Redact PDF

About this tool

Permanently removes areas of a PDF. Draw over whatever needs to go — names, account numbers, reference numbers — on any page. The text under each area is deleted from the page itself and a black bar is drawn in its place, so the words cannot be recovered by selecting the area, copying it, or running a text extractor over the file.

Key features

• Draw, do not measure

  Mark areas directly on the page instead of entering coordinates.

• Any number of areas

  Redact as many regions as you need, across as many pages.

• Adjustable

  Move or resize an area after drawing it, or remove it and start again.

• Private

  The file is sent over HTTPS and removed from the server after processing.

Frequently asked questions

Is the text underneath really gone?

Yes. The characters you cover are deleted from the page content before the black bar is drawn, so copying the area or running a text extractor over the file returns nothing. Text you did not cover keeps its exact position.

Does it work on images and scanned pages?

An image sitting entirely inside an area you draw is removed with it. An image only partly covered is left in place and merely painted over, and a scanned page is one large image — so for photographs, signatures or scans, cover the whole image, or run the page through the Grayscale tool afterwards to rasterize it.

Can I redact on more than one page?

Yes. Move between pages with the arrows above the preview; areas are remembered per page and all are applied together.

How do I remove an area I drew by mistake?

Click the × on its corner, or use "Clear all" to start over.

Why was I asked for coordinates before?

An earlier version of this tool took raw numbers. It now renders the page so you can mark areas by eye, which is both faster and far less error-prone.