to temporary storage only while it is being compressed with Ghostscript. The input and the output are deleted as soon as the response has been sent. A clean-up job also removes any temporary file older than 10 minutes.
- We do not keep copies of your files. No person looks at them, they are not used to train any model, and they are not shared with anyone. The only automatic checks are that the file is a PDF and how many pages it has.
- Our logs do not contain file contents or file names. Our hosting providers may log basic technical data about requests, such as IP address and time.
3. Account data we keep
- Email address: to sign you in with a one-time link and to contact you about your key.
- API key: only a SHA-256 hash is stored. The key is shown to you once and we cannot recover it.
- Usage: number of files and output size per month, and the time of your last request (used for rate limits).
- Abuse protection: sign-up limits use a hashed form of your IP address and email that expires within about two hours. Sign-up forms are protected by Cloudflare Turnstile.
- Sign-in emails are delivered by our email provider, Resend.
API account data is stored separately from website accounts. To delete your API account and its data, email support@editpdf.tools from the address you signed up with.
4. Acceptable use
- Only send files you have the right to process. Do not use the API for unlawful content.
- Do not try to get around the limits, for example by creating several accounts, and do not load-test or attack the service.
- Keep your API key secret. You are responsible for calls made with it. If it leaks, replace it in your dashboard.
We may block keys or accounts that break these rules or put the service at risk.
5. Limits, availability and changes
The free plan has no uptime guarantee. We may change limits, pause the service for maintenance or abuse, or change these terms. Changes will be posted on this page with a new date.
6. No warranty
The API is provided "as is". Compression changes images in your file, so keep your original. To the extent the law allows, editpdf.tools is not liable for loss of data, profit or business arising from use of the API.
7. Open source
The API code is published under the AGPL-3.0 license at github.com/chanbuilsdai/compress-pdf-api. It uses Ghostscript (AGPL, Artifex Software) and qpdf (Apache-2.0).
8. Contact
Questions about these terms or your data: support@editpdf.tools or our contact form.