Redact PDF. Permanently.
Black out sensitive text and the hidden content is truly removed. We flatten redacted pages to images, so nothing is recoverable underneath. All in your browser, never uploaded.
Truly private
Files never leave your device
Permanent
Hidden text is removed
No limits
Any page, any number
How it works
- 01
Add your PDF
Drop in a PDF, or click to browse. It stays on your device.
- 02
Box out the secrets
Drag a black box over any text or image you want to hide, on any page.
- 03
Apply and download
We flatten redacted pages to images so the hidden text is truly gone, then hand you the file. Nothing is uploaded.
More PDF tools: Merge · Split · Rotate · Compress · Page numbers · Watermark · Organize · Crop · Sign · Add text · N-up · Protect · Unlock · Repair · PDF/A · OCR · To images · Extract images.
Check it yourself: your file is not uploaded
You do not have to take our word for it. Your browser can show you every request this page makes.
- Open the developer tools: press F12 in Chrome, Edge or Firefox on Windows, or Cmd+Option+I on a Mac, then choose the Network tab.
- Clear the list, then add your PDF and run Redact PDF.
- Look at the requests that appear. An upload would be a request at least as large as your file; sort by size to find it.
What we saw when we did this on Merge PDF with two small PDFs: the browser fetched one script file of this site's own code (the PDF engine), and sent one message of about one kilobyte with page speed and engagement figures. No request carried either PDF, and the merged file was built and downloaded in the browser.
Common questions
Is the redacted text really gone?+
Yes. Many tools just draw a black box on top, leaving the text underneath selectable and copyable, a serious leak. We rasterize each redacted page to an image with the box burned in, so the hidden text is permanently removed, not merely covered.
Are my files uploaded?+
No. Redaction runs entirely in your browser. Your document never leaves your device. iLovePDF and most tools upload your PDF to their servers first.
What happens to the redacted pages?+
Pages you redact are flattened to an image (so the underlying text can't be recovered). Pages you don't touch keep their original text and stay selectable.
Can I redact more than one spot?+
Yes. Draw as many boxes as you like, across as many pages as you like. Use Undo to remove the last box on a page.
Is there a limit?+
No artificial caps. Free, unlimited, no signup or watermark.