PDF Metadata Viewer
Open a PDF to read its properties and XMP data, with notes on what each one could reveal.
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
How to use the PDF metadata viewer
- Add your PDF to the tool. The file stays in your browser tab.
- If the PDF is password-protected, type its password into the box. The password also stays in the tab.
- Review the results. Document properties and XMP fields appear first by default.
- To change a single field, edit Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Created, or Modified, then select “Save my edits”. Clearing a box deletes that property.
- To strip everything, select “Remove all metadata”. It clears all properties and XMP fields, and it works on one file or many, with a ZIP download for multiple files.
- Check the result card. It re-reads the new file and shows properties and XMP fields before and after, plus the page count.
Before you run the removal, tick any “Also remove” options you need. JavaScript and page thumbnails are on by default, while form fields are off by default. Other options are attached files, comments and notes, bookmarks, accessibility tags, and links.
To look at several files, add them together. Each file gets its own card with its properties, XMP fields and facts. Warnings at the top of a card point out author names, file paths and several saved versions.
What is a PDF metadata viewer?
A PDF metadata viewer is a tool that reads and displays the hidden information stored inside a PDF file, such as the author, title, creation date, PDF version, and page count. Our viewer also shows XMP fields, which can include file paths like C:\Users\name\ and the programs that edited the file. This data travels with the document, so checking it shows what a recipient would see.
How do I view the metadata of a file?
Load the PDF and read the results in three groups. Each group answers a different question about the file.
- Document properties: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, created and modified dates, and any custom keys. Creator names the program that made the original document, and Producer names the PDF writer.
- XMP fields: authors, creator tool, dates, document and instance IDs, and edit-history programs. These can disagree with the document properties, which is why the viewer shows both.
- Facts: PDF version, pages, saved versions inside the file, encryption, tags, forms, annotations, attachments, JavaScript, bookmarks, layers, and fonts used.
What is EXIF data, and how is it different from metadata?
EXIF is the metadata standard that cameras and phones use to record details inside a photo, such as the camera model, the date taken, and often GPS location. Metadata is the broader term for any hidden description stored with a file, including PDF properties. This viewer reads PDF metadata only. It does not clear EXIF from photos or other embedded images, so a picture placed inside a PDF keeps its own EXIF block.
XMP can disagree with the document properties, because a program may update one and leave the other. A file can also hold several saved versions, which the facts list reports as saved versions in the file. A count above one means earlier states of the pages may still be inside it.
Frequently asked questions
Why use a metadata viewer?
A metadata viewer shows what a file reveals before you send it to someone else. This one is free and needs no account. You can open a PDF, see its author, software, and edit history, and decide what to change or remove.
Can I see who created or edited a PDF?
Yes. The Creator field names the program that made the original file, Producer names the PDF writer, and Author may name a person. XMP fields also list edit-history programs, which show what tools changed the file later.
Is it safe to upload a file to check its metadata?
You do not need to upload anything. The tool runs in your browser tab, and it keeps working with the network switched off after the first load. Its security policy only allows requests to scrubproof.com.
Can PDF metadata expose private or sensitive information?
It can. Author names, file paths such as C:\Users\name, earlier saved versions, and edit-history programs can reveal who worked on a document and where it was stored. You decide what to remove, and this is not legal advice, so check the result card afterward.
Can I change or remove the author name from a PDF?
Yes. Edit the Author box and select “Save my edits”. The XMP packet is removed on save, so older values cannot contradict the new one. Clearing the box deletes the property, and “Remove all metadata” clears every property and XMP field.
Does the tool work with password-protected PDFs?
Yes. An encrypted PDF opens with a box that asks for its password. The password stays in the browser tab.
Does the viewer need an account?
No. There is no account, no ads, no analytics, and no cookies. The PDF engine loads the first time you open a file, and then the tool works offline.
What does “Remove all metadata” leave behind?
It clears all document properties and XMP fields. The “Also remove” options handle attached files, JavaScript, page thumbnails, comments, bookmarks, accessibility tags, links, and form fields. Metadata inside embedded images is not touched.
Related tools
- Redact PDF: use it to find and delete text in one PDF.
- Redaction check: use it to find text hidden under black boxes.
- Compare PDF: use it to see what changed between two versions.
- Redact an image: use it to black out part of a photo or screenshot.
- PDF redaction software: use it to redact many files at once.