Redact a PDF: remove text for good
Remove names, numbers and other sensitive text from a PDF before you share it.
Or drop a PDF here. Files stay on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
The tool deletes the marked content from the file itself and draws a mark where it was, rather than placing a black box over text that can still be copied. It runs in your browser, so the unredacted document is never sent anywhere.
How to redact a PDF: remove text for good
- Choose the PDF you need to redact.
- Search for a word or phrase and tick the matches to remove, or list whole pages to blank out.
- Select Redact and confirm. The count of matches and pages is shown before anything changes.
- Read the result and the notes on what to check, then select Download.
What you get
Removed, not covered
Under each mark the letters are taken out of the page content, images wholly under it are deleted, and the covered part of a larger image is painted over in the image itself.
What permanent removal covers
Page text including hidden text from recognition, images, links, comments and form fields under a mark, and, if you ask, the document information, attachments and scripts.
What it does not cover
Bookmark titles, the same content repeated on a page you did not mark, and drawn shapes only partly under a mark are not removed. The tool lists these every time.
Private by design
The file is processed on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Redact PDF: questions and answers
Can redacted text be recovered from the downloaded file?
No. The text under a mark is deleted from the page content before the file is written, and data that is no longer used is dropped. Copying, searching or removing the mark in another program does not bring it back.
Why does the tool warn me about what can survive?
Because a PDF can hold the same information in more than one place: a bookmark, a repeated header, an attachment, an older saved copy. The tool removes what you mark and tells you where else to look.
Does it find text in scanned pages?
Only if the scan has a text layer. Run text recognition first, or blank out the whole page. Text that is part of a picture cannot be searched.
Can I undo a redaction?
Until you download the file and close the editor, yes. Tick “Make this irreversible now” to clear the undo history straight away.