Redact PDF

Permanently remove text and images under black boxes, instead of just covering them.

or drag and drop files here

Your files are processed on this device and never uploaded.

Redact a PDF for free and remove sensitive details for good. Draw a box over a name, an ID number, an account number or a photo, and the text and images underneath are deleted from the file, not merely hidden behind a black rectangle. It works on a phone or computer with no app, no account and no watermark. The redaction is made on your own device, so the document you are trying to protect is never uploaded anywhere.

Why redact your PDF here

Content is truly removed

The text under each box is deleted from the page itself. Copying, searching or selecting the area afterwards finds nothing.

Draw boxes where you need them

Drag over the words, numbers or pictures to hide. Resize or move a box before you apply it, and clear it if you change your mind.

Check before you apply

Review every marked area on the page first. Nothing is final until you confirm, so you can fix a missed spot.

Any page, any number of areas

Redact the first page and the last one, or mark the same detail wherever it repeats, then apply all of it at once.

Photos and scans too

Cover a face, a signature or a number inside an image. The pixels under the box are removed along with it.

Never uploaded

Uploading a sensitive file to hide its secrets would defeat the purpose. Here the work happens in your browser and nothing is sent out.

How to use 3 steps

  1. 01

    Select or drop your PDF into the box above.

  2. 02

    Draw a box over each piece of text or image you want to remove, then check the marked areas.

  3. 03

    Click "Download PDF" to save the redacted file.

How do I redact a PDF for free?

Drop the PDF into the box above, then drag a rectangle over each name, number, address or picture that must not be seen. Each box is only a mark at first, so you can resize it, move it or delete it. When every area is right, click “Download PDF”. The tool removes the content under the boxes, paints them black and gives you a new PDF to download. Your original is left as it was.

Work through the whole document before you apply, because a detail that appears on page one often appears again in a footer or a table further down. Search by eye, page by page, until you are sure none is left.

Tip: After you save, open the redacted file, select all and paste into a notes app. If any hidden word shows up, mark that area again. A thirty-second check is worth it for anything sensitive.

What is the difference between redacting and drawing a black box?

This is the mistake behind many leaked documents. A black rectangle placed over text looks final, but the words are still in the file underneath. Anyone can select the area, copy it and paste the text out, search for it, or read it in a different viewer.

Real redaction works on the content itself. It deletes the text and image pixels inside each area and only then draws the box. That is what this tool does, and it is why the result can be shared with more confidence. If you only need to cover something visually, such as a rough draft, the Edit PDF tool will do. For anything you would be unhappy to see published, use Redact.

What should I redact before I share a document?

  • Personal identifiers: ID numbers, passport and driver’s license numbers, tax numbers, and dates of birth.
  • Financial details: account and card numbers, balances and individual transactions you do not want to share.
  • Contact details: home addresses, personal phone numbers and email addresses.
  • Names: of minors, witnesses, patients or anyone who has not agreed to be named.
  • Images: faces, signatures and photos of documents embedded in the PDF.

Also consider the file’s metadata, such as the author and the document title. The Remove hidden data tool clears those for you before you send the file.

Is it safe to redact a PDF online?

It is, with this tool, because your document is never uploaded. Redacting is exactly the moment when a file contains the information you want to protect, so sending it to a stranger’s server to hide it would undo the point. The page loads online, but the redaction itself runs in your browser, on your device.

You can verify it: open the network tab of your browser, redact a file and watch. Nothing carrying your document leaves the page. Keep the original somewhere private and share only the redacted copy.

Related tools

Questions answered

How do I redact a PDF for free?

Open the PDF above, draw boxes over the text or images you want to hide, review them and click "Download PDF". The file you download has the content removed. It costs nothing, needs no account and adds no watermark.

How do I black out text in a PDF permanently?

Use real redaction, as this tool does, so the hidden words are removed from the file. Placing a black shape over the text, as an ordinary editor does, only covers it and the words can still be copied from underneath.

Can redacted text be recovered?

Not from the file you download. The text beneath each box is removed, so it cannot be selected or searched. Your original PDF is untouched, so keep it private and share only the redacted copy.

Why is drawing a black box not enough?

A box is just a shape on top. The text is still in the file and anyone can select, copy or search it, or open the file in another program to read it. Real redaction deletes it.

Does it work on scanned PDFs?

Only partly. On a scan the page is a picture, so the pixels under a box are removed, but the tool cannot search a picture for words. You mark the areas yourself and check each one.

Is it safe to redact a PDF online?

Here it is, because the file stays on your device. Redaction runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded, which is the only sensible way to handle a document that holds private details.