Convert DOC to PDF/A Online — Archival Compliance
Convert legacy .doc files to archival PDF/A-2 for long-term preservation.
Drop up to 50 DOC files at once — no install, no sign-up required. Certified archival compliance.
Drop DOC Files Here
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How it works
- 1 · Drop your files
Drag & drop or choose DOC 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.
DOC is Microsoft Word's legacy binary format used from Word 97 through Word 2003. Unlike the modern DOCX format, DOC stores content in a proprietary binary structure that's difficult to parse and prone to corruption. While Word and most modern document processors still support DOC for backward compatibility, Microsoft officially deprecated the format in favor of DOCX in 2007. Files are typically larger and less reliable than their DOCX equivalents.
Learn more: DOC Format on Wikipedia
DOC is primarily encountered when working with documents created before 2007 or legacy systems. For new documents or archival purposes, DOCX or PDF are strongly preferred.
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.
Can I convert modern DOCX files to PDF/A?
Yes! If you're working with modern Word documents (.docx files from Office 2007 or later), use our DOCX to PDF/A converter instead. This converter is specifically designed for legacy DOC files (Word 97-2003).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PDF/A and why should I use it?
PDF/A is the ISO standard for archival documents (ISO 19005). It's designed to preserve electronic documents for 10+ years, even 50+ years. Unlike regular PDFs, PDF/A files are self-contained and don't rely on external resources.
Use PDF/A for:
- Legal contracts and agreements (court filings, NDAs)
- Government records and compliance documentation
- Academic papers and dissertations
- Financial statements and audit trails
- Medical records and patient histories
PDF/A guarantees that your document will look exactly the same decades from now, regardless of software versions, operating systems, or available fonts.
Don't need archival compliance? For everyday sharing and general use, our standard DOC to PDF converter produces smaller files with password protection support and more flexibility.
What's the difference between PDF and PDF/A?
Key differences:
- Fonts: PDF/A requires all fonts to be embedded (we do this automatically). Regular PDFs may rely on system fonts.
- Color profiles: PDF/A embeds color profiles (sRGB) for consistent rendering. Regular PDFs may not.
- Encryption: PDF/A prohibits passwords and encryption. Regular PDFs allow them.
- Metadata: PDF/A includes XMP metadata for long-term searchability. Regular PDFs may not.
- External content: PDF/A forbids JavaScript, audio, video, and external file references.
File size: PDF/A files are typically 10-30% larger due to embedded fonts and color profiles. This overhead ensures they render identically everywhere, forever.
Which PDF/A level do you produce?
We produce PDF/A-2b (ISO 19005-2, Conformance Level B) by default.
Why PDF/A-2b?
- Level 2: Supports JPEG 2000 compression and transparency (smaller files than PDF/A-1b)
- Conformance 'b' (Basic): Ensures visual appearance is preserved (sufficient for 99% of archival use cases)
- Modern standard: Released in 2011, widely supported by archival systems
Alternative levels: PDF/A-1b (older, no transparency) and PDF/A-3b (allows embedded files). For most business and legal documents, PDF/A-2b is the sweet spot.
Learn more: PDF/A-2b at Library of Congress
Do you support password-protected DOC files?
No. The ISO 19005 (PDF/A) standard strictly forbids encryption and password protection. This ensures that archival documents remain accessible decades into the future, when passwords may be lost.
To remove protection: Open the document in Word → File → Info → Protect Document → Encrypt with Password → Remove password → Save.
The resulting PDF/A will be unencrypted to comply with archival standards. If you need password protection, use our standard DOC to PDF converter instead.
Can I convert modern DOCX files to PDF/A?
Yes! If you're working with modern Word documents (.docx files from Office 2007 or later), use our DOCX to PDF/A converter instead. This converter is specifically designed for legacy DOC files (Word 97-2003).
Does converting to PDF preserve hyperlinks?
Yes. Internal and external hyperlinks in your Word document are preserved as clickable links in the PDF.
This includes links to websites, email addresses, and internal document bookmarks. Recipients can click them directly in any PDF reader.
What happens to track changes and comments?
Track changes: The document is converted as it appears in your current view. If track changes are visible (markup mode), they appear in the PDF. If you've accepted/rejected changes, only the final text appears.
Comments: Visible comments render as they appear in Word. For a clean PDF without comments, hide or delete them before uploading.
Tip: To convert with all changes accepted, use Word's "Accept All Changes" before uploading.
Word to PDF vs 'Save as PDF' in Word - any difference?
Both produce valid PDFs, but with different trade-offs:
- Convert.FAST: Consistent rendering across all documents, automatic font embedding, works without Word installed, batch processing, privacy-focused (no Microsoft telemetry)
- Word's Save as PDF: Uses your local Word installation, may include document metadata, supports Word-specific PDF options
For most users, results are visually identical. Our converter is ideal for bulk conversions or when you don't have Word installed.
What are the limits for this converter?
| Tier | Max File Size | Max Files/Batch | Parallel Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 25 MB | 50 files | 3 at once |
| Pro | 200 MB | 200 files | 6 at once |
| Business | 1024 MB | 1000 files | 10 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 25 MB
How it works:
- Files up to 25 MB: 1 credit (minimum)
- 26-50 MB: 2 credits
- 51-75 MB: 3 credits
- 76-100 MB: 4 credits
- Over 1000 MB: 40 credits (maximum cap)
Example: A 5 MB document = 1 credit. A 95 MB document = 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 50 credits/day | — |
| Pro | — | 10,000 credits/month |
| Business | — | 30,000 credits/month |
Daily credits (Free tier, including guests) reset every day at midnight UTC. Monthly credits (Pro & Business) reset on your billing cycle date.
Note: With 1 credit per 25 MB, a typical document costs 1 credit. Pro users can convert 10000 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?
Choose Your Plan
Limits shown for DOC to PDF/A conversion. One subscription unlocks the entire Tools.FAST Network. Plans cover Convert.FAST, Compress.FAST, PDF.FAST (soon), and all future tools.
Free
For occasional personal use
- 25 MB per file
- 50 files per batch
- 3 parallel conversions
- 50 credits/day
- Standard priority
- Email support
No sign-up required. Create an account for your own credit pool.
Pro
For independent work
- 200 MB per file
- 200 files per batch
- 6 parallel conversions
- 10,000 credits/month across Tools.FAST
- High priority
- Email & chat support
- One subscription for the entire Tools.FAST network
Business
For production scale
- 1 GB per file
- 1000 files per batch
- 10 parallel conversions
- 30,000 credits/month across Tools.FAST
- Add seats to invite team members
- Highest priority
- Priority email & chat support
- One subscription for the entire Tools.FAST network
How Credits Work
- Usually 1 credit per conversion. Exact cost shown before you start.
- Credits refresh monthly on your billing cycle.
- Unused credits roll over, capped at your plan's monthly amount.
- One subscription, all sites. Works across Convert.FAST, Compress.FAST, and future tools.
What's New in DOC to PDF/A
Latest improvements to this converter
Initial release of DOC to PDF/A converter. Convert legacy Microsoft Word 97-2003 documents to ISO 19005-2 compliant PDF/A-2b for long-term archival preservation.