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Redact PDF

Redact PDF

Draw over sensitive content to permanently black it out.

Permanent & irreversible redaction
Black out any text or area
Protect sensitive information
Compliance-ready output
PDF

How to redact a PDF

1
Upload your PDF from your device, or pull it directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Without an account you can redact one file up to 80 MB. With a free account you can redact up to 3 files at once - 80 MB each, 120 MB in total.
2
Click and drag anywhere on a page to draw a black box over what you want to redact - text, an image, a signature, or a whole section. Drag a box to reposition it, pull its handles to resize, or click the × to delete - and undo any change while you work.
3
Add as many redactions as you need, on any page. The black boxes are a preview - the underlying content is still in the file at this stage.
4
Click Redact PDF to apply. The content under every box is permanently stripped from the document - not just covered. Even copy-paste and text search will turn up nothing.
5
Download your redacted PDF (or a ZIP when you redact several), save it back to the cloud, or send it straight into another tool like Merge or Sign.

Why use our Redact PDF tool

True permanent redaction
We do not just paint over the content - we delete it from the PDF entirely. There is nothing left under the box to recover.
Not the same as highlighting
Many tools draw a black rectangle on top of the text, but the text stays in the file. Ours strips the text out cleanly so it cannot be revealed.
Click and drag to mark
Pull a box around any region of a page, then drag it to reposition, grab a handle to resize, or undo any change. The preview shows exactly which area will be wiped when you save.
Redact several files at once
With a free account, load up to 3 PDFs, give each its own boxes, and redact them together - they come back in a single ZIP download.
Removes form fields and annotations
Any form field, comment, or annotation overlapping a box is deleted before the content is stripped, so nothing stored underneath survives.
Works on text, images, and areas
Redact a sentence, a signature, a stamp, a barcode, or a whole figure. Anything inside the box is gone after saving.
Removes searchable text too
Hidden text layers are removed alongside the visible content, so search engines, screen readers, and copy-paste find nothing.
Rest of the PDF stays intact
Everything outside your boxes is preserved at full quality. Only the marked areas are touched.
Cloud import
Pull files from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive without a local download step.
Workflow Ready
Send a redacted PDF straight into Merge, Compress, Protect, or any other tool without re-uploading it.
Free, no watermark
No watermark on the PDF, no signup needed, no per-day cap on jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real redaction or just a black box on top?
Real redaction. We strip the content under every box out of the PDF entirely. A black box is shown in its place, but the actual text, image, or whatever was there is removed from the file.
Can the redacted content be recovered later?
No. Once you click Redact PDF, the content is permanently removed from the file. There is no original underneath the box - nothing to reveal by editing, copying, or converting.
How is this different from drawing a black box in another editor?
Most free editors just place a black rectangle on top of the page. The text underneath is still there - anyone can move the rectangle, copy-paste, or run the file through a converter and see the original. Our tool removes the content from the file structure itself.
Can someone copy-paste the hidden text from the PDF?
No. Hidden text layers are removed at the same time as the visible content. Copy-paste, text search, and screen readers will find only the rest of the document.
What can I redact - text, images, or both?
Any region you draw a box around. Words, paragraphs, signatures, photos, charts, stamps, barcodes - if it is inside your box, it is removed when you save.
Will the rest of my PDF look the same?
Yes. Pages, fonts, layout, and any content outside your boxes are preserved at full quality. The file size may drop a little because the redacted content is gone.
Can I change my mind before saving?
Yes. Boxes are just a preview until you click Redact PDF. Drag a box to move it, pull its handles to resize, click the × to delete it, or use Undo to step back. Once you save, the redactions are final.
Can I redact more than one PDF at a time?
Yes, with a free account. Add up to 3 files (up to 80 MB each and 120 MB in total), give each its own redactions, and click Redact - you'll get a ZIP containing every redacted PDF. Without an account you can redact one file at a time.
Does it remove form fields, comments, and annotations too?
Yes. Any form field, comment, or annotation that overlaps a redaction box is deleted before the content is stripped, so its stored value can't survive in the saved file. Document metadata is also cleared.
Can I import from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive?
Yes. Use the cloud buttons on the upload screen to pull files in directly. No need to download them to your device first.
Are my files kept private?
Yes. Uploads happen over HTTPS, files are not shared, and they are deleted from our servers shortly after the job finishes.

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