Redact PDF
The document you need to share.
Without the details you need to keep.
Mark private areas. Review a fresh, image-only PDF.
PDF Redactor is in your dock. Everything you started is still there.
Keep the document. Lose the private details.
Mark what needs to go. Review a fresh image-only copy before anything leaves this tab.
Your PDF stays with you.
Drop one PDF here. Up to 50 MB and 100 pages.
- 01 Mark areas
- 02 Review output
- 03 Save your copy
Drag over the private details. Leave a little space around every edge.
PDFs and redaction areas are never saved to an account.Page resolution saves privately.Saving details
Redact a PDF in three steps
Mark the private details
Open a PDF and draw over anything that needs removing. Search selectable text or repeat an area on other pages.
Review the rebuilt file
Choose Review output. Inspect every page of the new image-only PDF and mark each one reviewed.
Save a separate copy
Confirm the image-only format, then choose Save redacted PDF. Check the saved file in another reader before sharing.
Using PDF Redactor
Mark the original on the left. Use the panel on the right to adjust areas and review the rebuilt file.
Open your document and find the page
Choose a PDF, drop it anywhere on this page or use Try a sample. The sample contains fictional details and three editable marks.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Page, Previous page, Next page | Move through the PDF. Areas stay attached to their pages. |
| Zoom | Choose Fit page, Fit width, 100%, 150% or 200%. Zoom changes the preview, not the output resolution. |
| Open another, Clear | Replace or release the open PDF. A failed new file leaves your current document open. |
| Narrow, Wide, Full | Resize the tool using the bar at its top right. Minimise keeps your work in the dock. |
Draw, adjust and repeat redaction areas
Choose Mark area and drag a rectangle over the detail. Include a little space beyond the letters or image edges.
Select an area to move it or drag its lower-right handle to resize it. Choose Select to pan a zoomed page on a touch screen. Add area at centre gives you the same controls without dragging. Mark whole page covers the current page using the chosen style.
| Area control | Effect |
|---|---|
| Left, Top | Position the area as a percentage from the visible page’s top-left corner. |
| Area width, Area height | Set its size as a percentage of the visible page. Values stop at the page edge. |
| Mask effect | Solid colour replaces covered pixels. Blur and Pixelate are visual effects that can retain readable information. |
| Colour presets, Custom mask colour, Hex colour | Choose any opaque colour. Hex accepts six digits or shorthand such as #abc. There is no transparency. |
| Blur strength, Block size | Adjust from 4 to 40 page points. The effect keeps its physical size when zoom or export resolution changes. |
| Apply this style to all areas | Copy the current effect, colour and strength to every mark. Undo restores the previous styles. |
| Duplicate area | Make another mark below the selected area, keeping its style. |
| Repeat on pages, Repeat | Copy the selected area and style to pages such as 2-4, 7. Positions are relative, so inspect each page. |
| Remove area, ×, Undo, Redo | Remove a mark or move through up to 60 recent edit states in this tab. |
Style changes update the selected area and become the default for new areas. Without a selection, they set the new-area style only. Each newly opened document starts with solid black.
Blur and pixelation only change appearance. They can leave words, faces or patterns readable or easy to infer. Solid masks take priority wherever they overlap a visual effect.
Find repeated names or references
Enter a name in Search selectable text, then choose Find. Search ignores case and looks within existing text runs.
Choose a result to inspect its position. Mark found text runs covers each entire matching run, which can include extra words. Search stops at 100 results. Narrow a common search rather than assuming the list covers the whole document.
Scans, words split between runs and vertical writing need manual marks. Search is a placement aid. It does not find every sensitive detail.
Choose the page resolution
Page resolution sets the detail in every saved image. The images use lossless compression, so solid masks do not gain JPEG edge artefacts.
150 ppi
The default for everyday sharing. It uses less memory than the higher settings. Inspect small print in the rebuilt preview.
200 ppi
More pixels for small text and diagrams. It can make the output larger than the original PDF.
300 ppi
More detail for printing. Large pages or long documents may exceed the export budget. Choose a lower resolution if refused.
