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Redact PDF

Black out names, account numbers and other private details in a PDF so they are really gone, not just hidden.

How to redact a PDF

  1. Add your PDF. Drop it on the box, paste it with Ctrl+V, or press Select a PDF file.
  2. Mark what must go. Drag across text, a signature or a photo to draw a box. Or type a name, a word or a number in Find text to remove and press Find and mark: every match on every page gets a box. One-click buttons mark all email addresses, phone numbers or long numbers such as account numbers.
  3. Check every box. Go through the pages with the arrows. Drag a box to move it, drag a corner to resize it, or remove it. Boxes are see-through in the preview so you can see what they cover.
  4. Choose the quality of the redacted pages: 150 DPI for a smaller file, 300 DPI for sharper printing.
  5. Press Redact PDF and download the file. It is saved with -redacted at the end of the name.

Why this really removes the text

A black rectangle drawn in a PDF editor only covers the words. They are still in the file, and anyone can copy them out or find them with search.

This tool works differently. Every page that has a box is rebuilt as a picture of the page, with the boxes painted in solid black. The text, images and form answers under the boxes no longer exist anywhere in the file. The old content of those pages, their comments and form fields are deleted, and so are hidden older copies that some PDFs carry inside them. Text you searched for is also replaced in the document title, bookmarks and comments.

Pages without a box keep their text and look exactly as before.

The trade-off

Pages with a box become pictures, so:

  • their text can't be selected, copied or searched anymore. If you need that back, run OCR PDF on the redacted file. It reads only what is visible, so the blacked-out parts stay gone.
  • links and comments on those pages stop working.
  • the file usually gets bigger, more so at 300 DPI.

Check before you share

  • Scans have no text to search. A scanned page is already a picture, so search can't find anything on it. Draw the boxes by hand.
  • Search finds what you type. A name may also appear as initials, with a typo, or inside an image. Look through every page.
  • Document information. Also remove document information (on by default) clears the title, author, subject, keywords, app names and dates stored in the file.
  • Attachments. Files attached inside the PDF are not changed. Remove them in a PDF reader before you share.

Your file stays on your device

Documents that need redacting are private by nature. Here the PDF is read, redacted and saved in your browser, and nothing is uploaded to us.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone undo the redaction?

No. On redacted pages the hidden text is not in the file anymore, only the black area of the picture. There is nothing underneath to recover.

Why can't I select the text on some pages now?

Those are the pages you redacted. They are saved as pictures so the hidden text is truly gone. Pages without boxes keep their selectable text.

Can I redact a scanned PDF?

Yes. Draw boxes by hand over what must go. Search won't find anything on a scan, because the page is a picture without text.

Is my document uploaded?

No. Everything happens on your device, and the file never leaves your browser.

This tool works in your browser: your files are processed on your device and are never uploaded. Check the result before you share it or delete the original.