Redact a PDF (remove information)
Permanently hide names, numbers or areas of a PDF: the hidden text is actually removed, not just covered up.
Processed in your browserFree
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About this tool
Remove sensitive information from a PDF for good before sharing it: search for a word, a name or a number to mark every occurrence, draw rectangles over the areas to hide, then generate the redacted document. The affected pages are converted to images with the areas blacked out: the original text no longer exists in the file, unlike a simple black rectangle placed on top. The metadata is removed as well.
How to use this tool
- 1Drop the PDF; search for a word to mark its occurrences automatically, or draw rectangles on the pages.
- 2Check the areas (clicking an area removes it) and choose the output resolution.
- 3Generate the redacted PDF, then review it before sharing it.
Limits to know
- Redacted pages become images: their text is no longer selectable or searchable (that is the point). The other pages are left untouched.
- The automatic search only covers the real text of the PDF: on a scan, draw the areas by hand.
- The file size may increase (images at 150-300 dpi).
- Always check the result: the tool cannot guess what is sensitive.
- Accepted formats
- Maximum size
- 100 MB
Privacy and file processing
Your file is read and transformed directly in your browser using open source libraries (pdf.js and pdf-lib). It is never sent to our servers, stored or analyzed.
Read our privacy policyFrequently asked questions
A black rectangle drawn on top leaves the text in the file: it remains copyable and searchable. By replacing the page with its rendering with the areas blacked out, the hidden content really disappears from the PDF. This is the safest approach achievable in a browser.