Redact PDF
Permanently black out names, numbers or any phrase, so the text is gone rather than hidden.
Runs in your browser FreeNo sign-in
Before you start. Real redaction removes the text, it does not cover it. This tool rebuilds each page as an image with the matched runs painted over, so nothing can be copied out or recovered from the file. Always check the result before sending it.
Redact PDF is in development
This format needs processing that isn't available here yet, so rather than quietly sending your file somewhere we have left the tool switched off until it can run properly.
How to use redact pdf
- Add your document. Drop your file onto the upload area, or choose it from your device. Nothing is uploaded — the work happens on this page.
- Set the options. Choose the settings for redact pdf and check the file details shown on screen.
- Save the result. Run the tool and download the result. Close the tab and every trace is gone.
Privacy
This page does the work itself. Your file is read into memory by the browser, transformed, and offered back as a download — it never reaches a server, so there is nothing to store, log or delete. Reloading the page clears it.
Questions
Is the text really gone, or just hidden?
Really gone. Drawing a black rectangle over text in a normal PDF editor leaves the words underneath, where anyone can select or extract them. This tool re-renders every page as an image with the matches painted out, so there is no text layer left to recover.
Why is a whole phrase covered when I only searched for part of it?
Redaction is applied to the whole text run containing your match, which is deliberately cautious. Covering slightly too much is safe; covering slightly too little is not.
Can I still search the redacted file?
No. Because the pages become images, the document loses its text layer entirely. Keep the original if you need a searchable copy.
Does my file get uploaded?
No. Redaction happens in your browser, which matters more here than anywhere else on the site.
Troubleshooting
- Nothing happens after choosing a file. Check the file really is PDF — a renamed extension fails here the same way it fails in other readers.
- The upload is refused. Files over 32 MB are rejected. Split the document first, or use one of the browser-side tools, which are limited only by your device memory.
- The result looks different from the original. Some conversions cannot carry every feature across formats. The page says what was dropped when that happens.