Privacy & security
The short version: your PDF never leaves your device. We can't see it, store it or share it, because it never reaches us.
- No uploadsCompression runs inside your browser. The file isn't sent to any server.
- No storageWe have no database and no file storage. There's nothing to keep and nothing to delete.
- No accountsNo sign-up, no email, no password. We don't know who you are.
- No trackingNo cookies, no analytics, no ads, no third-party scripts.
What happens to your file
- You choose a PDF. Your browser reads it into this tab's memory.
- A compression engine running in your browser shrinks it on your computer's processor.
- You preview and download the result straight from your browser.
- Close the tab or pick another file and it's gone from memory.
Your PDF is never sent over the internet, never written to our servers, and never cached by the site. The only copy that's saved is the one you download, in the folder you choose.
Where are files stored, and for how long?
Nowhere, for zero seconds. Lightfold is a static website. That means it's only HTML, CSS, JavaScript and a compression engine, with no backend. While you work, the PDF exists only in your browser tab's temporary memory, like a document open in any app on your computer. It's cleared when you choose another file, reload the page or close the tab.
How it's secured
- Uploading is technically blocked, not just promised. Every page is served with a strict Content Security Policy that stops the page from connecting to any other website or server. Even a bug couldn't send your file anywhere.
- No third-party code. Every file the site uses is served from our own domain. There are no ad networks, trackers, analytics, externally hosted fonts or CDNs.
- Encrypted connection. The site is only available over HTTPS, and it can't be embedded inside other websites, which prevents click-jacking.
- Open source. Anyone can read the code and confirm exactly what it does.
- Works offline. After your first visit, the app keeps working with no internet at all. The offline cache stores the app's own files only, never your PDFs.
Don't just take our word for it. Check it yourself in 30 seconds:
- Open your browser's developer tools (right-click the page → Inspect → Network tab).
- Compress a PDF.
- You'll see no request that carries your file. Or turn off Wi-Fi first, and it still works.
Why it's fast
Most online compressors upload your file, wait in a server queue, then make you download the result. Lightfold skips both trips. The work happens on your own device the moment you click, so a typical document takes a few seconds. Very large, image-heavy files (100 MB and up) can take around half a minute, depending on your computer. Nothing is waiting in line behind anyone else's files.
What data does exist?
Like any website, the hosting provider (Cloudflare) handles the request when your browser loads our pages. That can include standard technical details such as your IP address and browser type, which are used to deliver the page and protect against abuse. That request only asks for the website's own files. It never includes your PDF, its name or its contents. We don't run analytics on top of this and don't collect anything else.
Children, sharing and selling data
We don't collect personal information from anyone, of any age, so there's nothing to sell, share or hand over.
Changes and contact
If anything about how Lightfold handles data ever changes, this page will be updated first. Questions? Reach out to Rameena J on LinkedIn.
Last updated: 23 September 2026
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