BearPDF FAQ & fixes

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. BearPDF processes everything in your browser. Nothing gets uploaded and nothing runs on a server: your PDFs never leave your machine, and nothing is stored anywhere.

Why does Compress fall back to structure-only when Flatten is on?

When Flatten is enabled, every page is already re-rendered as an optimally encoded image as part of that step. Running image compression again on top would only reduce quality further with no real size savings, so Compress switches to structure-only optimization automatically in that case. If you want to control image size or quality, do it from the Flatten settings instead.

Will flattening remove the hyperlinks in my PDF?

Not by default. Flatten re-renders each page as an image, but hyperlinks are preserved on top of the flattened page by default. If you’d rather drop them, turn off Keep hyperlinks in the Flatten step.

I design in Canva. Can I use BearPDF?

Yes. BearPDF works on the exported PDF, so the tool you designed in doesn’t matter. Export a PDF from Canva, Google Slides, Keynote, or anything else, then flatten and secure it here.

Can I control where the watermark goes?

Yes, the whole thing is up to you. Click “Customize…” on the watermark step to open the full editor, with your settings on the left and a live preview of a real page from your document on the right, so you see exactly where the mark lands before you run anything. You can place the watermark once in any of nine spots: the four corners, the four edge midpoints, or dead center. You can also tile it across the whole page with spacing you choose. Size, angle, and opacity are all adjustable, and you can draw the mark on top of the page or behind the page content so the text underneath stays readable.

Can I put a hidden marker in my files?

Yes. In the watermark editor there is an “Invisible marker” field. Type a phrase like a buyer’s order code or something like sold by yourstore 2026, and BearPDF embeds it into the text layer of every page. The page looks pixel identical, so you cannot see the marker, but it is in the file’s text. That means you can search for it later with select all and find, or by copying the text out. It survives BearPDF’s own flatten step, so turning the pages into images does not strip it. That makes it a good way to trace a leaked copy back to the buyer you sent it to. Be clear on what it is not. This is a proof of origin marker and a deterrent, not encryption or copy protection. Someone who knows it is there and re-exports the file through another tool could remove it. You can use the {page}, {pages}, {date}, and {filename} tokens in the phrase, and leaving the field empty skips it.

I made my resource in PowerPoint. Can I use it?

Yes, with one step first. BearPDF works on PDFs, so export your PDF from PowerPoint as usual, then finish it here. If you are on a Mac and your exported PDF lost its hyperlinks, add the exported PDF and drop in the original .pptx too, and BearPDF puts the links back. See keep your PowerPoint links. The .pptx is only used to restore links. It is not converted into pages.

You can also choose to export every page as an image instead of, or alongside, the finished PDF.

Can BearPDF split one PDF into separate files?

Yes. Add the PDF, choose Organise pages, and click + Split after the page where each PDF should end. The following page starts the next PDF. You can name each part before applying the page plan. To make one PDF per page, add a split after every page, then run the pipeline and download the separate PDFs.

For a large PowerPoint, first export the full presentation as one PDF. If you use Flat Pack, choose Create PDF to flatten and protect the full presentation first. Then add that PDF to BearPDF and split it into the individual files you need. Flat Pack itself creates one PDF from the presentation and does not batch-save every slide as a separate PDF.

Which browsers does BearPDF work in?

BearPDF works best in modern, up-to-date browsers (recent Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari), which run the pipeline off the main thread for smooth performance on large files. On older browsers, it falls back to running the same pipeline on the main thread. It still works, just without that background processing.

What does a license unlock?

The demo lets you use the full pipeline but caps runs at 5 pages. A $59 license, paid once, removes that cap. See activating your license.

I bought BearPDF but can’t find my license key

Your key is shown on the Gumroad purchase/receipt page, in the “Getting Started Guide” content. If you can’t find the receipt email, sign in to your Gumroad library with the email you bought under. Your key is there too.

Can I request a refund?

See refunds and billing for how refunds work.

I’m on a new computer, do I need to buy again?

No. BearPDF is a web app, so there’s nothing to reinstall. Open bearpdf.bearwoodlabs.com on the new computer, click the Demo badge, and enter your existing license key again.

Something not covered here? See contact support.