How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?
Send the PDF as a HawkOpen link instead of an attachment. Once the recipient agrees on the PDF page, HawkOpen records each viewing session and the active time on every page; without that consent you see no session. For now this is a preview: it works only once external file scanning is switched on.
Can I see if someone opened my email attachment?
No. Once an attachment is downloaded, the file is on the recipient’s device and no tool can reliably see it being opened. Instead, HawkOpen shares the PDF as a tracked link; for now this is a preview until external file scanning is switched on.
Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?
Yes, for a PDF shared as a HawkOpen link, once the recipient agrees on the PDF page to the measuring. For each viewing session HawkOpen adds up the active time on every page. Time counts only while the tab is visible and focused, the page is at least half in view and the reader was active in the last 30 seconds.
Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?
Because HawkOpen accepts files only after an external service has checked them for malware and cleaned them, and that service is not switched on yet. Until it is, PDF tracking, proposals, video messages and e-signature are a preview and uploads are refused.
What is document tracking, and how does HawkOpen do it?
Document tracking means sharing a file as a link instead of an attachment, so you can see when and for how long it is viewed. In HawkOpen you upload a PDF, give each recipient access, and see viewing sessions and active time on each page once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page.
The recipient opens the document in the browser after entering a one-time code sent to their email address. Each recipient’s access ends after at most 7 days; on the Business plan you can also set an expiry date and a view limit for the link.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: How can I see whether someone opened my PDF? · Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on? · Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?
Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?
An attachment is a copy that leaves your hands once sent: you cannot see whether it was opened or take it back. A HawkOpen link keeps the file on HawkOpen, so you can end a recipient’s access and, if the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page, see viewing sessions and time per page.
A link also keeps the email small, which helps with large files. A HawkOpen PDF link takes files of up to 10 MB; save Word or other files as PDF first. An attachment is still the better choice when the recipient needs the file offline or cannot open outside links.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I see if someone opened my email attachment? · How can I see whether someone opened my PDF? · What is the maximum PDF size, and is there a page limit?
Can a downloaded PDF be tracked, or can a tracking pixel watch an attachment?
Not reliably. A tracking pixel works in the body of an email, not inside an attached file, and a PDF that tries to contact a server when opened is usually blocked by PDF readers or flagged as suspicious. HawkOpen does not add tracking code to your files.
What HawkOpen does instead: the PDF stays on HawkOpen and the recipient opens it from a link in the browser, so a viewing session can be recorded once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page. Once someone saves a copy, what happens to that copy is outside HawkOpen.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I see if someone opened my email attachment? · Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?
What is the maximum PDF size, and is there a page limit?
A PDF link takes one PDF file of up to 10 MB. Any number of pages can be viewed, but time per page is recorded only for the first 500 pages.
Each user can keep up to 100 PDF files and 200 MB in total. Proposal links, a separate feature, take files of up to 25 MB and 300 pages.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Which file formats can I share: Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument? · Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?
Can I see repeat visits when someone reopens my PDF?
Yes, once the recipient has agreed on the PDF page to the measuring; the consent covers your company’s documents until the recipient withdraws it. Each time the PDF is then opened in a new browser session, HawkOpen records a separate viewing session: when it started, when it was last active, how long it lasted, the IP address and the browser.
For every page you also see how many sessions spent time on it and the total active time. A session is a browser visit, not a person: one person on two devices makes two sessions, and the list does not show names.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on? · Can I see which person opened my PDF, or why does it show an anonymous viewer?
Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then?
Yes, on the Business plan: you can set an expiry date and a maximum number of views for a PDF link and change them later. After the date or the limit, the viewer sees a page saying that the link has expired or that the view limit was reached.
On every plan, each recipient’s access ends after at most 7 days, and you can revoke it sooner.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it? · Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing? · How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?
Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?
HawkOpen uses a one-time code instead of a password. You give access to a specific email address; when that person opens the link, HawkOpen emails them an 8-digit code, and the document opens only after they enter it.
