{
    "title": "PDF Workflow Safety Checklist",
    "updated": "2026-08-06",
    "methodology": "The checklist follows a document from classification through processing, verification, storage, and deletion.",
    "limitations": "It does not certify encryption, redaction, digital signatures, legal admissibility, or the behavior of a specific third-party service.",
    "columns": [
        "Stage",
        "Check",
        "Reason"
    ],
    "rows": [
        [
            "Before upload",
            "Confirm document sensitivity",
            "Some files should not leave a controlled environment"
        ],
        [
            "Backup",
            "Keep an untouched original",
            "Conversions can fail or alter content"
        ],
        [
            "Permissions",
            "Understand password vs encryption",
            "Restrictions may not equal confidentiality"
        ],
        [
            "Redaction",
            "Remove content, not only cover it",
            "Hidden text may remain extractable"
        ],
        [
            "Metadata",
            "Review author, title, comments, attachments",
            "Metadata can disclose information"
        ],
        [
            "Links",
            "Inspect external destinations",
            "Documents can contain risky links"
        ],
        [
            "Forms",
            "Check hidden or submitted fields",
            "Forms may transmit data"
        ],
        [
            "Signatures",
            "Preserve validation requirements",
            "Conversion can invalidate signatures"
        ],
        [
            "Fonts",
            "Verify embedded/substituted fonts",
            "Layout may change"
        ],
        [
            "OCR",
            "Check recognition accuracy",
            "Scans can produce errors"
        ],
        [
            "Compression",
            "Inspect visual quality",
            "Small text can become unreadable"
        ],
        [
            "Page order",
            "Verify every page after split/merge",
            "Pages may be missing or duplicated"
        ],
        [
            "Accessibility",
            "Check tags, reading order, alt text",
            "Visual appearance is not enough"
        ],
        [
            "Filename",
            "Remove sensitive names where needed",
            "Names can leak context"
        ],
        [
            "Output",
            "Open in a second viewer",
            "Catches compatibility issues"
        ],
        [
            "Deletion",
            "Understand temporary-file handling",
            "Residual copies may remain"
        ]
    ]
}