Review the actual output before saving
Review output rebuilds all pages and opens that new file in the preview. The original objects are never copied into it. Cancel stops a rebuild or search and keeps your marked areas.
Inspect each page, then choose Mark page reviewed. The next unchecked page opens automatically. Confirm the image-only format to enable saving. A copy with blur or pixelation also requires acknowledgement that these effects do not securely remove information. Edit marks returns to the source and clears the output review.
Solid-only output saves as redacted.pdf. Output containing blur or pixelation saves as masked.pdf. Open in and Share use the same approved result. Read it in another PDF reader before sharing, and keep the original separately.
Keyboard controls
Every editing operation has a keyboard path. Use Add area at centre, then the percentage inputs for precise placement.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Tab, Shift + Tab | Move between controls and marked areas. |
| ↑ ↓ ← → | Move a focused area by 0.1% of the page. Hold Shift for 1%. |
| Delete, Backspace | Remove a focused area. |
| Ctrl / ⌘ + Z | Undo outside text inputs. Add Shift to redo. |
| Ctrl / ⌘ + O | Open a PDF through the shared file picker. |
| Ctrl / ⌘ + S | Save the reviewed and approved output. |
| Esc | Cancel an active area drag. Otherwise, leave focus mode. |
What it will not do
This tool creates image-only pages. It does not preserve selectable text, accessibility tags, links, forms or certificate signatures.
- One unlocked PDF up to 50 MB and 100 pages, with up to 500 marked areas.
- Up to 16 million pixels per rendered page or embedded image. Up to 120 million pixels per export, set of embedded images or overlapping visual-effect areas on a page. The output must stay within 128 MB.
- Encrypted PDFs, XFA forms, detected certificate signatures and unreadable files are refused.
- No OCR, automatic personal-data detection, batch documents or guarantee of legal compliance.
- Visible details you leave unmarked remain readable. Blur and pixelation are not proof of removal. A picture of a QR code, for example, may still contain its information.
- Closing or reloading loses the document and its marks. Only Page resolution can save as a setting.
Need searchable, accessible text after redaction? A trusted content-preserving redactor may fit better. The PDF redaction safety guide explains the tradeoffs and verification steps.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a free PDF redaction tool with no sign-up?
Yes. Mark areas, review the output and save without an account, payment or watermark. Limits protect browser memory: one PDF up to 50 MB and 100 pages, with up to 500 marked areas.
Does the blacked-out text stay hidden inside the PDF?
Solid colour masks replace the covered pixels in fresh page images. The export copies no original PDF objects, text layer, attachments or metadata. Any visible information you did not cover remains readable. Blur and pixelation only obscure details and are not secure redaction.
Can I use custom colours, blur or pixelation?
Yes. Each area can use an opaque custom colour, adjustable blur or pixelation. Choose a palette colour, the colour picker or a hex value. Duplicate and Repeat keep the style. Blur and pixelation can leave information readable or easy to guess. Use Solid colour for private details.
Will the redacted PDF still have selectable text?
No. Every page becomes a lossless image. Selectable text, links, forms and accessibility tags are removed, including on unmarked pages. Use a trusted content-preserving redactor if you need those features.
Can I redact a scanned PDF or a picture inside a PDF?
Yes. Draw an area over the visible detail. Area marking works on text, scans, photos and form appearances. Search only reads existing selectable text. It does not perform OCR or detect every private detail.
Can I undo PDF redactions?
Undo and Redo work while marking in this tab. Edit marks returns from review to the original document. A saved solid-colour redaction does not contain the covered source pixels. Blur and pixelation retain visual information. Keep your original separately.
Does my PDF get uploaded or saved to my account?
No. Files, search terms, marked areas and previews stay in tab memory. Only Page resolution can save as a setting. Closing or reloading loses the open document and its marks. Save the approved copy first.
Can I redact a password-protected or signed PDF?
Encrypted PDFs, XFA forms and detected certificate signatures are refused. Use a trusted PDF app to make an unlocked, unsigned static copy where appropriate. A drawn signature is ordinary visible content and needs marking if you want it removed.
Something missing? Request a feature