Redact PDF removes text, numbers, signatures and pictures from a PDF for good. Draw boxes over anything, find and mark every match of a word, or mark e-mail addresses, phone numbers and other personal data in one click. Pages with boxes are flattened when you save, so what is under the boxes is removed from the file, not just hidden. It all runs in your browser, so the document is never uploaded.
How to redact a PDF
- Click Choose a PDF or drop a PDF on the page. If it is protected, type its password and click Open.
- Drag on a page to draw a box over anything you want to remove. Click a box to take it away again.
- To mark a word everywhere, type it under Find and redact and click Mark all. Or use the buttons for E-mail addresses, Phone numbers, US SSNs, Card numbers, IBANs and Dates.
- Choose Black or White boxes and the Quality of redacted pages.
- Click Save redacted PDF. The file is saved as name-redacted.pdf; your original is not changed.
Ways to mark content
| Method | Best for |
|---|---|
| Draw a box | Signatures, photos, stamps, handwriting, anything on a scan |
| Find and redact | A name, account number or word that appears many times |
| E-mail addresses | Contact details in letters and exports |
| Phone numbers | Call logs, contact lists, forms |
| US SSNs | Tax forms, HR and payroll documents |
| Card numbers | Receipts, statements, order confirmations |
| IBANs | Bank statements and invoices |
| Dates | Dates of birth and other dates you must hide |
Find and the one-click buttons search the PDF’s text, so they work on PDFs made by software. On a scan, draw the boxes by hand.
How true redaction works
A black rectangle drawn with an ordinary PDF editor sits on top of the page. The words beneath it are still in the file, and anyone can select them, copy them or extract them with a text tool. That is how many documents released with “blacked out” parts have leaked their secrets.
This tool works differently. When you save, every page that has at least one box is drawn as a picture at the quality you chose, with the boxes painted in. That picture replaces the page. The text, images and vector drawings of that page, including what was under the boxes, are left out of the new file. There is nothing left to copy or recover.
Pages without boxes are copied as they are. Document metadata, such as the title, author and keywords, is not carried over either.
Quality of redacted pages
| Setting | Use when |
|---|---|
| 150 DPI (smaller) | Screen reading, e-mail, smaller files |
| 200 DPI | The default, a good balance |
| 300 DPI (sharper) | Printing, small print, detailed drawings |
What to expect
- Redacted pages lose selectable text and links. They become pictures of the page. Other pages keep their text.
- Redacted pages can make the file larger, especially at 300 DPI. Shrink it afterwards with Compress PDF if needed.
- Pattern matching is a help, not a guarantee. Always scroll through the pages and check every box before you share the file.
- To make redacted pages searchable again, run the saved file through OCR PDF. The removed content stays removed.
Related tools
- Only want to cover something for looks, and keep the page editable? Use Whiteout PDF.
- Remove hidden data from photos before you share them with Remove EXIF.
Private by design
Your files are processed on your own device and never uploaded. See how it works.