Testing methodology
This page explains how PDF Smart Kit records first-party tests. Dates are updated only for the tool that changed. Publishing this page does not refresh every tool date.
What a published test record contains
A published record includes lastReviewed, lastTested, the product version, the test browser, the sample type, page count or file size class, the checks that were performed, and known failures. Tools with public records currently include PDF to Word, PDF to PowerPoint, Compress PDF, OCR PDF, Unlock PDF, Sign PDF, PPT to PDF, HTML to PDF, Scan to PDF, Watermark PDF, PDF Forms, Compare PDF and PDF to PDF/A.
The source of those records is src/toolEvidence.js. Change a date there only when that tool’s processor, published limits or test sample actually changed.
How we judge a result
The checks below are used when a sample is published. They are qualitative. They are not a laboratory accuracy score.
Text editability: characters that were extractable in the source can be selected or edited in the output format. Scanned pixels are not treated as editable text until OCR is run.
Image retention: photographs or page artwork from the sample remain visible in the output. Vector drawings may be flattened.
Page order: output pages or slides follow the source order unless the tool is designed to reorder, split or extract pages.
Font substitution: a different font is a known limitation, not a test failure, unless the published copy claimed identical metrics.
OCR searchability: after OCR, a printed sample should yield a searchable text layer. Handwriting and low-contrast scans still need a person to review the text.
Output validity: the download opens in a current editor or PDF reader and is not an empty or truncated file.
Samples we use
Public notes describe sample class, not confidential customer files. Typical classes are a short digital PDF with extractable text, a password-protected PDF with a known password, a simple PPTX, and an image-based page for OCR. Automated Playwright checks in the product test suite use the same classes.
Do not send original identity documents, passwords for live systems, or confidential PDFs when asking for a correction. Describe the sample class and the page URL instead.
When dates change
lastTested changes when a sample is actually re-run. lastReviewed changes when the published copy for that tool and language is checked against its capabilities. Translation reviews update the affected language pages without claiming a new processor test. Content review dates are maintained in src/contentReviewDates.js. Unrelated site edits do not rewrite every tool date.
The date shown on a tool page is the same value written to that page’s JSON-LD dateModified. The methodology page uses its own dateModified.
Priority tool records
See PDF to Word, PDF to PowerPoint, Compress PDF, OCR PDF, Unlock PDF, Sign PDF, PPT to PDF, HTML to PDF, Scan to PDF, Watermark PDF, PDF Forms and Compare PDF for the current last-tested date and scope.