New Features in V2

This page describes the V2 workspace, desktop application and administration features.

📁 Browser File Storage#

Upload PDFs once and reuse them across tools in the workspace.

What's New#

Persistent Storage: Files stored locally in your browser using IndexedDB
Cross-Tool Usage: Access uploaded files from any tool
Smart Management: Automatic cleanup, manual delete options
Storage capacity: Subject to the browser's storage quota and available disk space

How It Works#

Upload PDF → Stored in Browser → Use in Any Tool → Delete When Done

Example Workflow:

Upload report.pdf in Multi-Tool
Compress it
Switch to Add Page Numbers (file still there!)
Add watermark (still no re-upload!)
Download final result

Storage Limits#

Storage quotas vary by browser, device, available disk space and browsing mode.

⏮️ Undo, Redo & Version History#

Made a mistake? Just undo it! V2 introduces comprehensive version control.

What's New#

Undo/Redo: Undo and redo buttons in toolbar
Version History: See all previous versions with timestamps
Jump to Version: Restore any previous state
Visual Indicators: See current version in timeline
All Local: History stored in your browser, fully private

How It Works#

Every operation creates a new version:

Original.pdf → [Compress] → v1 → [Add Pages] → v2 → [Watermark] → v3
                ↑           ↑                 ↑                   ↑
                Can restore to any point in history

Accessing Features#

Undo Button: Click undo in toolbar
Redo Button: Click redo in toolbar
History Panel: Click history icon in Multi-Tool

Example Use Case#

Scenario: You compressed a PDF too aggressively and text is blurry.

Solution:

Click undo button to undo compression
Open Version History panel
See: Original → Compress (MEDIUM) ← You are here
Click "Restore" on Original
Re-compress with LIGHT setting instead

🖥️ Desktop Applications#

NEW: Native desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

What's New#

Native Integration: "Open with Stirling PDF" in file explorer
System Default: Set as default PDF viewer
Sign in with Stirling Cloud or self-hosted server - Choose your connection on launch
Startup time and memory use depend on the machine, backend readiness and files being processed.

Platform Support#

Platform	Format	Features
Windows	`.exe` installer	Context menu integration
macOS	`.dmg`	Dock integration
Linux	`.deb`	Desktop file integration

Key Differences from Web#

Feature	Desktop	Web Browser
Startup Speed	Depends on the machine and backend startup	Depends on browser, network and server
File Association	✅ Yes	❌ No
Default Viewer	✅ Yes	❌ No
System Integration	✅ Native	⚠️ Limited
Storage	Local IndexedDB, subject to webview quota and disk space	IndexedDB, subject to browser quota and disk space
Updates	Prompt, automatic or disabled policy	Server updates depend on deployment management

Right-Click Integration#

After installation:

Right-click any PDF in file explorer
Select "Open with Stirling PDF"
PDF opens directly in app
Sign in (if needed)
Process immediately

Learn More:

⌨️ Custom Keyboard Shortcuts#

NEW: Configure your own keyboard shortcuts for quick tool access.

What's New#

Custom Hotkeys: Assign keyboard shortcuts to any tool
Quick Access: Positional shortcuts for up to nine Quick Access tools (Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+1-9)
Flexible Mapping: Use any combination of Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Cmd keys
Visual Feedback: See all shortcuts in settings
Conflict Detection: Prevents duplicate shortcut assignments
Easy Reset: Restore default shortcuts anytime

Default Shortcuts#

Default shortcuts follow the current Quick Access tool order: Ctrl+Alt+1 through Ctrl+Alt+9 on Windows/Linux, or Cmd+Option+1 through Cmd+Option+9 on macOS. The mapping depends on the tools available in your build; view it in Settings. See Keyboard Shortcuts.

Customizing Shortcuts#

To configure:

Open Settings (gear icon)
Navigate to "Keyboard Shortcuts" section
Find the tool you want to assign
Click "Set Shortcut"
Press your desired key combination
Save changes

Example:

Want to open Convert with Ctrl+Alt+C?
Navigate to Convert tool in shortcuts list
Click "Set Shortcut"
Press Ctrl+Alt+C

Tips#

Don't override browser shortcuts: Avoid Ctrl+T, Ctrl+W, etc.
Use Alt/Option combos: Less likely to conflict with system shortcuts
Keep it memorable: Use letters that relate to tool names
Test after setting: Make sure shortcuts work in practice

⚙️ In-App Settings Management#

NEW: Configure everything through the UI (admin only).

