---
title: "Where your files are stored and who can open them"
description: "Which PDFBetter tools run in your browser, where uploaded files are stored, how they're protected, and exactly who can open a document in your account."
url: https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/where-your-files-are-stored/
collection: "Privacy & security"
section: "Your data"
updated: 2026-10-18
publisher: "PDFBetter (AI Generated Inc.)"
---

# Where your files are stored and who can open them

> Browser tools such as merge, split and rotate never upload your file. Documents you edit, fill or sign are stored in Cloudflare R2, encrypted at rest, and only you, people you share with and your team (for team documents) can open them.

## Three places a file can be processed

| Where | What runs there | Is the file uploaded? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Your browser | Merge, split, rotate, extract, organize, images to PDF and back, PDF to text, watermark, page numbers, password protection and sanitizing | No. The file stays on your device. |
| Your private workspace | Editing, filling and signing. The original and your changes are saved so you can come back. | Yes, to your account's storage. |
| Conversion servers | Office conversions, compression, OCR, redaction and scan cleanup, in isolated containers on Cloudflare | Yes. Inputs and outputs go to your private storage area. |

Every tool page says which of these applies before you start. See [Which tools run in your browser](https://help.pdfbetter.com/convert-organize/browser-vs-server-tools/).

## How stored files are protected

- Files are stored in Cloudflare R2, which encrypts objects at rest. Connections use TLS.
- Files are reachable only through signed links that expire within minutes. There are no public bucket URLs.
- Every request checks the document against your account. Document IDs are random, and a request for a document you can't access returns “not found”.
- App pages, signing pages, shared links and public forms are excluded from search engines.

## Who can open your documents

- **You**, the owner.
- **Your team**, only for documents shared with the team. Documents you keep personal stay yours, even on a team plan.
- **People you give an edit link to.** Edit links are limited to the email addresses you add, and each person's access is recorded.
- **Anyone with a view link you create.** [Share links](https://help.pdfbetter.com/sharing/create-share-link/) use long random tokens, can expire, can require a password, and can be turned off at any time.
- **Signers and form respondents**, for the document or form you send them.

PDFBetter doesn't sell your documents or use them to train AI. Service providers that process data for us, such as Cloudflare for storage and Stripe for payments, are listed in the [privacy policy](https://pdfbetter.com/privacy/). The [security page](https://pdfbetter.com/security/) has the technical details.

### Are my files end-to-end encrypted?

No. Stored files are encrypted at rest by Cloudflare R2 and in transit with TLS, but PDFBetter's servers can read them to edit, convert and export them. For files that must never leave your device, use a browser tool.

### Can I choose the country where files are stored?

Not yet. Our providers may process data in the United States and other countries; the privacy policy explains the safeguards.

## Related articles

- [How long PDFBetter keeps your files](https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/how-long-files-are-kept.md): Guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after they're created. Files uploaded only to run a tool are deleted after 24 hours. Documents in your account stay until you delete them, then they're erased 30 days later.
- [Delete documents, and restore them from the trash](https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/delete-documents-and-trash.md): Select documents and choose Move to trash. They stay in Trash for 30 days, where you can Restore them, then they're erased with their files. Use Delete forever or Empty trash to erase them now.
- [What happens to your documents when you use AI](https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/ai-and-your-data.md): AI features send your document's text to OpenAI's API with storage turned off; scan restoration sends page images to fal.ai. Your documents aren't used to train models. In Settings → Data & privacy you can choose Private AI or delete stored AI data.
- [Security certifications, and how to report a vulnerability](https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/security-certifications-and-reporting.md): PDFBetter hasn't completed a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 audit, isn't HIPAA compliant and doesn't sign BAAs. To report a vulnerability, email security@pdfbetter.com; reports are acknowledged within two business days.
- [Which tools run in your browser and which use our servers](https://help.pdfbetter.com/convert-organize/browser-vs-server-tools.md): Merge, split, rotate, organize, images ↔ PDF, protect, unlock, sanitize and compare run in your browser: nothing is uploaded and they download free without an account. Office conversions, compression beyond Light, OCR and PDF/A run on our servers and count toward a monthly allowance.

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Source: https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/where-your-files-are-stored/ · PDFBetter Help Center · Last checked against the product 2026-10-18. Questions: support@pdfbetter.com