Convert PDF to PDF/A

PDF/A is the archive form of PDF: fonts and colours travel inside the file, so it opens the same way in decades. Choose the version you were asked for and download a file that passed the check.

Free to use
Works on any device
Nothing to install

Checked before anything changes
PDF/A-1b, 2b, 2u, 3b and 3u
Validated before you download
Every change explained

PDF/A

Drag & drop file here

or choose a file from your device

Choose the PDF to convert to PDF/A

PDF · up to 80 MB · checked before anything changes

Everything PDF to PDF/A can do

Turn a PDF into an ISO 19005 archival file that is validated before you download it.

Standards

PDF/A-2b by default, the standard most archives, courts and agencies accept
PDF/A-1b for older systems, PDF/A-2u and 3u when the text must stay searchable
PDF/A-3b and 3u keep attached files of any type
Every file is validated against the standard you chose; a file that fails is never handed out

Before converting

Checks fonts, colours, forms, scripts, attachments, signatures and security first
Says in plain words what will change for the standard you picked
Warns before a digital signature or an attachment is removed

Keeping your document the same

Text stays selectable and searchable, and is compared before and after
Files that only need fixing are fixed in place: form fields, links, bookmarks and tags stay
Fonts that were not embedded are embedded with the closest match, keeping every line's spacing
Images are never downsampled or re-compressed as JPEG
Scanned pages keep their image quality; existing searchable text layers stay

Limits

Up to 50 MB and 200 pages per file
Password-protected PDFs need their password removed first with Unlock PDF
Accessibility-tagged standards (PDF/A-1a, 2a, 3a) and PDF/A-4 are not offered

How it works

Convert PDF to PDF/A in three steps

Add the PDF

It is read first, and a list shows what will be adjusted for the standard and what is fine.

Pick the version

PDF/A-2b is suggested. Open Other standards for 1b, 2u, 3b or 3u if the court or archive names one.

Download the checked file

Only a file that passed the PDF/A check is offered, with the standard, page count and size shown.

Step by step

Convert PDF to PDF/A: a visual walkthrough

This page with a sample document: the upload box, the compatibility check with the standard chosen, and the validated result.

Add the PDF you need to archive or file
Drop it onto the box or press Choose File. A password-protected file is refused, with a link to Unlock PDF.
Read the check and press Convert to PDF/A
Fonts, colour, interactive content, attachments and security each get a line saying what will change. PDF/A-2b is selected; press Convert to PDF/A.
Download the validated PDF/A
The result reads PDF/A validated, with the standard, Passed, pages and size. Press Download PDF/A.

Three documents converted here

We converted our own files on this page and opened each download: we read the PDF/A identification it carries, ran our own second PDF/A check, and compared the text with the original. Measured on October 24, 2026.

File	Before	After	Standard and check	Text
4-page exhibit from a word processor	48 KB, failed the PDF/A-2b check	77 KB	PDF/A-2b, passed	8,728 characters kept
Same exhibit as PDF/A-1b	48 KB	81 KB	PDF/A-1b, passed	8,728 characters kept
2-page account statement	42 KB, failed the PDF/A-2b check	71 KB	PDF/A-2b, passed	1,921 characters kept
4-page gray scan	6.7 MB	6.7 MB	PDF/A-2b, passed	picture only, 300 DPI kept

The text files grew because PDF/A needs every font inside the file: both had a standard font that was not embedded, and the result screen explained that the fonts and a colour profile now travel with the document.

The scan's pages were not redrawn: its pictures stayed at 300 DPI, and the file grew by under 5 KB.

Who requires PDF/A, and who only prefers it

We checked these on the bodies' own published pages on 24 October 2026. Rules change, so read your court's or archive's current page before you file.

Supreme Court of the United States: its electronic filing guidelines say documents submitted through the e-filing system should be in PDF/A, and text searchable where possible.
New York State, Appellate Division, First Department: its technical requirements for e-filed documents accept only PDF files that are PDF/A compliant.
US National Archives and Records Administration: its format guidance for transferring permanent electronic records lists PDF/A-1 and PDF/A-2 as preferred for text documents; ordinary PDF is acceptable.
Florida state courts: PDF/A is the preferred format for the statewide e-filing portal, which still accepts other formats.
US federal district courts: we found no general PDF/A rule. Each court's CM/ECF rules apply.

Which version to choose

Take the one you were told. With no instruction, PDF/A-2b suits most archives and keeps the look exactly. Choose 2u when the text must always be searchable and copyable, 1b only when an older system asks for PDF/A-1, and 3b or 3u when files attached inside the PDF must stay.

Do it last

Editing, compressing or merging a PDF/A file afterwards can break it, and the result screen says so too. Finish the document first, shrink it if a size limit applies, remove any password, and convert to PDF/A as the final step.

Frequently asked questions about Convert PDF to PDF/A

How do I convert a PDF to PDF/A?

Add it here, read the check, keep PDF/A-2b or choose the version you were asked for, and press Convert to PDF/A. Download the file once it shows Passed.

Who requires PDF/A?

Among the bodies we checked on 24 October 2026, the US Supreme Court's e-filing guidelines and New York's Appellate Division, First Department ask for it. The US National Archives prefers it for permanent records.

How do I know the file really is PDF/A?

The page checks every result against the standard and offers only files that passed. We also checked our downloads separately, and each carried the right PDF/A identification.

Why is my PDF/A bigger than the original?

PDF/A carries its fonts and a colour profile inside the file. Our 48 KB exhibit became 77 KB for that reason; a scan grew by only a few kilobytes.

Will my text still be searchable?

Yes, text that was searchable stays so. Our exhibit kept all 8,728 characters. A scan without text stays a picture.

Can I convert a password-protected PDF?

No. PDF/A does not allow encryption, and the page says so when you add a locked file, with a link to Unlock PDF. Remove the password there first.