Redact PDF
Black out sensitive text and images, and permanently remove them from the file. Drag and drop your PDF below to get started.
Drag and drop a PDF here
Select a PDF to permanently black out sensitive text and images.
How to redact a PDF online
1. Upload your PDF
Drag and drop the file you want to redact. Files up to 50MB are supported on the free plan.
2. Draw over what to hide
Drag a box over any name, number, or image. Add as many regions across as many pages as you need.
3. Apply and download
The covered text and images are deleted from the file itself, so they can't be copied, searched, or recovered. The rest of the page stays sharp and editable.
A black box is not redaction
Most quick fixes draw a black rectangle on top of the text. The words are still in the file underneath - anyone can copy and paste them out, delete the box, or pull the text with a free tool. That is how redaction failures leak names, account numbers, and addresses.
Real redaction has to remove the content, not cover it. This tool deletes the glyphs and images under each box from the PDF's content stream, so there is nothing left to recover.
Maximum security, without flattening your whole document
Redacted text and images are destroyed, while the rest of the page stays as real, selectable, editable text. You get a clean, searchable document - only the parts you marked are gone.
When a page stores text in a way that can't be safely cleared in place, that single page is flattened to an image instead, so nothing hidden can survive. Everything else stays editable.
Free to redact, nothing to install
Redacting a PDF shouldn't cost money or mean buying Acrobat. Your file is processed over a secure (HTTPS) connection and returned for download with no watermark and no account. It is used only for the redaction you requested and is not kept afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Is the text really removed, or just hidden?
Really removed. The text and images under each black box are deleted from the file's content stream, so they can't be copied, searched, or recovered - unlike a black rectangle drawn on top.
Can the redacted content be recovered?
No. Because the underlying glyphs and images are deleted rather than covered, there is nothing left in the file to extract. The redaction is permanent.
Does the rest of my document stay editable?
Yes. Only the regions you marked are removed. The rest of each page keeps its real, selectable text - the whole document is not turned into a flat image.
Is redacting a PDF free?
Yes. You can redact a PDF for free with no watermark and no account required.
Do I need to install anything?
No, it all happens online. Upload your PDF, draw over what to hide, apply, and download the redacted file.
More free PDF tools
Edit PDF text
Change or replace existing text directly in the document.
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Click anywhere to type and fill in non-interactive forms.
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Type answers onto any form, even scanned or non-fillable ones.
Sign a PDF
Type, draw, or upload your signature and place it anywhere.
Annotate & highlight
Highlight, underline, strikethrough, and add notes.
Remove annotations
Strip all highlights, comments, notes, and stamps at once.
