PDF Redact Online Tool

How to Redact a PDF

1. Drop your PDF onto the tool, or click Choose File.
2. Draw a box over anything you want covered. Drag across the page in Draw mode. Use Prev and Next to move between pages.
3. Pick a redaction color in the sidebar. Black is the default. Blue, red, green, purple and white are also there.
4. Repeat on other pages. Apply to All Pages copies this page's boxes to every page, which helps with headers, footers and page numbers. Clear This Page and Clear All Pages undo your boxes.
5. Check every page. The boxes you see on the page are the ones that will be exported.
6. Choose Render Scale and Output Quality, then click Export Redacted PDF. The file is saved with _redacted added to the name.

Why Use This PDF Redaction Tool

• Your file stays on your device. The PDF is read and redacted by code running in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
• Covered content is removed, not just hidden. On export, every page is flattened into an image with your boxes painted onto it. The text under a box is not in the new file, so it cannot be selected, searched or copied out from beneath the box.
• Manual boxes on a page preview. You decide exactly what gets covered, and you see it before you export.
• Reuse boxes across pages. Copy one page's boxes to all pages for repeating details like headers and footers.
• Six redaction colors, with a near-black default.
• Control the output. Render Scale (1.5x, 2x, 3x) and Output Quality (95%, 85%, 75%) trade sharpness against file size.

Good to know: redaction here is manual. There is no search-and-redact for a word or number, so you draw each box yourself. Because every page becomes an image, the whole exported PDF loses its selectable text, including pages with no boxes. After exporting, open the result and try to select text under a redacted area to confirm it is gone. Keep your original, since the redacted copy cannot be edited back.

FAQ

How do I redact a PDF?

Drop your PDF onto the tool, drag boxes over the text or images you want covered on each page, pick a color, and click Export Redacted PDF.

Is the covered text really removed, or can someone copy it from under the box?

It is removed. On export, each page is rendered to an image and your boxes are painted onto that image, so the original text layer is not in the new file. You can confirm by trying to select text under a box in the exported PDF.

Can I search for a word and redact every match?

No. Redaction here is manual. You draw each box yourself. For details that repeat in the same place on every page, such as a header or page number, use Apply to All Pages.

Why can I not select any text in my redacted PDF?

Because every page is flattened into an image, the whole file loses its selectable text, not only the redacted parts. This is also what makes the redaction permanent.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere, and is there a size limit?

No, the PDF stays on your device while it is processed in your browser. Each PDF can be as large as your plan allows; the limit is shown on this page.

Why is my redacted PDF bigger than the original?

Pages are saved as images. A higher Render Scale and Output Quality give sharper pages and larger files. Choose Standard (1.5x) and 75% quality for a smaller file.