Is it safe to upload a drawing to an online tool?

The question is legitimate and most people upload without asking it: a floor plan is not yours, it is your client's, and on public tenders or private work it may sit under a confidentiality agreement. Before dropping a file on the first result for "free online converter" — whichever tool it is — ask these five.

1. Where does the file go, and for how long?

Every online converter takes the file onto a server; even some that say "runs in your browser" do the conversion server-side. The useful question is not "is it uploaded" but how long it stays and whether deletion is automatic. If the privacy page has no number of days in it, there is no answer.

2. Is the content read, or used for training?

This is the clause of the last few years. Some services reserve the right to use uploaded content to "improve the service". Look for an explicit statement that content is not used for AI training.

3. Who can reach the file?

In many tools a drawing is reached through a link. That is convenient, and it means exactly this: whoever has the link can open it. Paste that link into a group chat and you have shared the drawing. Using that model knowingly is fine; using it without realising is not.

4. Who is behind the site?

Is there a company name, a contact address and a GDPR/KVKK page at the bottom? Without someone to send a deletion request to, a policy has no teeth.

5. On the payment page, where does your card go?

If you move to a paid plan, check whether the card details go to the site or to a payment provider. A card that never touches the site is less exposure for you.

Whichever tool you use

• Strip what is not needed. If you only need a measurement, a DXF without the title block, client name and notes is enough.
• The title block is the confidential part. Project name, plot number and client details are usually more sensitive than the geometry.
• If there is an NDA, ask. "May I use a third-party tool for this?" is a question that gets answered by email and kept on file.
• Do not spread the link. A drawing link is the drawing.
• For sensitive work, stay on the desktop. On a critical project the safest route is the file never leaving; that is the honest answer.