Redact a PDF, so what you black out is really gone.
Draw black boxes over names, addresses, account numbers or anything else, or let the tool find a word for you. Every page with a box is rebuilt as an image, so the covered text is removed from the file, not just hidden under a black shape – all in your browser.
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Tables become real cells, numbers become numbers
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Each file is split the same way
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
e.g. 3, 7 — leave empty to split every page separately
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Applied to every page, or only to the pages you enter below
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
A page number on every page, bottom centre unless you choose another position
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Each file has the same pages removed
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
e.g. 2, 5-7
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
The same pages are taken from each file
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
e.g. 1, 3-5
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
The watermark is added to every page
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
e.g. CONFIDENTIAL
A PNG with a transparent background works best. Up to 10 MB.
Drop JPG or PNG images here, or click to choose
All images go into one PDF – change the order below if needed
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Every page becomes one JPG image
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
e.g. 1, 3-5 — leave empty to convert every page
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Every file gets the same password
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Remember it well: nobody can recover a forgotten password, not even us. It stays in your browser.
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
The same password is tried on every file
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Leave empty for a file that opens without a password but blocks printing or copying.
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Your signature goes on every file at the same place
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drag your signature to the right place
Create your signature above and it appears here.
Tip: click the signature and move it with the arrow keys (hold Shift for bigger steps).
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Several pages of your PDF on each sheet, ready to print
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Cut margins off every page, or trim the white edges
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Preview: the dashed box is what stays
Drop a PDF here, or click to choose
Draw black boxes over what must disappear
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Pages with a black box become an image: text there can no longer be selected or searched. Pages without a box stay as they are.
Draw a box over everything that must disappear
Drag with your mouse or finger to draw a box. To remove a box: click it, or reach it with the Tab key, and press Delete.
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
See what the file says about itself, then remove it
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Leave a field empty to remove it. Dates and software names are always removed.
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
The text of your PDF as a plain .txt file
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Every picture in your PDF as a separate file
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
See every page, then put them in the right order
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Scanned pages get an invisible, searchable text layer
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Takes a few seconds per page; a long scan can take minutes.
Drop 2 PDFs here (old and new), or click to choose
Text differences, word by word, page by page
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Add 2 PDFs: first the old version, then the new one.
removed text added text
Drop one or more PDFs here, or click to choose
Form fields and comments become part of the page
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Drop a PDF here, or click to choose
Fill in its form fields or add text to a page
Guideline: up to 50 MB works well on most devices; for larger files a computer is more reliable than a phone. Check for yourself that your files aren't uploaded
Form fields
Add text: click on the page where it should go
Tip: select a box with Tab or a click and move it with the arrow keys (hold Shift for bigger steps); Delete removes it.
How to redact a PDF
Choose your PDF
Drag it into the tool or click to browse. Your file isn't uploaded: your browser reads it itself.
Draw the black boxes
Drag over what must disappear on each page, or type a word or number to cover every place it appears. Step through the pages to check.
Download the redacted PDF
Pages with a box are rebuilt as images with the black boxes burned in; the other pages keep their text. Check the result before you share it.
Tips for redacting a PDF
Search, then check by hand
Find covers every match in the PDF's text layer and tells you how many it found. A different spelling, a word split at the end of a line or text inside a picture is not found: look through every page.
Think of what is around it
A name is often also in a header, a signature, a footer or an e-mail address. Cover those too, and think of initials, dates and file numbers that point to the same person.
Keep the original
The redacted copy downloads as a new file ending in -redacted.pdf. Keep the original somewhere safe and share only the redacted copy.
Honest about the limits
Pages with a box become images: their text can no longer be selected or searched, and the file can get bigger. Bookmarks, attachments, metadata, document scripts and tags are removed from the whole file. A box only removes what lies under it.
Questions about redacting a PDF
How do I redact a PDF?
Drop your PDF into the tool above, draw black boxes over what must disappear (or type a word to find it), check every page in the preview and click Redact PDF. The redacted copy downloads right away.
Is the text under the black box really removed?
Yes. Every page with at least one box is drawn again as an image, with the black boxes in the pixels themselves, and that image replaces the original page. The text, pictures and form fields that were on that page are no longer in the file: they can't be copied, or uncovered by removing the box.
Why can't I select the text on some pages any more?
Pages with a black box are now images. That is what makes the redaction real, but it also means the text on those pages can no longer be selected, searched or read aloud. Pages without a box keep their text.
Can it find a name or number for me?
Yes. Type a word or number and click Find: a box is placed over every match in the PDF's text, and the tool tells you how many it found. It doesn't find text inside scans or pictures, or a different spelling, so always check the pages yourself.
What else is removed from the file?
So that no hidden copy of text stays behind, it also removes the document information and XMP metadata, bookmarks, attachments, document scripts, the tag structure, and the form fields and comments on pages with a box. Form fields on pages without a box keep working.
Does it work with scans and password-protected PDFs?
Yes. On a scan you draw the boxes by hand, because there is no text to search. A PDF with a password asks for it in the preview; the redacted copy no longer has that password.
Can I undo a box?
Yes. Undo removes the last box you drew (or every box from the last search). To remove one particular box: click it, or reach it with the Tab key, and press Delete.
General questions about privacy, cost and file size are answered on the homepage. Stuck? See the help page.
Important to know
Check the result before you print or share it. Full terms of use.