PDF Recover: Chrome Extension to Extract PDFs from Web Pages
Easily recover and save PDF files from web pages.
1What is PDF Recover?
PDF Recover is a Chrome extension designed to recover PDF files that are displayed on web pages but cannot be saved. It is particularly useful for documents accessed via CDN that cannot be directly downloaded. The extension captures PDF files loaded by the page in chunks and reassembles them into a downloadable file.
2How Does It Work?
PDF Recover works using Chrome's debugger API. It monitors network traffic on the selected tab and detects PDF files. It captures each chunk in base64 format, analyzes the content ranges, and places them in the correct byte position. Once all chunks are reassembled, the PDF file becomes downloadable.
3Use Cases
This extension is particularly useful in scenarios where document viewers like PDF.js are used. For example, it can be used to recover a PDF file accessed via a CDN that cannot be directly downloaded. As long as the browser can reload the chunks, this tool can rebuild the file.
4Installation and Usage
To use PDF Recover, you first need to install it in Chrome. Go to Chrome's extensions page, enable developer mode, and load the extension. Then, open the page displaying the PDF, click the extension, and select the target tab. Start the capture process and download the PDF file.
5Important Notes
PDF Recover only sees requests made after the capture process starts. It cannot recover chunks from earlier page loads. Additionally, you may need to scroll through the entire document to ensure the browser loads all parts of the file. PDFs with missing byte ranges usually fail to open, so make sure the file is fully downloaded.
6Why It Matters
PDF Recover is a vital tool, especially when important documents need to be backed up. It makes it easier for users to access PDF files that are displayed on web pages but cannot be saved. This extension provides significant convenience for web developers and frequent PDF users.