How-to guides and tips that answer your questions—then point you to free tools you can use right away.
The FixTools blog exists to answer one question: how do I actually do this? Each guide walks you through a real-world task—merging PDFs, resizing images for social media, generating a QR code, formatting JSON, or making AI-written text sound human—step by step, without jargon. At the end of every article you will find a direct link to the free FixTools tool that does the job, no software download or account required.
Our most-read topics cover PDF tools—compressing, converting, merging, and repairing PDFs—alongside image optimisation for faster websites and better social sharing. Web developers will find guides on CSS generators, HTML builders, and JSON formatters. Writers and content teams gravitate toward our AI writing guides—humanising AI text, summarising long documents, and checking for plagiarism.
All guides are written for real people solving real problems: students submitting assignments, small-business owners handling documents, developers debugging stylesheets, and marketers resizing banner ads. If you have a task in mind but can't find a guide for it, browse the full FixTools directory—there is likely a free tool waiting for you.
PDF Tools
Merge, compress, convert and repair PDFs
Image Tools
Resize, compress and remove backgrounds
AI Writing
Humanise AI text, summarise and rewrite
CSS Generators
Gradients, shadows, filters and more
HTML Builders
Form inputs, media elements and layouts
JSON & Dev Tools
Format, validate and convert data
SEO Tools
Keywords, meta tags and page analysis
All Tools
Browse the full FixTools directory
Thirteen free browser-based JSON tools — format, validate, minify, and convert to and from XML, CSV, TSV, YAML, Base64, and plain text — all running on your device with no upload, no signup, and no rate limits. The complete directory and when to use each.
Eighteen free browser-based image tools — compress, resize, convert, crop, watermark, remove backgrounds, and more — all running on your device with no upload, no signup, and no watermarks. The complete directory and when to use each.
Twenty-two free browser-based PDF tools — compress, convert, merge, split, sign, OCR, and more — all running on your device with no upload, no signup, and no watermarks. The complete directory and when to use each.
URL encoding converts characters that are unsafe in URLs into a percent-prefixed format browsers and servers can read reliably. Learn how it works, when to use it, and how to encode or decode any URL instantly online.
UUIDs are unique identifiers used to label records, sessions, and resources in databases and APIs. Learn what UUIDs are, how they are generated, and how to create them instantly free online.
Unit conversion is a daily task in science, cooking, engineering, and everyday life. Learn how measurement systems work, common conversion formulas, and how to convert any unit instantly online.
XML and JSON both represent structured data, but JSON is lighter and easier to work with in modern web applications. Learn how XML-to-JSON conversion works, what to watch for, and how to do it instantly free online.
An SSL certificate secures data between a browser and a server and tells visitors your site is legitimate. Learn how to check any site SSL certificate, what the details mean, and how to spot problems before they cause issues.
A favicon is the small icon that appears in browser tabs, bookmarks, and search results. Learn how to make one from scratch or convert an existing logo — free, no design software needed.
Not all email addresses that look valid actually are. Learn the rules behind valid email format, the most common mistakes, and how to test any address instantly online.
Markdown is easy to write, but browsers only render HTML. Learn how Markdown-to-HTML conversion works, what the output looks like, and how to handle edge cases like tables and code blocks.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) converts images, scanned documents, and photos of text into editable, searchable text. Learn how it works and how to extract text from any image for free.
Extract the exact colors from any photo, logo, or screenshot to build a matching color palette. No design software needed — do it free online in seconds.
Base64 encoding converts binary data into ASCII text so it can be safely transmitted over text-based systems. Learn how it works, when to use it, and how to encode or decode instantly online.
Lorem ipsum is the standard placeholder text for design mockups and prototypes. Learn what it means, why designers use it, and how to generate any amount of dummy text instantly.
Messy SQL is hard to debug and impossible to review. A free online SQL formatter cleans up indentation, keywords, and structure in one click. No install needed.
Convert a CSV file or spreadsheet export to valid JSON in seconds. Learn the format differences, conversion rules, and how to handle edge cases like nested data and special characters.
Images are the number one cause of slow websites. Learn how to compress, resize, and convert images to the right format so your pages load faster without sacrificing quality.
AI detectors flag more content than ever, including human writing. Learn why AI text gets flagged, what actually makes text undetectable, and how to humanize AI content properly.
CSS Flexbox and Grid are both powerful layout systems, but they solve different problems. Learn when to use each one with a practical cheat sheet and visual examples.
Is the site down, or is it just you? Learn how to check website uptime instantly, what causes sites to go down, and how to monitor your own site for free.
Remove any image background in seconds. No Photoshop, no design skills needed. Free browser-based background remover that works on photos, logos, and product images.
Format messy JSON instantly and catch syntax errors before they break your app. Free browser-based JSON formatter and validator. No signup, no install.
Turn any PDF into an editable Word document for free in your browser. No software, no signup, no watermarks. Formatting preserved.
Create custom QR codes for URLs, Wi-Fi passwords, text, and more. Free, no signup, works in your browser. Download as PNG instantly.
Create secure, random passwords instantly. Free online password generator with customizable length, symbols, and numbers. No data stored.
Convert spreadsheets to PDF and PDF tables back to Excel for free. Keep formatting, formulas, and layout intact. No software to install.
Extract every page of a PDF as a high-quality JPG image in seconds. No software to install — works entirely in your browser.
Reduce PDF size for email and uploads while keeping text and images sharp. No software to install—free online compressor that works in your browser.
Optimize images for faster load times and better Core Web Vitals scores without visible quality loss. Free browser-based tools, no upload required.
When to use each format for web, social media, and print. A practical guide to choosing the right image format, with a free converter to switch between them.
Make your JSON API-ready: proper formatting, syntax validation, and common pitfalls that break requests. Free JSON formatter and validator in your browser.
Shrink your code for faster pages without breaking your site. What minification actually does, what to watch out for, and free tools to do it right.
Practical steps to make AI-generated text sound natural and keep your message intact. Plus a free tool to humanize AI content instantly.
What AI detectors actually look for in your text, why they produce false positives on human writing, and how to understand their real accuracy limits.
Learn how to paraphrase text without AI detection. Structural techniques and a free paraphrasing tool that rewrites for clarity and originality—no synonym swapping.
Turn AI-generated drafts into citation-ready academic writing without losing analytical rigor or triggering plagiarism and AI detection tools.
Turn PDFs into editable Word documents without losing layout, tables, or fonts. Free browser-based converter — no software to install, no signup required.
Combine multiple PDF files into one document in the right order, free and online. Rearrange pages, merge contracts, reports, or slides — no software needed.
Sign contracts and forms digitally without printing, scanning, or software. Free PDF signer that works entirely in your browser — no signup required.
Correct pixel dimensions and aspect ratios for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — all in one free online resizer. No account, no upload limits.
Extract every internal and external link from any webpage instantly — for SEO audits, backlink checks, and broken-link finding. Free, no install.
Write optimized title tags and meta descriptions that rank and get clicks. Free meta tag generator with live character count and Google SERP preview.
Discover what your IP address reveals to websites — location, ISP, device type — and what they legally can and cannot see about you. Check yours instantly.
What Unix epoch time is, why developers use timestamps in logging and APIs, and how to convert them to human-readable dates and back — with free tools.
Calculate file sizes in bytes, KB, MB, and GB — and check whether your files are within upload limits for email attachments, web forms, or cloud storage.
A fun music quiz — can you name the 90s hit from just one lyric? Test your 90s music knowledge, challenge friends, and share your score.
Why active recall through quizzes helps you retain more than re-reading — the science of spaced repetition explained, with free quiz tools for studying.