The code is valid for 10 minutes and allows 5 attempts. The viewer does not type in an address: the code always goes to the address you entered, so someone who receives a forwarded link cannot open it without access to that mailbox. HawkOpen does not add a password to the PDF file itself.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF? · Can I see whether my PDF link was forwarded to someone else? · Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then?
Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF?
No. The recipient opens the link in an ordinary web browser, enters the one-time code that HawkOpen emails to them, and reads the document. They do not install anything or create an account.
The viewer works in the browser on phones as well as computers.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing? · Does the PDF viewer work on a phone?
Can I see which person opened my PDF, or why does it show an anonymous viewer?
Not by name. For visits the recipient agreed to have measured, the session list shows when each viewing session happened, how long it lasted, the IP address and the browser. Because access is given per email address and confirmed with a code sent there, a viewer must have had access to one of the mailboxes you chose.
To tell recipients apart, share the document with one recipient at a time. Even then a session shows that someone with access to that mailbox opened the document, not who was at the screen.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I see repeat visits when someone reopens my PDF? · Can I see whether my PDF link was forwarded to someone else?
Can I see whether my PDF link was forwarded to someone else?
For PDF links, HawkOpen does not mark forwarding. A forwarded PDF link is of little use anyway: the one-time code goes to the address you gave access to, not to the person who received the forward. Proposal links do mark a view as forwarded.
On a proposal link, a view counts as forwarded when someone confirms a different email address, and as likely forwarded when it comes from a new device and network without confirmation.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I see which person opened my PDF, or why does it show an anonymous viewer? · How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote? · Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?
Can I block downloading of a shared PDF, and how do I share it securely?
A PDF link has no download switch: the viewer shows the document in the browser, and what a browser can display it can usually also save. On proposal links, downloading is off unless you allow it, and while it is off a watermark is on by default.
To share a PDF as safely as HawkOpen allows: give access only to the addresses that need it (each confirms a one-time code), set an expiry date, a view limit and a watermark on the Business plan, and revoke access or delete the document when it is no longer needed. Nothing stops a reader from taking screenshots.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I add a watermark to a shared PDF? · Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it? · Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?
Does HawkOpen record when someone tries to print my document?
On proposal links, yes: a print attempt in the viewer is recorded in the proposal’s report, together with whether downloading was allowed. Ordinary PDF links do not record printing.
A recorded attempt shows that the print command was used in the viewer, not that paper came out of a printer.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote? · Can I block downloading of a shared PDF, and how do I share it securely?
Can I add a watermark to a shared PDF?
Yes, on the Business plan. The viewer then shows a faint diagonal text over the pages with the viewing session’s ID, the date and time and the word HawkOpen. The PDF file itself is not changed.
The watermark helps trace a screenshot back to a viewing session; it does not prevent screenshots. You cannot set your own watermark text.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I block downloading of a shared PDF, and how do I share it securely? · Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then?
Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it?
You can revoke one recipient’s access or delete the whole document, and the link stops working. You cannot swap the file behind an existing link: upload the new version and send a new link.
Deleting a document also deletes its viewing sessions and statistics, so note what you need first. On the Business plan you can instead let the link expire on a date you choose.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then? · Can I compare views across versions of a document?
Will I be notified when someone views my PDF?
On the Business plan, yes: switch on email alerts for PDFs in your settings and HawkOpen emails you for each new viewing session that the recipient agreed to have measured on the PDF page. The setting is off by default. On other plans you see those sessions in the dashboard.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: How can I see whether someone opened my PDF? · Can I see repeat visits when someone reopens my PDF?
Can I show my own logo or brand on the PDF viewer?
Not today. The PDF viewer is a HawkOpen page with the HawkOpen name in its header, and you cannot replace it with your own logo or colours.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF? · Can I add a watermark to a shared PDF?
Which file formats can I share: Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument?
PDF links and signature requests accept PDF files only. Proposal links also accept Word, PowerPoint and OpenDocument files and images, which HawkOpen converts to PDF.
Limits: 10 MB for a PDF link; 25 MB and 300 pages for a proposal. To share a Word or PowerPoint file as a PDF link, save it as PDF first.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: What is the maximum PDF size, and is there a page limit? · How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?
