Redact PDF
Permanently black out names, emails, phone numbers, SSNs, card numbers and anything else in a PDF. The text under each box is really deleted — and your file never leaves your browser.
Free · No sign-upHow to use Redact PDF
- 1. Drop your PDF into the box. Pages open as previews on your device — nothing is uploaded.
- 2. Type a name or phrase and click Find & mark, or use a one-click button for emails, US phone numbers, SSNs, card numbers or dates. Uncheck any match you want to keep.
- 3. Drag ⬛ boxes over anything else (photos, signatures, handwriting). Move or resize them, ↶ undoes, 🗑 deletes. Pick a box color and an optional label like REDACTED.
- 4. Click Redact & download PDF. Pages with redactions are rebuilt as images with the boxes burned in, and the tool checks the new file to confirm the marked text is gone.
Frequently asked questions
Is the redacted text really gone, or just covered?
It is really gone. Every page that has a redaction is rendered to an image with the black boxes burned into the pixels, and that image replaces the original page in a brand-new PDF. The original text, fonts, images and annotations of that page are not copied, so the hidden words can't be selected, searched or recovered. After saving, the tool reopens the new file and checks that none of the marked text strings can be found.
Why can’t I select text on the redacted pages anymore?
Because those pages are now images — that is what makes the redaction permanent. Pages without any redaction are copied unchanged, so their text stays selectable and searchable. If you need the redacted pages searchable again, you can run them through an OCR tool afterwards.
What does the automatic search find?
Text you type (with Whole word and Ignore case options), email addresses, US phone numbers, Social Security numbers in 123-45-6789 format, card numbers of 13–19 digits that pass the Luhn check, and dates like 01/15/2024, 2024-01-15 or January 15, 2024. It reads the PDF’s text layer, so scanned pages without selectable text need boxes drawn by hand. Always review the result before sharing.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The pages are displayed and searched with PDF.js and the new file is built with pdf-lib, both running in your browser. Your document never leaves your device, which is what you want for legal, medical, HR and tax records.
Does it remove metadata and hidden information?
Yes. The output is a new PDF without the title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, XMP metadata, bookmarks or attachments of the original. You can also remove all annotations, comments, links and form fields; otherwise form fields are flattened into the page and links that point to other pages are dropped.
Are there any limits?
It is free with no sign-up and no watermark. PDFs up to 200 pages can be opened, and password-protected files must be unlocked first. Redacted pages are saved at 150, 200 or 300 DPI as JPEG or PNG, so the file can get larger than the original.