PDF corruption is rare, but it does happen — usually when a script is exported from an unusual writing program, when a protected/time-limited PDF expires, or when a sync error truncates the file. Below are the common signs, a quick test to confirm corruption, and the steps to recover your work.

Signs your PDF may be corrupt

• Pages that previously had content (script text or annotations) are now blank.
• Annotations you'd saved have disappeared throughout the document.
• In the Page Manager, some pages show an Ø symbol.
• Opening the file shows an Unable to Display Document message.
• When you try to share the file, the file size shows as 0kb.
• Blocks of text appear as garbled symbols or gibberish after auto-highlighting characters or transferring pages from another script.

Quick test: is the text actually corrupt?

If the symptom is garbled or gibberish text, there's a fast diagnostic you can run:

1. Select a block of suspect text from the PDF.
2. Paste it into a Scriptation text annotation or sticky note.
3. If the pasted text is garbled, the source PDF is corrupted (often a bad PDF export from the writing program).
4. If the pasted text is correct, the on-page text is fine — the issue is elsewhere (likely a display or Layer issue).

How to recover

Work through these in order.

1. Close all tabs in Scriptation and update the app from the App Store. Some "corruption" symptoms turn out to be old-build bugs that an update fixes.
2. Close the file, wait a few seconds, and reopen it. This clears transient sync states.
3. Make a local copy and rename it without spaces or special characters. See How to move or copy multiple files and folders.
4. Re-import a clean copy from the source. Ask whoever sent you the script for a fresh PDF, or re-export the file from the program in which it was written. Then import the clean PDF into Scriptation and transfer your notes from the corrupted file onto it.
5. Restore from your cloud provider's version history. If your file is on Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, log in to their web portal and restore a pre-corruption version. See How to restore an earlier version of your file with Dropbox (same pattern for Google Drive and OneDrive).
6. Check iCloud Drive's Recently Deleted folder. iCloud Drive doesn't keep file version history, but a conflicted or replaced copy may still be in its Recently Deleted folder (30-day window). See I accidentally deleted my script. How do I recover it? for the path.

Still stuck?

If you've worked through every step and your file is still corrupted, use the Send us an email button at the bottom of this page. If you can, attach the original PDF so we can take a look. Please also include:

• Your device, OS version, and Scriptation version (see Current version and system requirements);
• Where the file is stored (On My iPad, iCloud, Dropbox, etc.);
• The page numbers and paragraphs you know are problematic, so we can find them quickly;
• Whether the file came from a time-limited or protected source (e.g. Scenechronize, a studio portal).

Best practices going forward

• Use Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive rather than iCloud or On My iPad. All three keep version history, so a corrupt file can be rolled back to a clean earlier version.
• Turn on Automatic App Updates so PDF-handling bug fixes reach you automatically.

What's Next

Unable to Display Document message? Here's how to recover your file.
I accidentally deleted my script. How do I recover it?
How to restore an earlier version of your file with Dropbox

Updated on: 25/06/2026