Convert XLSX to PDF/A Online — Archival Compliance
Transform Excel workbooks to ISO 19005-2 compliant PDF/A for long-term preservation.
Drop up to 50 XLSX files at once — no install, no sign-up required. Certified archival compliance.
Drop Excel Files Here
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How it works
- 1 · Drop your files
Drag & drop or choose XLSX files. No account required—paid plans unlock bigger batches, higher limits, and priority queues.
- 2 · We convert securely
Processed on our dedicated servers. Encrypted in transit & at rest. ISO 19005-2 compliant with embedded fonts and color profiles for long-term archival. We never store filenames—only file types & sizes for accounting. We never train AI models on uploads.
- 3 · Download & auto-delete
Get certified PDF/A documents ready for legal archiving. Files delete automatically after 1 hour. Delete anytime after downloading with one click.
Modern Excel workbooks use Office Open XML (OOXML) formats introduced in Excel 2007: XLSX (standard workbooks), XLSM (macro-enabled), XLTX (templates), and XLTM (macro-enabled templates). These formats store spreadsheet data as compressed XML files inside a ZIP container, enabling formulas, pivot tables, charts, conditional formatting, and better data recovery than legacy binary formats.
Learn more: Office Open XML on Wikipedia
Excel is the industry standard for spreadsheet work, compatible with Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, and data analysis tools. For sharing, archiving, or cross-platform viewing, converting to PDF preserves your formatting and layout. Legacy binary .xls files (1997-2003) are supported directly; for complex workbooks with advanced features, re-saving as XLSX may improve fidelity.
PDF/A is an ISO-standardized subset of PDF specifically designed for long-term archival and preservation. Unlike standard PDF, PDF/A prohibits features that could degrade over time—no external dependencies, fonts must be embedded, encryption is forbidden, and all content must be self-contained. The standard ensures documents remain readable and visually consistent decades into the future, making it mandatory for legal archives, government records, and regulatory compliance.
Authoritative reference: ISO 19005-1 (PDF/A-1)
PDF/A is required by many organizations for record retention, legal filings, and regulatory submissions. If archival permanence matters more than file size or advanced features, PDF/A is the correct choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Excel formats are supported?
We support modern and legacy Excel formats: .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm, .xltx, and .xltm.
Macro-enabled files (XLSM/XLTM) are converted with macros disabled in the PDF/A output.
Legacy .xlsb files should be re-saved as XLSX in Excel before converting for best fidelity.
Should I use standard PDF or PDF/A?
Use PDF/A (this converter) for archival and compliance: legal records, government filings, regulated industries, and anything that must remain readable for decades.
Use standard PDF for everyday sharing: smaller files, optional password protection, and general distribution. Switch to our XLSX to PDF converter if you don't need ISO 19005-2 compliance.
What is PDF/A and why does it matter?
PDF/A is the ISO 19005 standard for archival documents. It embeds all fonts, color profiles, and metadata so your sheets render identically decades from now.
PDF/A forbids encryption, JavaScript, audio/video, and external references. Files are typically 10–30% larger to guarantee long-term fidelity.
Which PDF/A level do you produce?
We generate PDF/A-2b (ISO 19005-2, Conformance Level B) for optimal compatibility and visual fidelity.
Level 2 supports transparency and JPEG 2000 compression (smaller than PDF/A-1b) while preserving on-screen and printed appearance.
What happens to formulas, macros, and external data?
Formulas: Converted to their calculated values (what you see in Excel is what renders in PDF/A).
Macros (VBA): Stripped for safety and compliance—PDF/A does not execute code.
External data links: Removed to comply with PDF/A self-containment requirements. Hidden sheets remain hidden.
Do you support password-protected XLSX files?
No. The ISO 19005 (PDF/A) standard strictly forbids encryption and password protection. This ensures archival documents remain accessible decades into the future, even if passwords are lost.
To remove protection: Open the workbook in Excel → File → Info → Protect Workbook → Encrypt with Password → Remove password → Save.
What are the limits for this converter?
| Tier | Max File Size | Max Files/Batch | Parallel Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest/Free | 50 MB | 50 files | 3 at once |
| Pro | 1024 MB | 1000 files | 6 at once |
Note: File size limits are specific to this converter. Batch and parallel processing limits apply to all documents converters site-wide. See all converter limits →
How are credits calculated for this conversion?
Cost: 1 credit per 5 MB
How it works:
- Files up to 5 MB: 1 credit
- 6-10 MB: 2 credits
- 11-15 MB: 3 credits
- 16-20 MB: 4 credits
Example: A 5 MB spreadsheet = 1 credit. A 95 MB spreadsheet = 19 credits.
Why per-megabyte? Larger files require more resources (processing, bandwidth, storage).
What are my daily and monthly credit limits?
Credit allocations vary by account tier:
| Tier | Daily Limit | Monthly Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Guest | 100 credits/day | — |
| Free | 100 credits/day | — |
| Pro | — | 12,000 credits/month |
Daily credits (Guest & Free tiers) reset every day at midnight UTC. Monthly credits (Pro) reset on your billing cycle date.
Note: With 1 credit per 5 MB, a typical document costs 1 credit. Pro users can convert 12000 documents per month.
Answers at a Glance
Quick answers to common questions.
- Are my files secure?
- How long do you keep my files?
- What metadata do you keep?
- What happens after I drop a file?
- Why are conversions so fast?
- How do you measure performance?
- What are the exact limits for each plan?
- Can I process files in bulk?
- Why did my file fail to convert?
- Do you use my files to train AI?
What's New in XLSX to PDF/A
Latest improvements to this converter
Initial release of XLSX to PDF/A converter. Convert Excel workbooks to ISO 19005-2 compliant PDF/A-2b for long-term archival preservation.
Need to get more done? Pro starts from $5.
No subscription required.