What's New#

Visual Configuration: No more editing YAML files
Instant Validation: See errors before saving
Live Preview: Some settings apply immediately
Organized Sections: Settings grouped logically
Search Settings: Find what you need quickly
Import/Export: Backup and restore configurations

Settings You Can Configure#

System:

Default locale and timezone
Resource limits
Logging levels
CORS origins

Security:

Login requirements
User registration
Session timeout
Password policies

UI Customization:

Browser tab title and TOTP issuer label (ui.appNameNavbar)
Logo style (classic/modern)
Static asset overrides for custom branding

There is no in-app editor for ui.homeDescription.

Features:

Enable/disable tools
Endpoint customization
OCR languages
Conversion settings

How to Access#

Enable login: SECURITY_ENABLELOGIN=true
Log in as admin
Click Settings icon in navbar
Configure through UI
Save changes

Benefits Over File Configuration:

No container restart needed (for most settings)
Validation prevents errors
Changes tracked in audit log
Role-based access control

🔐 PDF Signature Validation#

NEW: Comprehensive certificate chain validation for signed PDFs.

What's New#

Full trust chain validation system:

Multiple Trust Sources:
- System trust store
- Mozilla CA bundle
- Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL)
- EU Trusted List (EUTL)
- Server-generated anchor certificates
Revocation Checking:
- OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol)
- CRL (Certificate Revocation Lists)
- Configurable hard/soft fail
AIA (Authority Information Access):
- Automatic intermediate cert fetching
- Chain building support

Configuration#

yaml

security:
  validation:
    trust:
      serverAsAnchor: true          # Trust server-generated certs
      useSystemTrust: true           # Use Java runtime trust store
      useMozillaBundle: true         # Mozilla CA certificates
      useAATL: false                 # Adobe trust list
      useEUTL: false                 # EU trust list
    allowAIA: false                  # Fetch intermediate certs
    revocation:
      mode: none                     # none, ocsp, crl, ocsp+crl
      hardFail: false                # Fail if revocation check fails

Use Cases#

Enterprise:

Validate invoices signed by partners
Verify contract signatures
Compliance with legal requirements

Government:

Validate officially signed documents
EU eIDAS compliance
EUTL integration

General:

Verify PDF authenticity
Check if signature still valid
Detect tampered documents

Learn More: Certificate Signing

🔑 Server Certificate Management#

NEW: Automatic certificate generation for signing PDFs.

What's New#

Certificate generation: Runs at startup when enabled and a Team or Enterprise licence is active
Configuration: Organisation name, validity period and regeneration behaviour
Renewable: Regenerate certificates as needed
"Sign with Stirling PDF" Feature: Users can sign with server cert

Configuration#

yaml

system:
  serverCertificate:
    enabled: true
    organizationName: Stirling-PDF
    validity: 365  # days
    regenerateOnStartup: false

How It Works#

First Startup:
- Server generates self-signed certificate
- Stored in configs/ directory
- Used for "Sign with Stirling PDF" feature
Subsequent Startups:
- Uses existing certificate (unless regenerateOnStartup: true)
- Certificate persists across restarts
User Signs PDF:
- Selects "Sign with Stirling PDF"
- Server signs using generated certificate
- Signature embedded in PDF

Custom Certificates#

To use your organisation's certificate for server signing, upload a PKCS12 (.p12 or .pfx) file containing the private key through the administrator endpoint POST /api/v1/admin/server-certificate/upload, with multipart fields file and password.

Keep system.serverCertificate.enabled: true and system.serverCertificate.regenerateOnStartup: false to use the uploaded certificate and retain it across restarts.

Learn More:

🎯 Multi-Tool Workbench#

NEW: Dedicated workspace for chaining unlimited operations.

