PDF Metadata Remover
This free PDF metadata remover shows you every hidden property inside a PDF, including the author, title, keywords, the software that created it and the dates it was made and last changed, then lets you strip the fields you choose and download a clean copy. It is both a viewer, for seeing who made a document and when, and a remover, for clearing that trail before you share the file.
It works entirely in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded to any server, there is nothing to install, and the pages and content of your document are left exactly as they are.
This tool runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript (pdf-lib). Your document is never sent to us or anyone else — open your browser’s Network tab and you’ll see no uploads. For truly sensitive files you can even disconnect from the internet after the page loads.
How to use the PDF metadata remover
- Drag a PDF onto the drop zone, or click to browse and select one from your device.
- The tool reads the document and lists every metadata field it finds, along with any embedded XMP packet, all on your own machine.
- Tick the fields you want to remove. Every field is selected by default, so you can clear everything or keep the ones you need.
- Strip the metadata and download the cleaned PDF. The pages look identical; only the hidden properties are gone.
What metadata does a PDF contain?
Every PDF carries a block of Document Information that has nothing to do with the visible pages. It records who made the file, what software produced it, and when. Most people never see these fields, yet anyone who opens the document properties can read them, and so can automated tools that scrape files at scale. The table below shows the standard fields, what each one reveals, and a typical example.
| Field | What it reveals | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The document’s internal name, often a draft filename | Q3-layoffs-draft-FINAL |
| Author | The person or account that created it | j.smith |
| Subject | A description or summary line | Confidential board memo |
| Keywords | Tags added for search or filing | internal, restricted |
| Creator | The authoring application | Microsoft Word |
| Producer | The engine that wrote the PDF | macOS Quartz PDFContext |
| Creation date | When the file was first made | 2026-01-14 09:12 |
| Modification date | When it was last saved | 2026-02-03 17:40 |
There is more hiding beneath those obvious fields. Many PDFs also embed an XMP metadata packet, a separate block of structured data that some tools ignore and leave behind. Just as important, deleting or blacking out text on the page does not touch any of this. Redaction is about visible content; metadata removal is a separate job. A document can look perfectly anonymous while its properties still name the author and the office laptop that produced it.
Why this tool keeps your file private
Most of the popular “remove PDF metadata” websites work by uploading your document to their servers, processing it there, and promising to delete it later. You will often see reassurances like “files are processed in Germany and removed after one hour.” That may be well intentioned, but it means your file, and everything in it, has already left your device and passed through someone else’s computer. For a confidential contract, a legal exhibit or a CV, that is exactly the risk you were trying to avoid. This tool is different: it runs entirely in your browser using pdf-lib, so the PDF never travels anywhere.
| Consideration | Server-based tools | This tool |
|---|---|---|
| Upload required | Yes | No |
| File leaves your device | Yes | No, never |
| Privacy | Depends on their policy | Nothing to trust; it stays local |
| Works offline | No | Yes, once the page has loaded |
| File-size limits | Common on free tiers | Limited only by your device |
You do not have to take that on faith. Open your browser’s developer tools, watch the Network tab while you process a file, and you will see no upload. For total certainty, load the page and then switch off your internet connection: the tool keeps working, which it could not do if it were sending your PDF anywhere.
How to view PDF metadata before you remove it
Sometimes you do not want to strip anything; you just want to know who made a document and when. This tool works as a straightforward PDF metadata viewer for exactly that. Drop the file in and every Document Info field is listed on screen, together with a note if an XMP packet is present. You can read the author, the creating application, the producer engine and both timestamps without changing a thing. Only when you tick fields and choose to strip does anything get altered, so it is safe to use purely for inspection.
When removing PDF metadata matters
The properties inside a PDF have caused plenty of real embarrassment and worse. A CV or cover letter can carry the author name of whoever’s template you borrowed, or reveal that “your” document was written by someone else. Journalists and their sources rely on stripping metadata to anonymise leaked documents, because the author and producer fields can unmask a whistleblower. In legal and e-discovery work, metadata is evidence in its own right, and dates or authorship can matter as much as the text. In business, the Producer field quietly announces the internal software your organisation runs, and a shared contract can name the individual who drafted it. Clearing these fields before a document leaves your hands removes a trail you probably never meant to publish.
What this tool does and does not do
To be clear about scope: this tool removes the Document Information fields and the embedded XMP metadata packet, and it preserves your pages exactly. It does not alter the visible content, so it is not a redaction tool; if you need to hide text or images on the page, that is a separate task. It also does not reach inside pictures embedded in the PDF, which keep their own EXIF and other image metadata. If your document contains photos that carry GPS or camera data, clean those images with our EXIF and metadata stripper before you place them, or export the images and strip them separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere when I use this tool?
No. The whole process runs locally in your browser, so your document is never sent to a server or stored online. This is the main reason to use it instead of the popular upload-based sites. You can confirm it yourself by watching the Network tab, or by going offline after the page loads and seeing that it still works.
Does removing metadata change how my PDF looks?
No. Document metadata is stored separately from the pages, so stripping it leaves every page, image and line of text exactly as it was. The cleaned file opens and prints identically. The only difference is that the hidden properties, such as the author name and the software details, are no longer attached.
Can I choose which fields to remove?
Yes. Every field is listed with its own checkbox and all are selected by default, so you can wipe everything at once or keep specific fields such as the title while clearing the author. This is useful when you want to publish a document with a proper title but without naming who wrote it.
Does deleting text from a PDF also remove the metadata?
No, and this trips a lot of people up. Removing or blacking out text on the page is redaction, which affects visible content only. The Document Info fields and XMP packet sit outside the pages and survive untouched. You need a dedicated metadata step, which is what this tool provides.
Will this remove the author name from my PDF?
Yes. The Author field is one of the Document Info properties the tool reads and can strip, along with Creator and Producer, which often reveal names or internal software. Tick those fields, apply the clean-up, and the downloaded copy no longer carries them.
What is XMP metadata, and does this clear it?
XMP is a second, structured metadata block that many applications embed alongside the basic Document Info, and some tools forget about it. This tool detects the XMP packet and removes it as part of the clean-up, so you are not left with a hidden copy of the fields you thought you had deleted.
Can I recover metadata after I strip it?
Not from the cleaned copy. Removing metadata is permanent, so the downloaded file no longer contains the author, dates or software details. If you need that information later, keep your original PDF. It is good practice to strip a duplicate and store the master safely.
Is there a file-size limit?
There is no fixed limit imposed by the tool, because the work happens on your own device. The practical ceiling is your computer’s memory, so very large PDFs may process more slowly, but you are not capped by a server’s free-tier limit as you would be on upload-based sites.
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