Redact PDF
Black out names, emails, phone and account numbers in a PDF and remove the text for good. Runs in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.
Drop a PDF here or click to choose one
The file is read in your browser and never uploaded
What is the Redact PDF?
Redacting a PDF means hiding information so that nobody who gets the file can read it. A black box drawn on top of the text is not enough by itself, because the text underneath can still be copied, searched or uncovered. This tool covers what you choose and rebuilds those pages as images, so the words and numbers under the boxes are not in the new file at all.
How to use the Redact PDF
- 1
Open your PDF
Drop the file on the page or click to choose it. It is read in your browser and never uploaded.
- 2
Check what was found
Email addresses, phone numbers, card numbers, IBANs, US Social Security numbers and long account or ID numbers are highlighted on every page. Click a highlight to leave that spot visible.
- 3
Add names and draw boxes
Type a name, a street or any other word, and every place it appears gets covered. Drag on a page to cover a signature, a photo or part of a scan, or cover a whole page with one click.
- 4
Redact and download
Pick black or white boxes and click Redact PDF. Before you download, the tool searches the new file for everything you covered and tells you if any of it can still be found.
Works with
Personal paperwork
- •Send a bank statement as proof of address with the account and card numbers covered
- •Share a pay slip or tax form without your ID number
- •Pass on a medical letter with your name and date of birth hidden
Work
- •Release documents for a public records request with names covered
- •Send a contract or invoice to a third party without client details
- •Share HR files with personal contact details removed
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I redact a PDF for free?
Open the PDF on this page, check the highlighted items, add any names or words you want hidden and click Redact PDF. There is no account, no page limit and no watermark on the file you download.
Is the redacted text really removed?
Yes. Each page with something covered is saved as an image of that page with the boxes painted in, so the text under the boxes is not in the new file in any form. After saving, the tool reads the new file back and searches it for every word and number you covered.
Can redacted text be recovered?
Not from a file made here. Redactions get undone when a box was only drawn on top of the text, because the text is still inside the file and can be copied out from under the box. Here the covered pages are rebuilt from pixels, so there is nothing underneath to recover.
Can I redact a PDF without Adobe Acrobat Pro?
Yes. Adobe keeps its redaction tool in the paid Acrobat Pro, which is why Redact shows up locked or greyed out in the free Reader. This page works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone and Android, with nothing to install.
Is it safe to redact a PDF online?
That depends on where the file goes. Many online redaction tools upload the document to their servers first. This one opens and rebuilds the PDF inside your browser tab, so the file and the text in it never leave your device.
How do I redact a bank statement?
Open the statement and the account numbers, card numbers, IBANs, phone numbers and email addresses are highlighted for you. Add your name and street address in the names box, then look over each page for anything else, such as a reference number, and drag a box over it.
Can I use white boxes instead of black?
Yes. Choose White before you redact and the covered areas blend into the page, which suits forms and letters you want to look clean. Text under a white box is removed in exactly the same way as under a black one.
Does it remove the file's title, author and other properties?
Yes. The new PDF is saved without the title, author, subject, keywords or the name of the program that made the original, which can otherwise reveal who wrote it or where it came from.
What about scanned PDFs?
A scanned page is a picture, so there is no text on it for the tool to find. Drag a box over anything you want hidden, or cover the whole page, and it is painted into the saved image like any other redaction.
Can I redact a password protected PDF?
Yes, if you know the password. Enter it when the tool asks. Because an encrypted file can't be copied page by page, every page of the new file is saved as an image, and the new file has no password.
Why is some text still selectable after redacting?
Only pages that had something covered are turned into images. Pages without any redaction are copied over as they were, so their text stays selectable and searchable.