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Redact

Redact PDF

Search for words or patterns, or draw boxes by hand, and remove what is under them from the file. A report shows what was checked before you download.

Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded

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Redact PDF files here: the tool removes chosen text and images from a PDF so that nobody can read or recover them later. It runs in your browser tab, is free to use, and needs no account, sign-up, ads or cookies.

You mark what to hide by drawing boxes over the page or by searching for words and patterns such as email addresses, phone numbers and card numbers. When you click Redact, the text under each box is taken out of the page content rather than covered. The output is a new file. A result card then reports whether two independent PDF readers and a raw scan of the file still find any removed string. Batch mode handles several PDFs with the same rules and returns the results as a ZIP.

How to use the PDF redaction tool

Open your PDF in the tool at the top of this page. The steps below cover one file, and batch mode is described at the end.

  1. Open the PDF. If it is password-protected, enter the password in the box that appears. It stays in the tab.
  2. Use the page arrows and zoom to find the text or picture you want to hide.
  3. Drag across the content to draw a box. To remove a box, click it.
  4. Or type words or phrases into Find, one per line. Choose Match case, Whole words only or Regular expression if you need them, and tick the pattern boxes for the kinds of data you want to catch.
  5. Review the match list. Each row shows the kind, the text and a page link. Untick any match you want to keep visible, or use Select all or Select none.
  6. Set Method. Auto is recommended. Pick another method only when you need every page, or the redacted pages, saved as images.
  7. Choose Box colour (black or white), Image resolution (150, 200 or 300 dpi), and whether to Keep web links.
  8. Click Redact and wait for the after-check to finish.
  9. Read the result card. Green means redacted and checked. Red lists the lines that failed. Download the file when the card is green.

For several files, add them together. Batch mode applies the same words and patterns to every file, does not allow hand-drawn boxes, and returns the results as a ZIP.

What is PDF redaction?

PDF redaction removes chosen text or pictures from the file itself, so nobody can see or recover them afterward. A black shape placed over content is not enough, because the original data can stay underneath. Redaction takes the content out of the file.

When you click Redact, the tool removes the text under each box from the page content. It rewrites the pixels of any image under a box and deletes drawings that lie completely inside a box. Form fields and comment appearances are flattened onto the page first, so visible form text is found and removed too.

After that, the tool drops annotations, bookmarks, attachments, JavaScript, accessibility tags, thumbnails, document properties and XMP packets. It then builds the output as a new file, so older saved versions and unused objects are not carried over.

Pattern matches follow the same logic. A match means the format and check digit fit, not that the number belongs to a real person. Card numbers, IBANs and national IDs are flagged only when their check digit is correct.

Two limits matter. The check reads text only, so a scanned page with no text layer needs a box drawn over the picture. Vector art that only partly lies under a box cannot be cut, so Auto turns that page into an image, and its selectable text is lost.

Can I blur information in a PDF instead of redacting it?

Blurring is not redaction. Blurring or covering text often leaves the text under the effect, so it can still be recovered. Solid boxes are the safer choice, and the after-check confirms the result.

The after-check includes a render-based test for text sitting under a flat black or page-coloured area, which catches the common case where text was only covered. Boxes are drawn as solid shapes on top of the page, and the words under them are removed.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to redact a PDF?

Yes. The tool is free to use, and it needs no account, sign-up, ads or cookies. You can open a PDF, mark the content, click Redact and download the result on this page without signing in.

Can I undo a redaction?

Not in the redacted file. Once you click Redact and download the output, the removed text and image pixels are gone from that copy. Keep your original PDF if you may need a different redaction, then run the tool on the original again.

Can the redaction be reversed?

No. Redactions made here are permanent, because the text under each box is removed from the page content and the file is rebuilt as a new document. The after-check confirms that PDFium, pdf.js and a raw scan find none of the removed strings.

How do I black out text on a PDF?

Drag across the text to draw a box, or type the words into Find, one per line, and tick the matches. Keep Box colour on black, then click Redact. Check for the green “redacted and checked” card before you download the file.

What is the best way to redact a PDF?

For a single file, leave Method on Auto, which the tool recommends. It keeps text searchable and only turns a page into an image when a drawing sticks out from under a box. For many files that share the same words, use batch mode and collect the results as a ZIP.

Is there a way to redact text in PDF?

Type each word or phrase into Find, one per line. Match case, Whole words only and Regular expression change how the words are matched. You can also tick pattern boxes for email addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses, dates and card numbers, so you do not have to type each one.

Is my document secure during redaction?

Your file stays in your browser tab, and nothing is uploaded. The tool keeps working with the network switched off after the first load, when the PDF engine is downloaded. A password you enter for a protected PDF also stays in the tab.

Will the redacted content still exist in the file’s metadata?

No. The tool drops document properties and XMP packets, along with annotations, bookmarks, attachments and thumbnails. The output is a new file, so older saved versions are not carried over, and a structure test looks for leftover comments, attachments or properties before you download.