PDF Layer Viewer (OCG)
List the layers (optional content groups) in a PDF and see which are on by default. Editing layers does not work in this version. Runs in your browser.
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About This Tool
This tool lists the layers, known in the PDF format as optional content groups (OCGs), that a PDF contains, with each layer's name and whether it is switched on by default. In this version that listing is the only part that works: the show, hide, rename and delete buttons do not change the file.
Layers turn up in CAD and engineering drawings, maps, artwork with separate print and screen versions, and documents that hold several language variants. When you add a PDF, the tool loads a PDF engine (PyMuPDF, compiled to run in the browser) from this site, which can take a while the first time, and then reads the layer list. A file without layers shows "This PDF has no layers (OCG)."
Please do not rely on the editing controls yet. The eye button and the rename and delete actions produce a copy with the layers unchanged, even though the list on screen updates. Adding a layer creates an empty, named layer with no content in it. Each action starts again from the file you uploaded rather than from your previous change, and the download after an action may fail.
If you need a copy of a drawing with particular layers visible, open it in a PDF reader that has a layers panel and set the layers there. Rasterize PDF draws each page as it appears with the document's default layer settings, which gives a fixed image of that state. Reading the layer list happens in your browser tab, and the file is not uploaded.
How to Use
Add a PDF
Drop one PDF on the upload area or click to browse. On first use the PDF engine needs a moment to load.
Read the layer list
Each layer is shown with its name and an eye icon that tells you whether it is on by default. The number of layers appears next to PDF Layers.
Refresh or clear
Use the refresh button to read the list again, or Clear to start over. Leave the edit buttons alone for now, as they do not change the file.
Use Cases
Check a drawing for hidden content
Find out whether a supplier drawing or exported plan carries layers that are switched off and might hold notes or alternative versions.
Confirm a file has no layers
Check that a PDF is free of optional content before it goes to a printer or into a document system that expects plain pages.
Learn the layer names
Get the layer names from an engineering export so you know which ones to switch on in your PDF reader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide or delete a layer with this tool?
Not in the current version. The buttons for showing, hiding, renaming and deleting layers produce a file with its layers unchanged. Use a PDF reader or editor with a layers panel for those changes.
Why does my PDF show no layers?
Many PDFs have none. Layers are created by the software that made the file, usually CAD, mapping or design programs. A normal export from a word processor typically contains no optional content.
Is content in a hidden layer removed from the file?
No. A layer that is off by default is only hidden when the file opens. Its content is still in the file, and anyone with a reader that has a layers panel can switch it on.
What happens when I add a layer?
The tool creates a new, empty layer with the name you typed. No page content is assigned to it, and it will not appear in the list, because the list is read from the file you uploaded.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The PDF engine is downloaded from this site and runs in your browser tab, and the document is read there.