Does this change the document?

Not visually. Every page renders identically; only the order of the file on disk differs.

Is this the same as compressing?

No. Compression makes the file smaller. Linearising makes the first page appear sooner, at roughly the same size.

Linearize a PDF for fast web view

Optimise a PDF for the web

A PDF normally keeps its index at the end, so a browser must download the whole file before it can show anything. Linearising reorders the file so page one comes first and a reader can start drawing immediately — the content is identical, only the byte order changes.

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How it works

01Open the PDF.
02Leave web optimisation switched on.
03Export.

Worth it for anything you publish

The difference is most noticeable on large documents over slow connections, where a reader currently waits for the entire file before seeing a single page.

It does not make the file smaller

Linearising rearranges bytes; it does not remove any. If size is the problem you want compression, which is a different tool.

Questions

Does this change the document?: Not visually. Every page renders identically; only the order of the file on disk differs.
Is this the same as compressing?: No. Compression makes the file smaller. Linearising makes the first page appear sooner, at roughly the same size.