There is no upload endpoint — your files are processed in this browser tab. Open your network tab and check. See how it stays private.
How to redact a PDF
- Add the PDF. Drop the document you need to redact onto the tool or browse for it.
- Mark what to hide. Draw boxes over the text or images you want removed across any pages.
- Apply redaction. Flatten the marks into the page so the covered content is deleted, not just hidden.
- Download. Save the redacted PDF — the removed content cannot be copied back out.
Redaction exists because hiding is not the same as removing. A black rectangle drawn in a PDF viewer sits on top of the original text, which anyone can still select, copy, or reveal by deleting the shape. Proper redaction destroys the content beneath the mark.
Use it for the obvious cases — account numbers on a statement, names in a legal exhibit, a face or signature in a scan. Mark every instance across every page, then apply; the tool rewrites those regions so nothing recoverable remains.
If your goal is broader than a few marks — systematically replacing every occurrence of a person's details — De-identify is the better fit. To remove invisible traces like author names and revision history rather than visible content, use Clean.
Frequently asked questions
Is the text really removed or just covered?
It is removed. Applying the redaction flattens the boxes into the page image so there is no selectable text or object left underneath to recover.
Can someone undo my redaction?
No. Unlike drawing a black rectangle in a viewer, applied redaction deletes the underlying content, so copy-paste and search cannot reveal it.
Should I redact scans or text PDFs?
Both work. For text PDFs the characters under the box are deleted; for scans the pixels are painted out. Run OCR first if you need to find text to redact.
What's the difference between Redact, De-identify, and Clean?
Redact visually removes chosen content; De-identify detects and replaces personal data like names and IDs; Clean strips hidden metadata and attachments.