Redact PDF

Frequently asked questions

Why is a black box over the text not enough?

A box that a PDF program places over a passage only hides it on screen. The text underneath stays in the file: selecting and copying, the search or a simple program bring it back — this has happened with published documents more than once. So this tool does not paint on the page; it rebuilds every page with a redaction as an image. The black boxes are burnt in, and the text underneath is no longer in the file.

What is removed besides the marked passages?

Metadata (title, author, subject, keywords, program, date and XMP data), comments and all other annotations, form fields, file attachments, bookmarks and JavaScript. Filled-in form values stay on the page as text and can be redacted like any other text. A stamp or signature that sits on the page as an annotation is gone afterwards — the preview already shows this.

Can redacted pages still be searched afterwards?

No. A page with a redaction becomes an image at 200 dpi, clean enough to print — text on it can be neither searched nor copied, including the parts that are not redacted. Pages without a redaction stay as they were, with text. Because an image needs more space than text, the file grows with every redacted page.

How do I know nothing is left?

After redacting, the tool opens the result again and checks: no text on the redacted pages, no annotations, no metadata, form fields, bookmarks, attachments or scripts. Only then is the file downloaded. The search only finds what is stored as text in the file — for a scan, draw the rectangles by hand. Still look through the result yourself before passing it on.

Does this help with the GDPR?

Redacting is a common way to take personal data out of a document before it is passed on — for example when a subject access request under Art. 15 GDPR also contains data about other people. Whether a redaction is enough in a given case, which passages it must cover and whether you may pass the document on at all is something this tool cannot judge. When in doubt, ask whoever is responsible for data protection in your organisation.

What happens to my file?

It never leaves your browser: opening, searching, redacting and the check all run on your device. The file is neither uploaded nor stored — close the page and it is gone.