Runs in your browser with pdf.js and pdf-lib
Redact PDF Online — remove text and images for good, not just cover them
Draw boxes over names, numbers and signatures, or find every email, PAN or phone number at once. Pages you redact are rebuilt so the covered text is gone, the saved file is checked before you download it, and the PDF never leaves your device.
- PDF files aren't uploaded to our server
- Covered text is removed
- Find emails, PAN, Aadhaar
- Saved file is checked
Redact a PDF
Add a PDF, draw boxes over what must go or find it by text, check every page, then save. Covered content is removed, not just hidden.
Drop your PDF here
or browse — one PDF, any number of pages
Page 1
Drag on the page to draw a box over what must go.
Good to know
Redaction boxes
No boxes yet. Drag on the page, cover a whole page, or find text below.
Box
Locked, so it can't be moved or changed by mistake. Click Unlock to change it.
Find text to redact
Searches the text of every page. Scanned pages have no text, so draw boxes on those.
When you save
Box color
Your pages
Each page shows its boxes as they will be saved. Click a page to see it full size, or Show to work on it above.
What this tool does
A black box isn't a redaction until the text under it is gone
Drawing a rectangle over text in a PDF editor hides it on screen, but the words stay in the file. Anyone can select, copy or search them.
What a drawn-on box leaves behind
- The text under the box, which copies and pastes out in full.
- Form fields and comments on the page, which keep their own copy of what was typed.
- Accessibility tags, which can repeat the text for screen readers.
- Old copies of the page inside the file, plus the title, author and attachments.
What this tool does instead
- Rebuilds every page that has a box as a picture with the boxes painted in, so nothing under them can be copied.
- Drops the old page content, the form fields and comments on those pages, and the accessibility tags from the file.
- Clears document info, comments, attachments and scripts, and bookmarks if you choose.
- Finds emails, mobile numbers, PAN, Aadhaar, card numbers or your own words, and boxes every one.
- Opens the saved file again to check that no text is left on redacted pages before you download it.
How to redact a PDF in four steps
Mark everything first, check every page, then save once.
Add your PDF
Drop a PDF onto the upload area, or click Select PDF. The first page opens, ready for boxes.
Mark what must go
- Drag on the page to draw a box; drag its corner to resize.
- Or use Find text for names, emails, PAN or Aadhaar.
- Use Cover whole page for pages that go entirely.
Check every page
Scroll through Your pages, or open each one full size. Tick See through to check that each box covers all of its text. A box for a header or logo can go on all pages.
Scanned pages have no text, so Find can't see them: draw those boxes by hand.
Save and download
Click Redact and save PDF. The file is checked after saving; rename it if you like and download it.
What Find text can look for
Each match gets its own box, which you can move, resize or delete before saving.
| Option | Finds, for example | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Your own words | Ramesh Patel, Acme Traders, 98250 | Separate several with commas. Whole words skips matches inside longer words. |
| Email addresses | name@example.com | Any address written out in the text. |
| Indian mobile numbers | 98250 12345, +91-9825012345 | Ten digits starting with 6 to 9, with or without +91 or 0. Landlines need your own words. |
| PAN numbers | ABCDE1234F | Five letters, four digits, one letter, in capitals. |
| Aadhaar numbers | 2345 6789 0123 | Any 12-digit number starting with 2 to 9, so check each box; it may catch other long numbers. |
| Card numbers | 4111 1111 1111 1111 | 13 to 19 digits that pass the card check digit, so most other numbers are skipped. |
What to redact for your document
Common jobs and the settings that fit each one.
| Document | What to remove | What to set |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar card copy for KYC | The first 8 digits, as in a masked Aadhaar. | Draw a box over the first 8 digits only; leave the last 4 visible. |
| Bank statement | Account number, balances, other people's names. | Find text: the account number; draw boxes for the rest; a header box on All pages. |
| Salary slip or Form 16 | PAN, amounts you don't need to share. | Find text: PAN numbers, then boxes over the amounts. |
| Contract draft for a third party | Prices and terms that stay private. | Find text with the client's name; Cover whole page for annexures. |
| Medical report for research or teaching | Patient name, ID, phone and address. | Find text: the name, Indian mobile numbers, email addresses. |
| RTI reply or public record | Personal details that are exempt. | Boxes per page, label REDACTED, and remove document info. |
| Scanned document | Anything; the page is a picture already. | Draw boxes by hand; Find can't read scans. |
What happens when you save
How the covered content is actually removed
The steps each redacted page goes through, in order.
