Rebuild a damaged PDF's internal structure so it opens again.
Severely truncated files may only be partly recoverable.
Quick answer
To repair a PDF, open PDFella's Repair PDF tool and upload the damaged file. It reconstructs the PDF's cross-reference table and object structure in your browser and gives you a repaired copy to download, recovering every page that can still be read.
Updated 5 October 2026 by the PDFella team
Key facts
Step by step
Drag your PDF onto the upload area or click Choose file. It's opened in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Repair starts automatically and rebuilds the file's structure.
Rename the file if you like and click Download, or open it in the editor to keep working.
Why PDFella
Fixes broken cross-reference tables and trailers.
Every readable page is kept.
Your PDF never leaves your device.
No sign-up, no watermark.
Interrupted downloads, failed email attachments, disk errors and buggy software can leave a PDF with a damaged index. The page content is often still there; rebuilding the index makes the file readable again. Severely truncated files may only be partly recoverable.
Anyone
Rescue a PDF that won't open after a broken download.
IT support
Fix files that show 'damaged' errors.
Archivists
Recover old documents with structural errors.
Most PDFs with structural damage can. Files missing large parts of their content may only be partly recoverable.
No. Repair runs in your browser.
Yes, with no account.
Yes, if the original text survived.
The file is probably too damaged; try obtaining a fresh copy of the original.
Unlock the PDF first, then repair it.