# PDF Archiving Checklist for Long-Term Storage — free download from DollarWise (dollarwise.xyz)

Work through all five stages. Check off each item as you go.

## Stage 1: Prepare Files for Archiving

- [ ] 1. Convert archival documents to PDF/A (PDF/A-2b recommended for most use cases)
- [ ] 2. Embed ALL fonts in every file — no subsetting that could break future rendering
- [ ] 3. Run OCR on every scanned page so all text is selectable and searchable
- [ ] 4. Flatten form fields, comments, and annotations into the page content
- [ ] 5. Remove passwords, encryption, and DRM from archival copies (keep a secured original if legally required)
- [ ] 6. Downsample oversized scans to a sensible resolution (300 DPI is plenty for documents)
- [ ] 7. Merge multi-page documents into single files where they belong together

## Stage 2: Organize the Archive

- [ ] 8. Choose a file naming convention and apply it everywhere, e.g. YYYY-MM-DD_Type_Description
- [ ] 9. Rename existing files to match the convention
- [ ] 10. Build a logical folder structure by category and year (e.g. /Taxes/2026/, /Contracts/)
- [ ] 11. Fill in document metadata: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords in each PDF's properties
- [ ] 12. Add a README.txt at the archive root explaining the naming convention and folder structure
- [ ] 13. Create a simple index spreadsheet listing every archived file, its location, and key details

## Stage 3: Secure Storage (the 3-2-1 Rule)

- [ ] 14. Keep THREE copies of every archived file
- [ ] 15. Store copies on TWO different media types (e.g. external SSD + cloud storage)
- [ ] 16. Keep ONE copy offsite (cloud, or a drive at a different physical location)
- [ ] 17. Generate SHA-256 checksums for every file and store the checksum list with the archive
- [ ] 18. Encrypt sensitive documents (tax, legal, medical) with a strong password you store separately
- [ ] 19. Set the archive folders to read-only to prevent accidental edits or deletions
- [ ] 20. Document where every copy lives and who can access it

## Stage 4: Verify Everything

- [ ] 21. Open a sample of files in different PDF readers to confirm they render correctly
- [ ] 22. Confirm text is selectable and searchable in every OCR'd document
- [ ] 23. Validate PDF/A compliance with a validator tool for your most critical files
- [ ] 24. Verify checksums match — every file intact, none corrupted
- [ ] 25. Test-restore one file from each backup copy to prove the backups actually work

## Stage 5: Maintain Over Time

- [ ] 26. Spot-check a random sample of files every year
- [ ] 27. Run a full checksum verification every 3-5 years
- [ ] 28. Migrate to fresh storage media every 5-7 years (drives age even when unused)
- [ ] 29. Review file formats every 10 years — confirm PDF/A is still widely supported
- [ ] 30. Update the index spreadsheet whenever files are added, moved, or removed

**Archive location(s):** [LIST]
**Checksum file location:** [PATH]
**Next scheduled check:** [DATE]

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