Guide

How to redact a PDF permanently (free, without uploading)

Black out names, numbers and other personal data in a PDF so it can't be recovered — right in your browser, without uploading the file.

1. Open the Redact tool and drop your PDF — it stays on your device.
2. Select the text to hide with your mouse or finger, or draw boxes over areas (useful for scans).
3. Click Redact. Marked pages are turned into images with the areas blacked out, so the hidden text is gone from the file, not just covered.
4. Download the redacted PDF and check it: try to select or search the hidden text — it's not there.

Tips

• A black rectangle drawn in an ordinary editor only covers text — it can still be copied. Real redaction removes it.
• Scanned documents: use box mode, since there is no text layer to select.