Free PDF Redactor
PDF Redactor permanently blacks out names, numbers, signatures and images in a PDF. Draw boxes over what must go: each marked page is rebuilt as a flat image at 100–300 DPI, so no hidden text survives underneath. Metadata, attachments, scripts and form fields are stripped as well, and every page can be flattened.
- Method:
- Marked pages flattened to images
- Removed:
- Metadata, attachments, scripts
- Trade-off:
- Redacted pages lose selectable text
- Price:
- Free
- Runs:
- Locally, in your browser
- Uploads:
- None: files never leave your device
- Account:
- Not needed
Quick answers
Is the redacted text really gone?
Yes. Each redacted page is turned into a flat image with the black boxes burned in, so there is no hidden text layer underneath to copy, search or extract.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The pages are rendered and rebuilt inside your browser; your document never leaves your device.
Processed on your device: your files are never uploaded. How it works
Network activity in this tab
What this page has requested since you opened the site in this tab. An upload is any request that sends data: POST, PUT, PATCH or a request with a body.
No uploads: nothing has been sent from this page.
No network requests yet.
To see every request, open your browser's developer tools (Network tab).
How to use the PDF Redactor
- Drop the PDF you need to redact (nothing is uploaded).
- Drag on the pages to cover names, numbers, signatures or images. Click the red × to remove a box.
- Pick the output quality and click Redact & download. Turn on “Flatten every page” to also strip hidden text from pages you didn't mark.
Credits & open source
Our own code plus open-source libraries. Thank you to the people who make these projects.
- pdf-libCreate and modify PDF documents (merge, split, rotate, stamp, sign). © Andrew Dillon · MIT
- PDF.jsRenders PDF pages to images and thumbnails. © Mozilla Foundation and contributors · Apache-2.0
Web platform APIs used: File API, Canvas 2D, Pointer Events, Web Workers.
Full license texts: third-party notices · all credits
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I select text on the redacted pages anymore?
That is what makes the redaction safe: the page is an image now. Other pages keep their text unless you flatten everything. If you need searchable text, run the result through an OCR tool.
Are metadata and attachments removed?
Yes. The output is a brand-new PDF, so the original title, author, XMP metadata, attachments, scripts and form fields are not copied.