Send a supporting document
Hide account or social security numbers on a document requested by a landlord or employer.
Securely redact a PDF
Permanently hide sensitive areas by rebuilding the document. Local browser processing without modifying the original file.
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Drop a PDF here
Secure redaction rasterizes every page so hidden content is actually removed. Text in the output PDF will no longer be selectable. After importing the PDF, draw as many rectangles as needed over the information you want to remove.
Need more editing options?
Use multiple editing tools in one workspace, with your open file and its current edits.
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How does this tool work?
Redacting a PDF means permanently hiding information before sharing a document: a social security number, bank details, an address, a third party’s name. A plain black rectangle drawn on top is not enough, because the text is still there underneath and can be copied or searched. This tool rebuilds the document so the hidden content really disappears, and does so in your browser, without uploading the file.
After import, you draw as many rectangles as needed with the mouse or your finger, on one or more pages. Each area can be moved, resized or deleted before export, and the history lets you undo a mistake.
On download, every page of the document is drawn as an image (about 115 dots per inch), the areas are painted solid black straight into that image, and a new PDF is assembled from these JPEG images. The original text, layers and page data are not copied: nothing is left to select or extract under the black areas.
The trade-off is deliberate: every page becomes an image, including those without redactions. Text is no longer selectable, links and form fields disappear and the file may grow. Redact last, on the final version you intend to share.
How to use this tool
Import the PDF
The document opens in the editor on the Redact tool, ready for areas.
Draw the areas to hide
Drag over each piece of sensitive information; move between pages with the thumbnails.
Download the redacted version
Check the copy: try to select or search for the hidden text — it must no longer exist.
Use cases
Publish a decision or report
Remove people’s names and addresses before public release.
Answer an access request
Share a file while blacking out data about third parties.
Examples
Payslip sent to a landlord
The page is rebuilt from an image: searching the copy for the social security number returns nothing, unlike a rectangle placed over the text.
Input
One-page payslip; one rectangle over the social security number, another over the bank detailsResult
One-page PDF with both areas black and no selectable textTips and best practices
- Go slightly beyond the information to hide: a tight area may leave the tops or bottoms of characters visible.
- Look for repetitions: a case number often appears in the header or footer of every page.
- Document metadata (author, title) can also contain information: add Sanitize a PDF if needed.
- Keep the unredacted original somewhere safe: the redacted version cannot give the data back.
Frequently asked questions
Why not just draw a black rectangle?
An annotation rectangle sits on top of the text without deleting it: the content can still be copied and indexed. Secure redaction rebuilds the page to really erase it.
Does the rest of the document keep selectable text?
No. Every page is turned into an image, even those without black areas. If you need selectable text, extract the affected pages and redact only those.
Can I undo a redaction after download?
No, that is the point: the hidden content no longer exists in the output file. Only your original keeps the information.
Does page quality drop?
Slightly: pages are rebuilt as images of about 115 dpi, fine for screens and everyday printing, less sharp than vector text.
Does redaction work on a scanned PDF?
Yes. A scan is already an image; the black areas are painted into it in the same way.
Does the sensitive document leave my device?
No. Displaying, drawing the areas and rebuilding the PDF all happen in your browser.
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