Redact PDF

Redact PDFs online for free — draw boxes over sensitive text and images, or search for names, numbers and emails to mark every match. Redacted pages are flattened with the black boxes burned in, so the hidden content can't be copied or recovered. Runs 100% in your browser.

100% private — your PDF never leaves your browser. Conversion happens on your device; nothing is uploaded.

How to redact a PDF

1. Drop your PDF here, or click to choose it.
2. Drag boxes over anything sensitive, or type a word or number and click “Find & mark all”.
3. Check every page, and clear any boxes you don't need.
4. Click “Redact & download” and check the result before sharing.

What you can use it for

• Remove personal data before sharing documents (GDPR / FOI requests)
• Hide account numbers and addresses on statements
• Redact names in contracts, court papers and HR files
• Share screenshots of PDFs without private details

Frequently asked questions

Is this real redaction or just a black box?

Real redaction. Each page with redactions is rendered to an image with the boxes burned in, so the original text and images underneath are removed — they can't be selected, copied or recovered. Simply drawing a black shape over text in a PDF editor does not do this.

What happens to pages I don't redact?

They're copied unchanged, so their text stays selectable and searchable and their quality is untouched.

Does search find every instance?

It finds the text in the PDF's text layer and marks each match. Boxes are approximate for unusual fonts, and scanned PDFs have no text layer — always review each page, and draw boxes by hand where needed.

Is the document metadata removed?

Yes. The redacted PDF is a new file, so the title, author and other document properties aren't carried over. Remove metadata from other PDFs with our PDF Metadata Remover.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. Redaction happens in your browser, so confidential documents never leave your device.