Black out text and images in a PDF by drawing boxes or searching for words, with the hidden content removed for good, not just covered.
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Tell us what you think about Redact a PDF for free.
- True redaction — the text and images under each box are removed, not just covered up
- Draw boxes on any page or find every match of a word or phrase across the whole PDF
- Your file is deleted from the server as soon as it has been processed
- Free, no account required
How it works
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1
Upload the PDF you want to secure or unlock.
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2
Enter a password — a new one to protect it, or the existing one to remove it.
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3
The file is re-encrypted or decrypted in place.
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4
Download the result.
Why use this tool
Every PDF task, one place
Merge, split, compress, convert, sign, and more — no need to juggle separate apps for each job.
Private by default
Most tools process your file entirely in the browser — it's never uploaded. When a conversion needs the server, the file is deleted within the hour.
Works on any device
Runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android — nothing to install, nothing to trust but the tab.
Fast by design
No queues and no desktop app to wait on — most jobs finish in a few seconds, right where you are.
Convert to and from any format
Move between PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, and HTML — output stays true to your original formatting.
Free, always
Every tool here is free to use, with no watermarks, page limits, or forced trial period.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Pages with redactions are rebuilt as images with the marked areas blacked out, so the hidden text and images cannot be selected, copied or extracted. Text outside the boxes is kept as an invisible layer so you can still search and copy it.
Yes. Switch to search mode and enter a word or phrase. Every match on every page is blacked out.
They are copied over unchanged, so their text, links and quality stay exactly as they were.
Your upload and all working files are deleted as soon as the redacted PDF is created. The result is available to download for a short time and then removed.
From the blog
Editing a PDF in Your Browser: How a Client-Side PDF Editor Actually Works
Adding text, filling forms, signing, and rearranging pages without a single byte leaving your machine. Here is what a browser-based PDF editor can do, what it cannot, and why that distinction matters.
How to Make Your PDFs Accessible: Screen Readers and Standards
A practical guide to making PDF documents accessible for screen readers and compliant with WCAG standards without rebuilding them from scratch.
How to Sign, Secure, and Password Protect Your PDFs Online
Learn how to protect sensitive information in your PDFs, apply password encryption, and electronically sign documents directly in your browser securely.
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