Redact a PDF — properly
Drag black boxes over everything that must disappear. Unlike a drawn rectangle, this is true redaction: the text underneath is permanently removed from the file. And a document full of secrets shouldn't be uploaded to a stranger's server to be redacted — here, it never is.
How it works
- Drop your PDF. Flip through the pages with the Prev/Next buttons.
- Drag boxes over sensitive content. Names, account numbers, addresses, whole paragraphs — as many boxes on as many pages as you need. Undo removes the last box.
- Redact & download. Pages with boxes are rebuilt as high-resolution images with the boxes burned in. Document metadata (author, title, XMP) is wiped too, unless you untick it.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from drawing a black rectangle?
A drawn rectangle just sits on top — the text underneath is still in the file and can be copied out with two keystrokes (a mistake that has embarrassed courts and governments). Here, redacted pages are rebuilt as flat images, so the covered content is deleted, not covered. Try select-all on the result: there's nothing under the boxes.
Why do redacted pages lose selectable text?
True removal means rebuilding the page as an image — including the text that stays visible. Only pages with boxes are rebuilt; every other page keeps its selectable text untouched.
Is my document uploaded?
No — and for this tool that's the whole point. Redacting a confidential file by uploading it somewhere defeats the purpose. Everything runs in your browser.
Does it remove metadata too?
Yes, by default: title, author, subject, creator, producer and the XMP metadata stream are cleared, since they often leak names and software traces. Untick the option to keep them.