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PDF Redactor

To redact a PDF properly, the words under each black box have to be deleted from the file, not just covered. Here every page with a redaction is saved as a flat image with the boxes burned in, so nothing underneath can be selected, copied, or searched.

PDF
Drop a PDF here or click to browse
or paste from clipboard (Ctrl+V) · PDF, including scanned pages
Files stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

How to redact a PDF online

  1. Add the PDF

    Drop one PDF on the tool, click to browse, or paste it. Every page is checked on its own, and scanned pages are read automatically.

  2. Review the page

    Names, places, addresses, organisations, and contact details are covered in black. Click a box to uncover it, or drag over anything else to cover it.

  3. Redact every match

    Type a word or phrase, such as a project name, and press Enter. Every match on every page is covered and listed with its count.

  4. Download the redacted PDF

    Click Download redacted PDF. Pages with redactions are saved as images with the boxes burned in; the other pages keep their text.

Why use this tool

Finds what to hide on its own

People's names, places and street addresses, companies, emails, phone numbers, card numbers, and IBANs are covered as soon as each page is read. Each kind can be switched off.

Same person, same number

Every mention is grouped across the whole document, so Person 1 on page 2 is Person 1 on page 40, and one tick uncovers all of their mentions at once.

Redact every match

Search for a word or phrase and every match on every page is covered, even when it wraps onto the next line. Matching ignores case, with an option for whole words only.

Text that is truly gone

Redacted pages are rebuilt as images with the boxes burned in, so the hidden words cannot be selected, copied, or extracted. Pages that hide text under boxes or in white ink are flattened too.

Scans and long files

Pages that are pictures of paper are read automatically. Long documents are checked page by page, and you can start reviewing page 1 while the rest is still being read.

Nothing leaves your browser

The PDF is read, redacted, and rebuilt on your device. It is never uploaded, and the download carries no document properties or metadata.

About this tool

Most redaction failures come from drawing a black rectangle over text. The words stay in the file underneath, so anyone can select, copy, or search them. A proper redaction removes the text itself. This tool does that by turning every page with a redaction into a flat picture at 200 DPI with the boxes burned in, while pages without redactions are copied with their text intact. The download is a new file with no document properties, no metadata block, no comments, no attachments, and no earlier versions.

Each page is read in turn, from its own text or, for scanned pages, by reading the words in the picture. Names, places, organisations, street addresses, emails, phone numbers, card numbers, and IBANs are found and covered automatically, and mentions of the same person are grouped across the whole document. Detection can miss things, especially unusual names, handwriting, and faint scans, so check every page before you share the file. Clicking a box uncovers it and dragging over the page adds a new one.

For a word the finder does not know, such as a project or code name, the search box covers every match on every page. Long documents work too: pages are checked one by one with a progress bar, and the page you are looking at is checked first. To check a PDF someone else redacted, use the redaction checker. To strip only the document properties and keep all text selectable, use remove PDF metadata, and for plain text or emails, the text redactor replaces names with labels.

Frequently asked questions

How does the PDF redactor work?
Each page is read from its text layer, or from the picture when the page is a scan. Names, places, organisations, addresses, and contact details are found and covered with black boxes. When you download, every page with a redaction is drawn as an image with the boxes burned in, so the text underneath is no longer in the file.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Reading, finding, and rebuilding the PDF all happen in your browser. The finder that spots names downloads once (about 125 MB, plus about 10 MB for reading scanned pages) and is then saved in your browser for next time.
What kinds of PDF can I redact?
Any standard PDF, one file at a time, including scanned documents with no text layer. A PDF that needs a password to open cannot be read; remove the password first. Reading scanned pages works in English.
Why do redacted pages lose their selectable text?
Because that is what makes the redaction safe. A page with a redaction is saved as an image, so nothing under a box survives, and nothing else on that page can be selected or searched either. Pages without a redaction are copied unchanged and keep their text.
Should I use black, blur, or pixelate?
Black is the default and the safe choice for text. Blurred or pixelated text can sometimes be recovered, especially short strings like numbers, by guessing candidates and comparing how they would look. The blur and pixelate options here are deliberately coarse, but a solid box leaves nothing to work with.
Does it find everything?
No finder is perfect. Unusual names, handwriting, small print, and faint scans can be missed, and some ordinary words may be covered by mistake. Check every page before sharing, drag over anything it missed, and use the search box for names or terms that appear many times.
Are there limits on size?
Files up to 300 MB open. A text page is checked in a second or two, a scanned page takes a few seconds, so a 200 page document can take several minutes. You can review pages while the rest is checked; the download is ready once every page is done.

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