Redact PDF Online
Permanently remove sensitive information from a PDF without uploading the file.
Select a PDF to redact
Drag and drop your PDF file here, or click to browse. Files stay strictly inside your browser.
How to Redact a PDF
Follow these five steps to remove private information from your document directly in your browser.
1. Upload your PDF
Choose a PDF file from your device or drag it into the upload box. The file is parsed locally in memory.
2. Select text or draw over an area
Use the search box to find specific words across pages or drag a rectangle across any area on the document.
3. Review the redaction marks
Inspect the pending redaction marks on each page. You can remove individual marks or clear the current page.
4. Apply permanent redaction
Click the apply button to strip content stream operators and serialize the document without incremental history.
5. Download the redacted PDF
After automated checks verify that the selected text is gone, save the sanitized PDF file to your computer.
What Can Be Redacted
You can target multiple types of sensitive content across the document layout.
- Names and personal detailsCustomer identities, patient records, employee rosters, and witness designations.
- Email addresses and phone numbersDirect contact details, internal extension numbers, and personal communication lines.
- Account and identification numbersBank accounts, tax identifiers, national insurance numbers, and card numbers.
- AddressesHome residences, physical offices, postal codes, and delivery destinations.
- SignaturesHandwritten signature marks, approval stamps, initials, and seals.
- Confidential textPricing schedules, proprietary formulas, legal settlements, and private terms.
- Images and document areasPhotographs, sensitive chart regions, diagrams, and inline figures.
- PDF metadataHidden document author names, software producers, modification dates, and titles.
- Comments and attachmentsSticky notes, intersecting review annotations, and embedded source files.
Frequently Asked Questions About PDF Redaction
Here are direct answers to common questions about document sanitization and browser privacy.
Is the redacted text permanently removed?
Yes. Redaction modifies the PDF content stream. The text glyphs and font operators are removed rather than hidden under a visual box. The document is then reassembled with fresh tables.
Are PDF files uploaded to a server?
No. All parsing, text search, content removal, and file assembly run inside your browser tab through WebAssembly. No document content is ever sent to a remote server.
Can redacted text be copied or recovered?
No. Because the underlying character codes are removed, selecting, copying, or extracting text from the redacted region yields nothing.
Can I redact a scanned PDF?
You can draw manual black boxes over scanned document pages to erase the intersecting image content. Automatic text search requires selectable text and is not supported on pure raster scans.
Why can some PDF files not be processed?
Some PDF documents rely on nonstandard font mappings, proprietary encryption, or complex optional content groups. If the engine cannot verify safe removal, it stops with a clear message instead of creating an unsafe file.
Does the tool remove PDF metadata?
Yes. The export process clears standard document properties including author, title, creation date, modification date, and XML metadata streams.
Is the basic PDF redaction tool free?
Yes. The redaction tool is completely free. There are no fees, account signups, or usage quotas.
Start Redacting Your Document
Clean sensitive details from your PDF in your browser.