What's New#

Visual Workbench: See all loaded files and their history
Unlimited Operations: Chain as many tools as needed
Operation History: See what you've done to each file
Undo/Redo: Per-file version control
Batch Processing: Process multiple files simultaneously
Result Management: Keep, download, or discard results

Example Workflow#

Multi-Tool Workbench
├── invoice.pdf
│   ├── [Original]
│   ├── [OCR - English]
│   ├── [Compress - MEDIUM]
│   └── [Add Page Numbers] ← Current
├── report.pdf
│   ├── [Original]
│   └── [Add Watermark] ← Current
└── contract.pdf
    └── [Original] ← No operations yet

Key Features#

Smart Tool Switching:
- Switch tools without losing files
- Context preserved between operations
- No re-uploading needed
Operation Queue:
- See pending operations
- Reorder before processing
- Cancel if needed
Result Preview:
- Preview before downloading
- Compare before/after
- Verify operations succeeded

Learn More: Multi-Tool Workbench Guide

📖 Read & Annotate Tool#

NEW: Full-featured PDF viewer with annotation capabilities.

What's New#

PDF Viewer: Read PDFs directly in browser
Annotation Tools:
- Highlight text
- Add comments
- Draw shapes
- Insert text boxes
- Sticky notes
Navigation:
- Thumbnail sidebar
- Table of contents
- Page search
- Zoom controls
Collaboration:
- Export annotations
- Share annotated PDFs
- Comment threads

Use Cases#

Review:

Mark up documents for approval
Add review comments
Highlight important sections

Collaboration:

Annotate contracts before signing
Review proposals with team
Provide feedback on drafts

Study:

Highlight key passages
Add study notes
Mark important pages

Annotation Types#

Tool	Use Case	Example
Highlight	Mark important text	Legal clauses
Comment	Add feedback	"Needs revision"
Text Box	Add missing text	Corrections
Shape	Circle/underline	Draw attention
Sticky Note	Quick notes	"Follow up"

Learn More: Read & Annotate Guide

🔄 Enhanced Session Management#

Improved: Better session and token management with rotation and cleanup.

JWT Settings#

yaml

security:
  jwt:
    enableKeystore: true
    enableKeyCleanup: true
    tokenExpiryMinutes: 1440
    desktopTokenExpiryMinutes: 43200

enableKeystore controls persistent key storage. enableKeyCleanup enables cleanup of old keys. Key retention is calculated automatically from token lifetimes and refresh settings.

Persist the configuration directory when persistent keys are enabled. Token validity also depends on expiration, key availability and the configured refresh policy.

✉️ Email Invitation System#

NEW: Invite users via email instead of manual registration.

What's New#

Email Invites: Send registration links via email
Token-Based: Secure one-time registration tokens
Expiration: Invites expire after configurable period
Role Assignment: Set user role in invite
Bulk Invites: Invite multiple users at once

Configuration#

yaml

mail:
  enabled: true
  from: [email protected]
  host: smtp.example.com
  port: 587
  username: [email protected]
  password: ${MAIL_PASSWORD}
  startTlsEnable: true

Requirements#

mail.enabled: true
security.enableLogin: true
Valid SMTP configuration

How It Works#

Admin perspective:

Go to User Management
Click "Invite User"
Enter email and select role
Send invite

User perspective:

Receive email with invite link
Click the link before expiry (72 hours by default, configurable with mail.inviteLinkExpiryHours)
Create account with password
Automatically logged in

Environment Variables#

bash

MAIL_ENABLED=true
MAIL_FROM=[email protected]
MAIL_ENABLEINVITES=true
MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=[email protected]
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password
MAIL_STARTTLSENABLE=true

🎨 Logo Customization#

NEW: Choose between logo styles and customize branding.

What's New#

yaml

ui:
  logoStyle: classic  # Options: 'classic' or 'modern'

Logo Styles#

Style	Description	Best For
Classic	Traditional "S" icon	Established brands
Modern	Minimalist design	Clean, modern look

Custom Logo#

You can still provide custom logo files:

text

customFiles/static/modern-logo/StirlingPDFLogoNoTextDark.svg
customFiles/static/modern-logo/StirlingPDFLogoNoTextLight.svg

Select ui.logoStyle: modern for these paths, or use the corresponding classic-logo/ paths for the classic style. Preserve the exact requested asset filenames; a root logo.svg is not automatically substituted.

Learn More#

Migration Overview - How to upgrade
Settings Changes - Configuration updates
Breaking Changes - What changed
Getting Started - Start using V2

Edit this page on GitHub