Skip to content

How do I track who opened my PDF?

Share the PDF as a link that logs each open instead of attaching the file. With a NO SUS (nosus.foo) watermarked link, each viewer types an email before the PDF opens, and the view log shows that email, the device and the time of every open. The email is typed, not verified. Revoking the link stops new opens.

Open the web app
Android beta

Other document tracking links

ToolWhat it tracksFree optionPaid plans from
DocSendDocument analytics on paid plans14-day trial, then a Limited Trial of 10 links and 5 documents$30 per user a month, billed yearly
PapermarkPage-by-page analytics, Free plan includedFree plan: 50 documents, 50 links€24 a month, billed yearly
DigifyWho viewed each page and for how longFree trial, no credit cardPro listed at $140 a month

From each tool's own pages, October 2026. Details and sources on each comparison page.

How it works in five steps

  1. Step 1: Pick the PDF

    In the NO SUS app (Android, or app.nosus.foo in any browser), open Send and pick the PDF.

  2. Step 2: Turn on Watermarked

    Choose Anyone with a link, turn on Watermarked and create the link.

  3. Step 3: Send the link

    Paste it into WhatsApp or an email where you'd have attached the file; each viewer types an email before the PDF opens.

  4. Step 4: Check the view log

    Every open through the link shows up in your log with the email typed, the device and the time.

  5. Step 5: Revoke when done

    Revoke your link to stop new opens, or let it end on its own after 30 days.

Can you track who opens a PDF?

Yes, if they open it through a link that keeps a log. The log belongs to the link, so you send the link and keep the file. With a NO SUS watermarked link, every open through it is recorded, with whatever email the viewer typed. If you sent it to 3 people and the log shows 4 emails, someone passed it on.

The log can't follow a copy that has left the link. If a viewer saves the original with browser tools, prints it or photographs the screen, later views of that copy aren't recorded. What a screenshot or photo does carry is the watermark: the email it was opened with, shown across the page.

How to check who opened your PDF file

Each link you create has its own view log. For every open, you'll see:

  • the email the viewer typed before the PDF opened
  • the device: a browser or the NO SUS app
  • when it was opened
  • how long it was viewed

Can you track who opened a PDF by email?

Partly. Before the PDF opens, each viewer types an email, and that email goes into your log and across every page as a watermark. NO SUS doesn't check that the address is real or that it's theirs, so read each entry as a clue you'll want to confirm.

Viewers need no account or app; they open the link in any browser. You'll need a NO SUS account to send, and new accounts sign in with Google.

If you need checked addresses, some business tools verify them on higher plans: see the DocSend comparison and the Papermark comparison.

What if the PDF leaks after it's opened?

Your log tells you who opened the link. The watermark ties a leaked screenshot or photo to the email it was opened with; how that works is on watermarking a PDF with the viewer's email.

For text you send to many people, Traceable copies give each reader a slightly reworded copy instead. Either way you learn which email or copy it came from, which is a strong hint about who shared it, not proof.

Honest limits

  • The email is typed, not verified: you see what each viewer entered, not who they are.
  • Only opens through the link are logged; if someone saves a copy with browser tools, prints it or photographs the screen, you won't see where that copy goes.
  • Revoking stops new opens through your link; you can't recall anything already downloaded, printed or captured.
  • Watermarked links aren't end-to-end encrypted.

Questions

How do I track PDF opens?

Share the PDF through a link that logs opens. In the NO SUS app or at app.nosus.foo, open Send, pick the PDF, choose Anyone with a link and turn on Watermarked. Every open through that link appears in its log with the email typed, the device and the time.

Will I know if someone forwards the link?

Their opens are logged too, with whatever email they type, so an address you don't recognise is a sign the link went further. Revoke it to stop new opens.

Does the viewer know their open is recorded?

Yes, they can tell their email is attached: they type it before the PDF opens, then see it watermarked across every page.

Can someone open my PDF without showing up in the log?

Not through the link. But the email is typed, not verified, so someone can enter a fake one, and a copy saved with browser tools or photographed can be viewed again outside the log.

Are there free document tracking links?

Papermark's free plan includes page-by-page analytics for up to 50 documents and 50 links. DocSend has a 14-day trial, then a free Limited Trial of 10 links and 5 documents. Digify offers a free trial with no credit card. Checked October 2026.

How long does a tracking link last?

Watermarked links end after 30 days by default, and you can revoke one sooner. Revoking stops new opens through that link; anything already downloaded, printed or captured can't be recalled.