Why do my document views and link clicks look inflated?
Security scanners and link previews open links before people do, and many tools count those as views or clicks. HawkOpen labels likely scanner clicks in emails instead of counting them as people, and its PDF, video and signing pages ask for a one-time code that scanners cannot enter.
On a PDF, time on a page counts only after the recipient agrees to the measuring on the PDF page, and then only while the tab is visible and focused, the page is at least half in view and someone was active in the last 30 seconds, so a tab left open in the background adds no time.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on? · Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?
Is a DocSend link phishing, and why do company firewalls block document links?
HawkOpen cannot judge another company’s links. Document-sharing links are often blocked by company filters because attackers imitate them; check the sender and the real address of the link before entering anything.
HawkOpen document links ask only for a one-time code sent to the recipient’s email; they never ask for a password. If a company filter blocks them, the recipient’s IT team can check the link, or you can send the file as an attachment instead.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Is HawkOpen an alternative to DocSend for sharing and tracking documents? · Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?
What is document analysis in HawkOpen, and does it read scanned documents?
On the Business plan, HawkOpen can read the text inside a PDF, sort the document as an invoice, contract or proposal by keywords, and list possible email addresses, dates, amounts and reference numbers. It does not read scans or handwriting: there is no OCR.
The result is a suggestion from fixed rules, not a reading by artificial intelligence or a legal assessment, and every result lists its limitations. A scanned PDF without a text layer gives almost nothing.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Which file formats can I share: Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument? · How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?
Can I track PDF views or downloads in Google Analytics?
Not with HawkOpen. Its PDF viewer sends no data to Google Analytics; views and time per page, measured only with the recipient’s consent, appear only in your HawkOpen dashboard.
Google Analytics can count downloads of a PDF hosted on your own website, which is a different setup. Tracked links in HawkOpen emails keep their UTM parameters, so visits to your website can still be measured there. For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Do HawkOpen tracked links work with Google Analytics and UTM parameters? · How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?
Can I organize PDF links in folders or with tags?
No. Your PDFs appear in one list with their title, creation date, expiry, view limit and watermark setting; there are no folders or tags.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?
Can I compare views across versions of a document?
No. A PDF link always shows the file you uploaded, and you cannot add a new version to it. Upload the new version as a separate document; each has its own sessions and page statistics, which you can compare yourself.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it? · Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?
Does the PDF viewer work on a phone?
Yes. The viewer is a web page that adapts to narrow screens, so the recipient reads the document in their phone’s browser without an app. Time per page is measured the same way as on a computer, and likewise only after the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF?
What are video messages in HawkOpen, and which plans include them?
A video message is a short video that you upload and send as a HawkOpen link; if the recipient agrees to it on the video page, you then see whether and how much of it was watched. Video messages are part of the Pro and Business plans.
You upload an MP4 or WebM file of up to 50 MB; each user can keep up to 20 videos. Each recipient gets access for their own email address and confirms it with a one-time code.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: What does HawkOpen measure when someone watches my video? · Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet? · What is the difference between PDF links and video links in HawkOpen?
What does HawkOpen measure when someone watches my video?
Once the recipient agrees on the video page, HawkOpen records for each viewing session the watch time, the share of the video actually played and whether it was watched to the end (at least 95%). Skipping ahead does not count as watching.
For each video you see the sessions, the average share watched and the number of complete views. A session shows that the video played in a browser, not that someone paid attention.
Watching counts only after the recipient agrees, on the video page, that your company may see how long they watch its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: What are video messages in HawkOpen, and which plans include them? · What is the difference between PDF links and video links in HawkOpen?
What is the difference between PDF links and video links in HawkOpen?
Both share a file as a link with per-recipient access and a one-time code, and both measure only after the recipient agrees on the page. A PDF link records time on each page (all plans; Business adds expiry, view limit and watermark); a video link records watch time, share watched and complete views (Pro and Business).
Size limits: PDF up to 10 MB; video MP4 or WebM up to 50 MB. For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: What are video messages in HawkOpen, and which plans include them? · How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?