Redact PDF permanently
Mark the text and images to remove; they are deleted from the file, not covered up, and the export is checked before download.
Your PDF is opened on your device. It is never uploaded.
Other PDF tools
Redact PDF permanently, in your browser. Mark the text and images that must go; the tool deletes them from the file instead of drawing a box over them, rewrites the document, and checks the output for the redacted phrases before you download it. Nothing is uploaded.
How to redact PDF permanently
- Choose PDF file, or drop the PDF on this page. The Mark for redaction tool is active when the file opens.
- Drag rectangles over the text or images to remove. To redact every occurrence of a phrase, search for it and press Mark all search matches.
- Open the Redaction panel to review the marked regions, then press Apply and destroy content. Pick a raster resolution if you need to (300 DPI by default).
- Press Export. The output is scanned for every redacted phrase; if anything is found, the export is refused.
Why it is private
Redaction runs entirely inside your browser with PDFium compiled to WebAssembly. Affected pages are rebuilt from a clean high-resolution image so the original text, images, annotations and form values under the marks no longer exist in the file, and the whole document is rewritten twice so no orphaned object survives. Before download, the exported bytes are searched for the redacted phrases, including hex and UTF-16 encodings and inside compressed streams. The document never leaves your device.
What you can do
Included
- Removes text, images, vector graphics, annotations and form values under the marks
- Mark all search matches in one step
- Export verification that refuses a file containing a redacted phrase
- Optional OCR of the redacted pages afterwards so they stay searchable
Limits
- Redacted pages become images: the remaining text on those pages is no longer selectable unless you run OCR afterwards
- Redaction cannot be undone; the history is cleared when you apply it
Frequently asked questions
Is it free?
- Yes. The PDF tools are free to use. There is no account, no payment and no watermark.
Are my files uploaded?
- No. Marking, applying and verifying the redaction all happen inside your browser. The only network requests are for the tool's own files, and the optional cloud conversion is off by default and shows the destination before anything is sent.
Is the text really gone, or just covered?
- Really gone. The page is rebuilt from a clean raster without the marked content, the file is fully rewritten, and the export is refused if any redacted phrase can still be found in the bytes.
Can I undo a redaction?
- No. Applying redactions clears the undo history, and the tool warns you first. Keep the original file if you may need it.
Does redaction affect the whole document?
- Only the pages with marks are rebuilt as images. Other pages keep their text and vector content unchanged.
Can I open password-protected PDFs?
- Yes. You are asked for the password when the file opens. The password is used on your device only and is never stored.