Publish a document on a website
Remove the author’s name, software details and scripts before offering a PDF as a public download.
Sanitize a PDF
Before publishing or sharing a PDF, remove the author and other metadata, JavaScript, automatic actions and hidden attachments, without changing how the pages look.
- Export
Your files are processed locally in your browser and are never sent to our servers.
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Recommended size: up to 100 MB
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How does this tool work?
Sanitizing a PDF removes invisible or active elements the reader does not need: details about the author and the original software, JavaScript and actions that run when the file opens, files hidden inside the document. It is a clean-up to do before publishing a PDF on a website, passing it to a third party or uploading it to a platform. It runs in your browser and does not change the visible content of the pages.
Three clean-ups are offered, all checked by default. Remove metadata clears the title, author, subject, keywords, creator application and producer, and removes the XMP stream that often duplicates them. Remove JavaScript and automatic actions deletes scripts, the document’s open action and actions triggered by events or program launches.
Remove embedded attachments deletes the files attached at document level, which a reader does not always show. Text, images and layout are left untouched: the document looks exactly as before.
Sanitizing reduces information leaks and automatic behaviour, but it is not an antivirus: it does not check whether a file is malicious and does not fix flaws in a PDF reader. To see what a document contains before cleaning it, use Analyze PDF information.
How to use this tool
Import the PDF
Choose the document to clean before sharing it.
Choose the clean-ups
Leave all three boxes checked, or uncheck the ones you want to keep (attachments, for instance).
Download the sanitized copy
The new PDF looks the same, without the removed elements.
Use cases
Forward a file you received
Neutralise the automatic actions of a PDF of unknown origin before passing it on.
Upload to a strict platform
Some portals reject PDFs containing JavaScript or attachments: clean them before uploading.
Examples
Report exported from a word processor
When you open the document properties in a reader, the Author, Producer and Creator fields are empty, and the script no longer runs.
Input
report.pdf with author “Mary Smith”, an XMP stream and a JavaScript open action; all three boxes checkedResult
Copy without author or producer, without XMP and without open action; identical pagesTips and best practices
- Sanitize last if you chain several operations: other tools may rewrite some properties.
- Uncheck Remove embedded attachments if the PDF deliberately carries useful files (e-invoices, appendices).
- A form that calculates totals often uses JavaScript: its calculations will stop working after the clean-up.
Frequently asked questions
Is the page content changed?
No. Text, images and layout stay identical; only the checked elements are removed from the file structure.
Which metadata is removed?
Title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer, plus the document’s XMP metadata stream.
Does this tool replace an antivirus?
No. It removes known active mechanisms but does not detect malicious files. Open doubtful documents with care.
My form calculates amounts. What will happen?
Automatic calculations usually rely on JavaScript; once the script is removed, the fields can still be filled in but no longer calculate.
Do electronic signatures remain valid?
Rewriting the file generally invalidates an existing digital signature. Sanitize before signing, never after.
Is the document analysed on a server?
No. The clean-up runs in your browser, and the PDF never leaves your device.
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