Redact PDF, free in your browser

Select sensitive PDF content and remove the underlying text before sharing. Review preflight warnings; unsupported documents can use an explicit image-only rebuild.

How to redact a PDF securely

1. Choose the PDF and wait for its pages and source-edit preflight to load.
2. Select Redact, draw over sensitive areas, or scan text-based pages for common personal-data patterns.
3. Review every selection and warning. If native export is unsupported, choose the image-only rebuild only if its listed losses are acceptable.
4. Download and inspect the exported PDF before sharing it.

Limits & good to know

• Native redaction removes selected source text only when preflight can prove the content structure is supported.
• For unsupported documents, the explicit image-only rebuild removes source objects, attachments, metadata, and interactive structure; it also removes searchable text, forms, links, tags, layers, and bookmarks.
• Auto-redaction scans text-based pages for common email, phone, SSN, card, and IP patterns. Review every selection; it cannot identify every sensitive item.
• Always inspect the exported document. A clean text search cannot prove every visual copy of sensitive information is gone.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded to a server?

Your files are processed on your device, not uploaded to our servers. Your file and edits are saved in this browser for recovery, and previous documents remain in Saved drafts when you open another file. Use Saved drafts to resume or delete individual copies, or clear this site’s browser data to remove all copies. Browser storage can be cleared or become unavailable; download important work.

Does redaction remove the hidden text underneath?

For supported PDF structures, yes: native redaction removes the selected source text. If preflight cannot prove that, export requires your explicit choice of an image-only rebuild.

Can I redact scanned pages?

You can mark the visual area, then choose the explicit image-only rebuild when native source removal is unavailable. Inspect the output page by page.

Does automatic redaction find every private detail?

No. It finds some common text patterns on text-based pages. Review every selection and inspect the exported file.

Is this really free, or free "until you hit a limit"?

Really free. Unlike most "free" PDF sites there is no task-per-day cap, no locked Pro features, no watermark stamped on your file, and no payment step before download. Every tool is the full tool.