Redact PDF
Black out private information in a PDF and remove it from the file for good. Free, and it runs on your device.
Redact PDF hides names, account numbers, addresses and other private details before you share a document, and actually removes them. Drag black boxes over what should go. When you download, each page with a redaction is turned into an image with the boxes burnt in, so the text underneath is gone from the file: it can't be copied, searched or recovered by removing the box. Form values and comments on those pages are removed too. Pages without redactions stay as they were. Everything happens inside your browser, so the document is never uploaded.
How to use Redact PDF
- 1
Open your PDF
Drop or choose a PDF.
- 2
Drag over private information
Cover every name, number or line that must go with a black box.
- 3
Download the redacted PDF
Check the result, then share the redacted copy, not the original.
What it does
- Really removed
- The covered text is deleted from the file, not hidden under a box.
- Form values and comments too
- Filled-in fields and comments on redacted pages are removed as well.
- Other pages untouched
- Only pages with redactions are turned into images.
- Nothing uploaded
- Private documents are redacted on your device; nobody else sees them.
Questions
Why can't I select text on the redacted page any more?
To remove the hidden text for good, the whole page is saved as an image. Text on other pages stays selectable.
Is a black rectangle in a normal PDF editor the same?
No. A plain box only covers the text, which can still be copied or found by a search. This tool removes it.
Is anything else removed?
On redacted pages, form fields, comments and links are removed too, and the document's accessibility tags are dropped because they can repeat page text. The title and author details are kept; Remove PDF Metadata clears those.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is opened and saved in your browser, so it stays on your device.