Redact PDF
Remove Sensitive Information
Draw redaction areas over sensitive content in your PDF and download a permanently redacted copy. Everything is processed on your device — nothing is uploaded.
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Browse FilesWhat Is PDF Redaction?
PDF redaction is the process of permanently removing sensitive or confidential information from a document. Unlike simply placing a colored box on top of content in a word processor, proper redaction ensures the underlying content cannot be selected, copied, or recovered. This is essential for legal compliance, privacy protection, and secure document sharing.
Our Redact PDF tool lets you visually select areas on each page of your PDF and permanently cover them with an opaque rectangle. The entire process runs on your device — your PDF is never uploaded anywhere. Upload your file, draw rectangles over the content you want to hide, choose a redaction color, and download the redacted PDF.
Discover Features
Redact PDF content visually with full control — all on your device
Draw Redaction Areas
Click and drag to draw rectangles over any sensitive content — text, images, signatures, or personal data. Each rectangle becomes a permanent redaction in the output PDF.
Permanent Content Removal
Redaction areas are drawn as opaque filled rectangles in the PDF using pdf-lib. The covered content cannot be selected, copied, or recovered from the output file.
Multi-Page Support
Navigate between pages and add redaction areas to any page. The tool tracks all redactions across all pages and applies them in a single operation when you download.
Redaction Color Picker
Choose black, white, or gray for your redaction areas. Black is the standard for legal and compliance documents; white blends with light backgrounds; gray offers a visible but softer mark.
100% Private & Secure
Your PDF is processed entirely on your device using pdfjs-dist for rendering and pdf-lib for modification. No file is ever uploaded to any server.
No Registration
Use the tool without creating an account. Open the page, upload your PDF, draw redaction areas, and download — no sign-up or subscription required. Free and unlimited.
Steps to Redact a PDF
Remove sensitive information in four simple steps — no installation or account required
Upload Your PDF
Open the Redact PDF tool and drag your PDF onto the drop zone, or click to browse and select it. The tool loads the PDF and displays the first page.
Draw Redaction Areas
Click and drag on the page to draw rectangles over sensitive content. Navigate between pages using Prev/Next. Choose your redaction color (black, white, or gray).
Review Your Redactions
Check the redaction list for each page. Delete individual areas or clear an entire page. The total count shows how many areas will be redacted across all pages.
Apply & Download
Click Apply Redactions & Download. The tool generates a new PDF with all marked areas permanently covered and starts the download. Your original file is not modified.
Free vs Paid — Redact PDF
Get started free, upgrade when you need more power.
Unlock the Full Power of Redact PDF
Remove daily limits, process larger files up to 500 MB, enable batch processing, and get priority support.
PDF Tools includes:
- 21 PDF tools included
- Unlimited daily uses
- 100 MB file size limit
- Batch processing
- Sign, Redact, OCR, Watermark
- All export formats
Also available in the All Tools Bundle
User Q&A / Reviews
Questions from users and answers from the OnlinePCTools team
“I need to redact social security numbers from a 30-page contract before sharing it. Can I redact specific areas on different pages?”
Laura Chen
HR Manager, San Francisco, USA
Yes. Navigate to each page that contains a social security number and draw a rectangle over it. The tool tracks redactions across all pages. When you click Apply, every marked area on every page is permanently covered in the output PDF.
— OnlinePCTools Team
“Is the redaction truly permanent? Can someone remove the black boxes and see the original content?”
Mark Thompson
Compliance Officer, London, UK
The tool draws opaque filled rectangles directly onto the PDF page content using pdf-lib. The covered content is hidden beneath an opaque shape. For maximum security, we recommend verifying the output by trying to select text under the redacted areas — it should not be selectable.
— OnlinePCTools Team
“I accidentally drew a redaction box over the wrong area. Can I undo it?”
Priya Sharma
Legal Assistant, Mumbai, India
Yes. Each redaction area appears in a list below the canvas with a delete button. Click the X next to any area to remove it. You can also clear all areas on the current page or clear all areas across all pages with the respective buttons.
— OnlinePCTools Team
“Does the tool work with scanned PDFs where the content is an image?”
David Kim
Accountant, Seoul, South Korea
Yes. The redaction works by drawing filled rectangles over the page, which covers both text content and image content equally. Whether the underlying content is text, a scanned image, or a mix of both, the redaction rectangle permanently hides whatever is underneath.
— OnlinePCTools Team
Use Cases
Common scenarios where PDF redaction protects sensitive information
Legal & Compliance
Redact privileged information, case numbers, or personal identifiers from legal documents before filing, sharing, or publishing as required by court rules or regulations.
Personal Data Protection
Remove social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, or phone numbers from documents before sharing with third parties to comply with privacy laws.
Financial Documents
Black out account numbers, balances, or transaction details from bank statements, invoices, or tax forms before submitting to institutions that only need partial information.
FOIA & Public Records
Prepare documents for public release under FOIA or similar transparency laws by redacting exempt information while keeping the rest of the document accessible.
Academic & Research
Redact participant names, identifying details, or confidential data from research papers, IRB submissions, or peer-review documents.
Email & Communication Logs
Remove email addresses, internal references, or confidential notes from exported communication logs before sharing with external auditors or partners.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Redact PDF tool
Q1. Is the PDF redaction permanent?
Q2. Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
Q3. Can I redact multiple pages?
Q4. What redaction colors are available?
Q5. Can I undo a redaction before downloading?
Q6. Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Q7. Is the Redact PDF tool free?
Q8. Can someone recover the redacted content?
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