Redact a PDF
Black out information so it genuinely cannot be recovered.
- Runs on your device — the file is never sent anywhere
- No sign-up, no watermarks, no daily quotas
- Free, with no limit on how often you use it
How it works
Drawing a black rectangle over text in a PDF editor hides nothing: the text is still in the file, and anyone can select it, copy it, or strip the rectangle away. This is how several well-publicised leaks of supposedly redacted documents happened. Real redaction has to destroy the content, not cover it.
What this actually does
Each page is rendered to an image, the selected area is filled with solid black in that image, and the image becomes the new page. The original text and vector content are not carried across at all — there is nothing underneath the black to recover, because the layer that held it no longer exists.
The cost, stated plainly
Because every page becomes a picture, the finished document is no longer searchable or selectable, and the file is usually larger. That is not a side effect to apologise for — it is precisely what makes the redaction real. A tool that keeps the text selectable has not redacted anything.
One area, one page or all
Redact a single area on one page, or apply the same area to every page — which suits a header, footer or margin that carries the same identifier throughout. For several different areas, run the tool again on the result.
Before you rely on it
Check the finished file: open it, try to select text in the redacted area, and search for the word you removed. It should find nothing. Metadata is separate from page content, so also consider what the document properties might still reveal.
Redact a PDF — questions
Can the hidden text be recovered?
No. The page is rebuilt as an image with those pixels black, and the text layer is not carried over.
Why is the document no longer searchable?
Because every page is now an image. That is what makes the redaction genuine rather than cosmetic.
Why not just draw a black box in a PDF editor?
Because the text stays in the file underneath and can be selected or extracted. That mistake has caused real leaks.
Is my document uploaded?
No. Rendering and rebuilding both happen in your browser.