PDF Extract Attachments
Get the files hidden inside a PDF with our PDF Extract Attachments tool. It collects every embedded file from the document attachment list and from file attachment annotations on the pages, such as invoices in XML, spreadsheets, source data or portfolio documents, keeps their original names and returns them in one ZIP archive. Helpful for accountants reading e-invoices, reviewers and anyone who received a PDF with attachments.
Frequently asked questions
How do I extract attachments from a PDF?
Upload the PDF and click Extract Attachments. The tool finds every embedded file and returns them in one ZIP archive with their original file names.
Where in a PDF can attachments be stored?
Files can be attached to the document as a whole, which viewers show in their attachments panel, or to a spot on a page through a file attachment annotation, often drawn as a paper clip or pin. The tool reads both places and lists a file stored in both only once.
Can I get the XML of a ZUGFeRD or Factur-X invoice?
Yes. These e-invoices carry their machine-readable XML as an attached file, usually named factur-x.xml, zugferd-invoice.xml or xrechnung.xml. Extracting the attachments gives you that XML exactly as embedded.
What happens when two attachments have the same name?
Names inside the archive must be unique, so a repeated name gets a number before its extension, such as data-2.csv. Folder parts of a name are removed, so every file lands at the top level of the archive.
Are the attachments changed in any way?
No. Each file is decompressed and written byte for byte as it was embedded, so its contents and checksums match the original. File dates and descriptions stored in the PDF are not carried over.
How many attachments can I extract?
Up to 200 attachments, which together can expand to at most 32 MiB. When a PDF holds more or larger files, the tool refuses it with a message instead of returning an incomplete archive.
Why is an attachment reported as unsupported?
Embedded files are almost always stored uncompressed or with Flate compression, and both are supported. A file stored with a rare filter such as LZW or with a predictor cannot be decoded safely, and the tool names it in the message.
What if the PDF has no attachments?
You get a message saying the PDF contains no attached files. Images and fonts inside a PDF are not attachments; use the PDF Extract Images tool for pictures.
Can I extract attachments from a protected PDF?
Yes. Enter the password and the attachments are decrypted along with the document. The password is used for this request only and never shown in the result.
Is it safe to open the extracted files?
The tool only unpacks the files and does not run them. Treat attachments like any email attachment and open programs or macros only when you trust the sender.