UtilForge Free check
Release Check

Before you release it, find what is still hiding in it.

Free checkNo sign-upsNo trackingKeeps working with the internet off

Check a PDF (Portable Document Format) file, Word, Excel or PowerPoint file before it goes out: words still readable under black boxes, hidden sheets, tracked changes, comments and the names stored inside the file. It runs on this computer, so the document stays with you.

The short answer. Check a PDF file, Word, Excel or PowerPoint file before it goes out, because documents can hold more than the page shows: words under black boxes, hidden sheets, tracked changes, comments and stored names. Choose a file here and it checks on your own computer, so the document is not uploaded.

How it works, in four steps

  1. Paste or chooseChoose a PDF (Portable Document Format) file, or a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file.
  2. The check runs on your own phone or computerWhat you add stays on your device, and the page keeps working with the internet off.
  3. Read what it found and what to do nextSee what kind of problem it found and how many, and what to fix before the file goes out.
  4. What this check cannot doIt does not read words inside pictures, such as a photographed page, and it does not replace reading every page yourself.
Want to see it work first? Download a sample with hidden problems: spreadsheet, letter, PDF file.

Release record

A dated record of what was checked and what was found, to keep with the release file. It includes each file's fingerprint, a code calculated from the file's contents, so anyone can confirm the record matches the copy that was released.

Fix it, prove it, keep it.

The free check tells you what kind of problem is in one file and how many. Release Check tells you exactly where, checks a whole folder at once, gives you a dated release record to file, and removes the words for real with Redaction Studio, on any length of document. It is yours to keep, as a folder on your own computer.

$29
One person
  • Exact locations of every problem
  • Whole folders at once
  • Dated release record with file fingerprints
  • Redaction Studio, no page limit
  • Twelve months of updated downloads
Buy for one person · $29
Teams
A team of up to ten
  • The full Release Check for up to ten people is included in Artificial Intelligence Tools for Work, $119 (or $39 for one person)
  • With the policy, staff training and records
  • One payment, no subscription
See what is inside

One payment through Gumroad, which handles tax and gives you the download straight away.

What it checks

PDF file

Words under black boxes or covering pictures, words printed invisibly or white on white, typed-out words hidden behind a scanned page, notes and boxes stuck on the page, earlier saved versions inside the file, form fields that still hold what was typed, attached files, hidden scripts, bookmarks and page names, and names in the file's details.

Word

Words under black highlighting or shading, tracked changes (including deleted words and who deleted them), text formatted as hidden, comments and their authors, files pasted inside the document, and stored names such as author and last saved by.

Excel

Hidden and very hidden sheets, hidden rows and columns that still hold data, copies of data kept by pivot tables, comments on cells, cells formatted to look empty, hidden names and links to other files, and stored names.

PowerPoint

Speaker notes, hidden slides, comments, files pasted inside the presentation, and stored names.

Honest limits

  • Release Check reports what it checked and what it found. It cannot promise a document is safe to release, and it does not replace reading every page yourself.
  • It does not read words inside pictures, such as a photographed page, and it cannot judge whether visible text should have been removed.
  • Password-protected files and older .doc and .xls files are not opened. Save them as .docx or .xlsx first.
  • Redaction Studio rebuilds each page as a picture, so the finished file cannot be searched for a word and screen readers cannot read it. That is how it makes sure there is nothing underneath.

To prove nothing leaves your computer, open this page, turn the internet off, and check a real document. It keeps working, because it has nothing to connect to. The page is also set so the browser blocks it from sending anything anywhere.

Questions people ask

How big a file can I check?

The tool sets no size limit of its own: the limit is the memory of your phone or computer, because the file is read on your device and never uploaded. In our test on a computer it read a 250 megabyte PDF (Portable Document Format) file in under five seconds. Phones have less memory, so very large files may fail there. What to expect, and what to try.

Who made this?

UtilForge makes it. UtilForge is a website of free cybersecurity tools. The About page explains why the tools were made, and the Contact page is the way to reach us.

Is this a scam site?

You do not have to take our word for it, because you can check. This page does not ask for payment, a sign-in or card details. It is set so that your browser stops the page sending anything off your phone or computer, and you can test that: let the page finish loading, switch the internet off, then use it. It keeps working, because it has nowhere to send anything. If you are still unsure about any website, do not type anything private into it. The free check does not ask for payment. The full version is a separate, optional purchase made through Gumroad.

What happens when I close the page?

The files you opened and the results are gone from the page. It saves nothing in your browser and puts nothing in the web address of the page. Your files are never changed. A release record you chose to download, or results you printed, stay where you saved or printed them.

Does it cost anything, and do I need to sign in?

The check is free. The full version costs $29 for one person, and a team of up to ten gets it inside Artificial Intelligence Tools for Work, $119 ($39 for one person). It is one payment with no subscription, it includes twelve months of updates, and there is a refund within 14 days for any reason.

I use an Apple iPhone, Mac or Google Docs. Can I check my file?

Yes. Release Check reads Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, so save a copy in one of those formats first. In Apple Pages, Numbers or Keynote, choose File, then Export To, then Word, Excel or PowerPoint. In Google Docs, Sheets or Slides, choose File, then Download, then the Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint option. Then open that copy here. Nothing leaves your device while it is checked.

What does Release Check look for in a document?

In a PDF file, Word, Excel or PowerPoint file it looks for what is still hiding: words under black boxes, hidden sheets, hidden rows and columns that still hold data, tracked changes, comments, speaker notes, hidden slides, files pasted inside the document and names stored in the file such as the author.

What is the difference between the free check and the full version?

The free check tells you what kind of problem is in one file and how many. The full version tells you exactly where, checks a whole folder at once, gives you a dated release record with file fingerprints, removes the words for real with Redaction Studio on any length of document, and is yours to keep as a folder on your own computer.

What is the release record?

A dated record of what was checked and what was found, to keep with the release file. It includes each file's fingerprint, a code calculated from the file's contents, so anyone can confirm that the record matches the copy that was released.

Does Release Check guarantee that a document is safe to release?

No. It reports what it checked and what it found, and it does not replace reading every page yourself. It does not read words inside pictures, such as a photographed page. Password-protected files and older .doc and .xls files are not opened, so save them as .docx or .xlsx first.

Did this check help you?

Tell UtilForge what worked and what did not. Each button opens an email to lindsay@utilforge.org that you write and send yourself. UtilForge will only quote your words on this site if you say it may, and then with your first name and country only.

Yes, it helpedSomething was missing

The whole method in one book. “How to Become Safer Online” is a free large-print guide to the five steps most scams follow, and what to do if money or details have already gone. Read or print the free book.