Redact PDF
Redact PDF lets you permanently black out sensitive information — names, account
Redact PDF lets you permanently black out sensitive information — names, account
How to use Redact PDF
- Choose your PDF file to load and preview its pages in the browser.
- Drag black boxes over every name, number, or line of text you want to hide, using Prev/Next for multi-page files.
- Click Apply & build redacted PDF, then download the flattened copy with the text permanently removed.
About Redact PDF
Redact PDF lets you permanently black out sensitive information — names, account numbers, signatures, addresses — before you share a document. Load a PDF, drag black boxes over anything you want to hide, and download a redacted copy. Everything happens in your browser: the file is never uploaded to a server.
The important part is how the redaction is applied. Many "redaction" tools just draw a black rectangle on top of the page, leaving the original text sitting underneath where anyone can select, copy, or extract it. This tool does not do that. When you build the redacted PDF, each page is rendered to an image and the black boxes are baked directly into the pixels, then the page is rebuilt from that flattened image. The text beneath your boxes is discarded — there is nothing left to recover.
The trade-off of that safety is that the output pages become images rather than selectable text, so file size can grow and you can no longer copy text or search inside the finished PDF. That is the correct behaviour for real redaction. Position your boxes carefully before downloading, since redaction cannot be undone in the exported file. Scanned or image-heavy PDFs work the same way; password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the text really removed, or just covered up?
- Really removed. When you build the redacted PDF, each page is flattened to an image with the black boxes painted into the pixels, and the page is rebuilt from that image. The original text under a box is discarded — it can't be selected, copied, or extracted from the downloaded file.
- Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
- No. The PDF is read and processed entirely inside your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is sent to a server, so even highly sensitive documents stay on your device.
- Can I undo a redaction after downloading?
- No. Once you download the redacted PDF, the covered text is permanently gone — that's the point of redaction. While editing, you can use Undo last box or Clear this page, but position your boxes carefully before you build the final file.
- Why is the downloaded PDF larger or no longer selectable?
- Because true redaction requires flattening each page to an image so no hidden text survives. That removes the selectable text layer and can increase file size. It's the safe trade-off — a smaller, still-selectable file would mean the original text was never actually removed.
- Does it work on scanned or multi-page PDFs?
- Yes. Scanned PDFs are already images and are handled the same way. For multi-page files, use the Prev/Next buttons to draw boxes on each page; all pages are included in the output.
- It won't open my PDF — why?
- The PDF is probably password-protected or encrypted, which can't be edited in the browser. Open it in a PDF viewer with the password, choose Print → Save as PDF to make an unprotected copy, then load that copy here.