Redact PDF
Draw over sensitive content to permanently black it out.
Redact PDF at a glance
The essentials before you black out.
- Price
- Free, with no watermark. No sign-up needed. A free account redacts up to 3 PDFs at once.
- Input
- Any PDF file. From your device, Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive. Password-protected files can be unlocked on the spot.
- You get
- A PDF with the content truly removed. Text, images and drawings under each box are deleted, not just covered. Metadata is cleared too.
- Limits
- 1 PDF up to 80 MB without an account. With a free account: 3 PDFs at once, 80 MB each, 120 MB in total.
- Works on
- Any browser, nothing to install. iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook.
- Privacy
- Processed securely, then deleted. Files travel over HTTPS and are removed automatically within one hour.
How to redact a PDF
Why use our Redact PDF tool
Frequently asked questions
How do I black out text in a PDF for free?
Add your PDF in the box above, drag a box over each piece of text or image you want to hide and click to apply. You download a PDF where that content is gone for good. It's free, with no watermark and no sign-up.
Is the redaction permanent, or can someone remove the black box?
It's permanent. The text, images and drawings under each box are deleted from the file, not just hidden behind a shape, so they can't be copied, searched or uncovered by moving the box. Form fields under a box are removed too, and the document's metadata such as author and title is cleared.
Why isn't a black rectangle or highlighter enough?
A shape drawn on top of a PDF only covers the text visually; the words underneath can still be selected, copied or found with search. Proper redaction, like this tool does, removes them from the file itself.
Can I choose a colour other than black?
Yes. Boxes can be black, white, grey or red. White is useful when you want the removed area to blend into the page.
Can I redact the same area on every page?
Yes. Draw the box once and apply it to all pages, which is handy for a header, a footer or an account number that appears in the same spot on each page.
Can I move, resize or undo a box?
Yes. Drag a box to move it, pull its handles to resize it, delete it with its × button, and use undo to step back. Nothing is removed until you apply the redaction.
Can I search for a word and redact every match?
Not at the moment. Boxes are drawn by hand, so check each page for the names, numbers or words you need to hide.
How do I redact a PDF on iPhone, Android or Mac?
Open this page in Safari or Chrome, add the PDF, draw the boxes with your finger or mouse and download. No app is needed.
Can I redact a scanned PDF?
Yes. Draw boxes over the parts of the scanned image you want to remove; the image pixels under each box are blanked out in the result.
Can I redact several PDFs at once?
With a free account you can work on up to 3 PDFs at once (80 MB each, 120 MB in total), each with its own boxes. The redacted files download together in one ZIP.
What happens to a digital signature after redacting?
Redacting rewrites the file, so an existing digital signature will no longer validate. Redact first and sign afterwards, for example with Sign PDF.
Should I keep the original file?
Keep the unredacted original somewhere safe if you may need it later, and share only the redacted copy. For extra peace of mind you can also remove other metadata before sending.
Are my files kept private?
Yes. Files are sent over an encrypted HTTPS connection, redacted on our server and deleted automatically within one hour. They aren't shared with anyone or used to train AI.
