Redaction is how you share a document while hiding the sensitive parts — names, account numbers, salaries, addresses. The catch: doing it wrong leaves the "hidden" text sitting right underneath the black box, where anyone can copy it. Real redaction actually removes the content. This tool does it properly, and it runs privately in your browser.
The most common redaction mistake
Drawing a black rectangle over text in a regular PDF editor does not remove the text — it just covers it visually. The underlying words are still in the file and can be selected, copied, or revealed by moving the box. High-profile leaks have happened exactly this way.
True redaction has to destroy the content underneath, not just paint over it.
How this tool redacts for real
The Redact PDF tool guarantees removal by flattening each page to an image with the black boxes baked in. After redaction, the pages are pictures — there is no text layer left underneath, so the hidden content cannot be copied or recovered.
Everything runs in your browser; your sensitive document never leaves your device.
Step-by-step
- Open the Redact PDF tool
- Drag and drop the PDF containing sensitive content
- Drag black boxes over anything you want to remove — navigate pages and add as many as needed
- Click Apply redactions & download
Understand the trade-off
Because true redaction flattens pages to images, the output has no selectable text — that's the price of guaranteed removal. So:
- Redact after you've finished editing and OCR
- Keep your original file if you still need an editable, searchable version
- If you need the document searchable after redacting, run the redacted file through OCR PDF — it will only recognize the visible (non-redacted) text
A note on thoroughness
Redact every appearance of sensitive data, including headers, footers, and repeated mentions. Also remember that redaction covers visible content — if a document has hidden metadata, review that separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is the content really gone? Yes. Pages are flattened to images with the boxes baked in, so the redacted text can't be copied or recovered.
Why does the output lose selectable text? Because guaranteed removal requires flattening the page so nothing remains beneath the boxes.
Is my PDF uploaded? No. Redaction runs entirely in your browser.
Is it free? Yes — no account, no watermark, no limits.
Related tools
- Edit PDF — add text and images
- Protect PDF — password-protect the redacted file
- OCR PDF — re-add a searchable layer to the visible text