Redact PDF
To redact a PDF is to remove confidential parts for good, not just to cover them in black. Draw rectangles over names, addresses or account numbers and save: affected pages are rebuilt as an image and the text underneath is gone. Everything runs in your browser; the PDF is not uploaded.
Source: Adobe – ISO 32000-1:2008 Document management – Portable document format (PDF 1.7). Updated: .
How it is calculated
Redact a PDF: really remove, not just cover
A black rectangle over text in a PDF only changes how the page looks. The text stays in the file and can be copied with Ctrl + C or found by search. Real redaction removes the content. This tool rebuilds every page with a redaction as an image and reassembles the document so that the old page does not remain in the file.
How it works
- Drop or choose a PDF. The first page appears as a preview; flip pages with ‹ ›.
- With the “Redact” tool draw a rectangle over each confidential spot. With “Select” you can move, resize or delete rectangles again.
- Click “Save redacted PDF”. The new PDF downloads and the original stays unchanged.
- Check: in the result the redacted text must be neither selectable nor findable with Ctrl + F.
What happens when you save
- Pages with a redaction are rebuilt as an image (150 dpi); no text can be selected or searched there.
- Pages without a redaction stay unchanged and keep their text.
- Forms are flattened and metadata is dropped.
Honest limits
- Check bookmarks, file names and attachments yourself: they are not changed.
- Password-protected PDFs cannot be opened; digital signatures become invalid after any change.
- The tool is no substitute for a legal review of what must be redacted.
Privacy
The PDF stays on your device, there is no upload and nothing is stored.
Frequently asked questions
How can I redact a PDF?
Open the PDF, choose the “Redact” tool, draw rectangles over the parts and click “Save redacted PDF”. The editing runs in your browser.
Is a black box over the text a real redaction?
No. A black rectangle only hides the text; it stays in the file and can be copied. This tool removes it by rebuilding the page as an image.
How do I check that the redaction is safe?
Open the saved PDF and try to select the redacted spot or search for a word from it with Ctrl + F. Nothing should appear.
Does the rest of the text stay searchable?
On pages without a redaction, yes. Pages with a redaction are saved as an image, so their text is no longer searchable.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is opened, edited and saved as a new file in your browser. It never leaves your device.
Sources and legal basis
- Adobe – ISO 32000-1:2008 Document management – Portable document format (PDF 1.7)
- pdf-lib – Andrew Dillon (MIT)
- Wikipedia – Sanitization (classified information): black rectangles over text do not remove the text
- pdf.js – PDF rendering in the browser (Mozilla, Apache-2.0)
- pdf.js 6.3.289 licence (Apache-2.0)
- Open-source licenses of the libraries used (MIT, LGPL-3.0)
As of: · Editorial policy
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