How to use Rotate PDF
- 1. Choose the PDFClick Choose PDF files or drop the sideways PDF onto the box. You can add several.
- 2. Pick a direction and click ConvertChoose 90° clockwise, 180° or 90° counter-clockwise. Every page of the file turns by that amount when you click Convert.
- 3. Download the rotated PDFClick Download to save it. With several PDFs, Download all (.zip) saves them together.
Rotating in a viewer vs saving the rotation
Every page in a PDF has a rotation setting stored in the file, in steps of 90°. Most PDF readers have a rotate button, but many only turn the view on your screen: close the file, send it to someone, and it's sideways again.
This tool changes the rotation saved in the file itself, so the fix is permanent and shows up the same way in every reader, browser and printer.
| Rotate button in a viewer | Rotate PDF here | |
|---|---|---|
| Changes the file | Often not | Yes |
| Others see it rotated | Only if the viewer saves it | Yes |
| Pages affected | Varies by app | Every page in the file |
| Text and image quality | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Works on phone | Depends on the app | Yes, in the browser |
Which direction do you need?
- 90° clockwise: the top of the page is currently on the left side.
- 90° counter-clockwise: the top of the page is currently on the right side.
- 180°: the page is upside down, common when a stack goes through a scanner the wrong way round.
Rotating just one page
This tool turns every page of a file by the same amount. If only one page in a document is sideways, for example a landscape table in a report, you can still fix it in three steps:
- Split the document so the problem page is on its own, for example with ranges like 1-4, 5, 6-12. Split the PDF by page ranges here.
- Rotate only the PDF that holds that page, on this page.
- Merge the pieces back in order with the PDF merging tool.
Is the quality affected?
No. Rotating only changes each page's rotation setting. Text stays selectable, images aren't re-compressed, and the file size stays about the same.
Rotating on a Mac
Preview can do it too: open the PDF, select the pages in the thumbnail sidebar, choose Tools → Rotate Left or Rotate Right, then save. On Windows, Android and Chromebooks, where there's no built-in equivalent that reliably saves, this page does the job in the browser.
Limits
- One direction per file: every page turns the same way.
- Password-protected PDFs can't be changed until the password is removed.
- Rotation turns pages in 90° steps. It can't straighten a slightly crooked scan.
Frequently asked questions
How do I rotate just one page in a PDF?
Split the page into its own file, rotate that file here, then merge the parts back together. This tool on its own rotates every page in a file.
Will the rotation be permanent?
Yes. The new rotation is saved into the PDF, so it opens the right way in every reader and on every device you send it to.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The pages are rotated on your device, in your browser, and the file is never uploaded. The page loads its own code, ads and cookieless analytics like any website, but your PDF stays on your device. See how to check.
My scan is upside down. Which option do I pick?
Choose 180°. It flips every page the right way up.
Does rotating a PDF reduce its quality?
No. Only the page's rotation setting changes. Nothing is re-rendered or re-compressed.
Can I rotate several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add them all, choose a direction and click Convert. Each file is rotated by the same amount, and Download all (.zip) saves them together.
Does rotating change the PDF's title or author?
No. With Metadata on Keep (the default), the title, author, dates and other document information stay exactly as they were. Choose Remove to clear them, along with the XMP metadata, before you share the file.