1. Draw the page
The page is drawn as it looks, at the quality you chose (200 dpi by default), turned and cropped as you see it.
2. Paint the boxes in
Each box, with its label if you set one, is painted into the picture itself, not laid on top as a separate shape.
3. Replace the page
The picture becomes the page's only content. Its text, fonts, form fields and comments go; links outside every box keep working.
4. Clear hidden copies
Anything the file no longer uses, such as the old page content, is dropped. So are accessibility tags, plus document info, attachments, scripts and bookmarks as you choose.
5. Check the saved file
The new file is opened again: redacted pages must have no text at all, and what you searched for must not appear anywhere. If text is found on a redacted page, nothing is saved.
Pages without boxes
Stay exactly as they were: text stays selectable and searchable, links and form fields keep working, and the page isn't made bigger.
When something doesn't look right
Identify the problem, then use the matching fix.
Find text finds nothing
The page is a scan or photo, so it has no text, or the words are split oddly in the file.
Draw the boxes by hand. Try a shorter part of the word, or turn off Whole words.
A found box doesn't cover the whole word
Box size is worked out from the font, and some fonts are wider or taller than they say.
Tick See through, select the box and drag its corner, or press Alt with an arrow key.
Text on a redacted page can't be selected
That's how the content is removed: the whole page becomes a picture.
Pages without boxes keep their text. Redact only the pages that need it.
The file got bigger
Pictures of pages take more space than text.
Choose 150 dpi, or run the result through Compress PDF.
"Still in the text, on page…"
A match you searched for has no box, for example after a box was deleted.
Go to that page, add a box over it, and save again.
A password-protected PDF won't open
Encrypted PDFs can't be changed by the in-browser PDF libraries.
Remove the password with Unlock PDF, then add the unlocked copy.
Redacting without leaving a gap
Habits that keep private details from slipping through.
Search before you draw
Find text catches every copy of a name or number, including ones in footers and tables you might miss by eye.
Check every page
Look at each page full size with See through on. A box that misses one letter can reveal the whole word.
Cover context, not just the name
Job titles, addresses and dates can identify a person as surely as a name. Redact what gives them away.
Clear the document info
The title and author often name the person or the case. Leave that option on unless you need them.
Keep the original safe
The original isn't changed. Store it separately, and share only the redacted copy.
Protect what you send
If the redacted copy is still sensitive, add a password with Protect PDF before you share it.
Common questions about redacting PDFs
If something's not covered here, the troubleshooting section above likely has it.
Is the redaction permanent, or just a black box on top?
Permanent. Every page that has a box is rebuilt as a picture with the boxes painted in, and the old page content is dropped from the file. The saved file is then opened again to check that no text is left on those pages.
Will pages without boxes become pictures too?
No. Only pages with at least one box are rebuilt. The other pages keep their text, links and form fields exactly as they were.
Can it find names, PAN or Aadhaar numbers for me?
Yes. Find text looks for your own words and, if you tick them, email addresses, Indian mobile numbers, PAN, Aadhaar and card numbers, and puts a box on every match. It reads the text in the file, so scanned pages need boxes drawn by hand.
Does it remove metadata and hidden content too?
It removes the old content of redacted pages, their form fields and comments, and the accessibility tags. Title, author and other document info, plus comments, attachments and scripts, are removed by default; bookmarks are removed if you tick that option.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is opened, redacted and checked in your browser with pdf.js and pdf-lib. It isn't sent to our server.
Can I change or undo a box before saving?
Yes. Move, resize, lock, duplicate or delete any box, or put one box on several pages. Nothing changes in the file until you click Redact and save PDF, and your original file is never changed.
Why can't I select text on a redacted page?
Because the page is now a picture: that is how the covered text is removed. Pages without boxes keep selectable text.
Build notes
The write-up on redacting PDFs in the browser
I wrote a tutorial on building a browser-based PDF redaction tool with JavaScript, pdf.js and pdf-lib, including why a black box on its own doesn't remove anything.
How to Build a Browser-Based PDF Redaction Tool Using JavaScript
Covers uploading a PDF, drawing redaction boxes, converting their coordinates, and generating the redacted download.