how do I prevent download or sharing of a PDF file

[neiln31444299]

If I want to link my PDF file so people can view it, but not share it, download it or even comment, how do I do that?  What Abode product will let me setup the way a Pdf document can be used for only viewing and nothing else, no download, no sharing, and no comments?

Thank you.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

Unless you host your own PDF viewer on your website such that the PDF file itself is not internally downloaded by whatever PDF reader the user has on their computer (i.e., your website displays a raster bitmap of the PDF content), there is absolutely no way to prevent the file from being downloaded and shared using Abode (sic) software.

          - Dov

[Bernd Alheit]

This is not possible.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

Unless you host your own PDF viewer on your website such that the PDF file itself is not internally downloaded by whatever PDF reader the user has on their computer (i.e., your website displays a raster bitmap of the PDF content), there is absolutely no way to prevent the file from being downloaded and shared using Abode (sic) software.

          - Dov

[neiln31444299]

Dear Dov, 

Thank you for the response. Please indulge me if I seem unfamiliar with certain terms..."host your own PDF viewer on your website" what does that mean, again?  My intention is to have PDF file on a page on the my website.  A viewer would click on a link and the PDF would open or is the PDF file open when the viewer clicks on that page?   The PDF file is from a Word document.  Can the Word document properties be changed to restrict access and then converted to PDF with those document properties?

Neil

[Dov Isaacs]

Neil,

The issue is whether the PDF file itself leaves your website for its display. With conventional PDF viewers such as Adobe Reader or most if not all the web browsers with their native subset PDF display capabilities, the PDF file is downloaded to the viewer's system. At that point, you have totally lost control of the file. There is nothing you can do about that.

The only way you could apply the restrictions you want would be to somehow have a PDF renderer on your server showing the PDF residing on your server on the user's web browser screen. In that case the PDF file itself would not be transferred to the viewer's system, but only the visual display would be transferred as raster images on a web page.

          - Dov

[neiln31444299]

Dov,

Thank you for the information!  I appreciate you taking the time!  I'm understanding a lot more than before.  Again, thank you.

Neil

[Test Screen Name]

Of course, if you went to the trouble and expense of ”rendering” a PDF on your server, anyone can still save what they see. It just won’t be a PDF.

[Yemiade]

Thanks s much for your insight, could you please expantiate more on what you said, "PDF renderer on your server showing the PDF residing on your server". I feel this is what I have been looking for.

[Bernd Alheit]

On the server use a app which converts the PDF pages into images. Then display the images.

Info: You can't use Adobe Acrobat for this.

[try67]

In other words, don't use PDF at all... And images can also be downloaded, of course.

[Wolf Changer]

Is there anything that Adobe can do to change this? It would be a good idea if we could copyright and sell PDFs without allowing them to be shared.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

It's not Adobe's problem to change or solve. It's just the way things work. 

Even if a file--PDF or other--is protected from downloading, one can always screen capture the "pages" and re-assemble them into a readable product. 

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

You can restrict the usage of PDF files with Digital Rights Management (DRM).

[try67]

I recommend no one use this website. See my review of it here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/Acrobat/how-to-prevent-pdf-files-save-locally-or-forward-the-to-anyon...

In short, the protection it offers is easily overcome and it is not clear who (or what) is behind it, that you're giving access to your sensitive files to...

[Bill8132957394]

Confused by all the "thats impossible" comments. Can't you just share on google drive and disable downloading? What am I missing? -billb

[Bernd Alheit]

When you disable downloading Acrobat Reader and Adobe Acrobat can't display the PDF file.

[Bill8132957394]

It was not important to me that people use Adobe reader or actrobat to consume my content. I was trying to meet at need:

THE NEED:
Share the contents my PDF with select people, without allowing them to download, copy, or print.

THE SOLUTION:
Google drive with no download. It will display the PDF contents and not let them copy/download/print.

It's working great. I've been using it. I understand others may have different needs that this does not address.

-billb

[try67]

I think you're wrong, but let's test it. Post the link here and we'll see if we can download the file or not.

[Jocelyne]

Hello Bill!

I am looking for the same thing. I need to share PDF file for viewing only. I was so glad to find your solution but it does not work for all device. Sharing with google drive works only on computers. I have tested on my Ipad mini and I could save it to the Ipad and even transfered it by email. I wish it was not possible.

If you find another simple way, I am willing to try it.

Jocelyne

Sorry for my English, I am French!

[MichaelT3]

Hi Folks,

I appreciate this discussion as it probably saved me a lot of time looking for a viewer for my website that would prevent people from downloading the file.  The suggestion above to convert to images that do not display or print well at full size seems good.  And I think a common method that may be good enough is to place an annoying watermark logo or warning on every page.

Michael

[LiamQu]

Jocelyne,

I suggest you use InDesign. This allows you to publish your documents, but they cannot be downloaded.

Liam

[Bernd Alheit]

Every published document can be downloaded!

[kayjay3]

Hi, could you please elaborate more on this?

[kayjay3]

How does Indesign prevent download? Is there a guide?

[Bernd Alheit]

InDesign can't prevent download!