Drawing a black rectangle in a PDF editor only covers text: anyone can still copy it out from underneath. This tool does true redaction. Search for names, account numbers, emails or phone numbers, or drag boxes by hand, and every page you mark is turned into a flat picture with the black boxes burned in. Pages you did not mark keep their normal, selectable text.
loading toolHow to redact a PDF
- Choose the PDF.
- Type words to find, or tick emails, phone numbers or numbers, and press Find and mark. Drag on the page to add more boxes; tap a box to remove it.
- Check each page with Previous and Next, then press Redact and save.
Good to know
- Tick “Turn every page into a picture” for the safest result when the whole file is sensitive.
- Choose Print quality if the redacted copy will be printed.
Questions
Why does a redacted page lose its selectable text?
That is how the hidden words are destroyed: the page becomes an image of exactly what you see, so there is nothing left underneath to copy, search or recover.
Does search find everything?
It finds text the PDF really contains. Scanned pages are pictures, so search cannot read them: draw boxes on those by hand. Always check every page before sharing.
Is document information removed too?
Yes. The redacted copy starts fresh, without the old title, author and other details.
My PDF says it is password-protected. What now?
If you know the password, open it with our Remove PDF Password tool first, then come back. We cannot (and will not) break passwords you do not have.
Is my data private?
Yes. Everything happens inside your own browser: nothing you type or choose is uploaded to us or anyone else.
Is it free?
Completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many times you use it. Light ads keep the site running.
