Redact PDF without uploading — free

Nothing uploadedTested up to 256 MB

Permanently redact selected PDF regions by rasterizing only those pages, and remove metadata, attachments, and annotations locally in your browser.

Black out sensitive PDF text by marking the regions to remove. Each marked page is rebuilt, so the selected content is removed rather than covered by a PDF rectangle. Your PDF stays in your browser and is not uploaded, up to 256 MB. Before download, the tool checks redacted text samples of at least four characters that do not also appear on untouched pages, plus hidden structure tags and local page destinations. If that verification fails, no output file is produced. This check is limited to those eligible text samples and inspected structures; it does not prove that every possible trace is gone. The default cleanup also removes metadata, attachments, comments, and form fields. Tagged PDFs are fully detagged with an accessibility-loss warning or refused, and any existing digital signatures become invalid because redaction changes the file.

Processed locally in your browser

PDF sanitization workspace

The PDF stays on this device. Select regions only when you accept rasterization of those pages.

PDF and redaction regions

Drop a PDF hereor choose a filePDF up to 256 MB · processed locally

Raster output

Raster resolution (DPI)

150 DPI is the default. Higher values improve small text but increase processing time and file size.

Marked pages will become images

This is the destructive step that makes region redaction real. Every marked page loses selectable text, searchability, accessibility structure, and usually becomes larger. Unmarked pages keep their vector content and text layer.

Hidden-data removal

Strip document metadata and XMPRemoves title, author, subject, keywords, producer, creator, dates, and the XMP metadata stream.Keep creation and modification datesPreserves only the two PDF timestamp fields while other selected metadata is removed.Remove embedded attachmentsEmbedded files can contain complete hidden documents. Leave this enabled unless they are required.Remove annotations and form widgetsComments, links, widgets, and their hidden content are removed rather than presented as flattened proof.

The output is a rebuilt PDF

Rebuilding prevents removed page objects from surviving as unused data, but signatures are invalidated and document-level features such as bookmarks, scripts, forms, and structure tags may not survive. A source with incremental revisions is reported separately; this tool does not certify removal of historical revisions.

Remove visible and hidden information before sharing a PDF

1
Choose a PDF and inspect its locally rendered page previews.
2
Drag over every region that must be permanently removed.
3
Choose the raster DPI and which hidden-data classes to remove.
4
Review the explicit text-layer and document-feature trade-offs.
5
Download the rebuilt PDF and verify the sanitization report.

Built for the real task

Destructive pixel-level region redaction
Metadata and XMP removal
Attachment and annotation removal
Unmarked pages keep vector content

See the transformation

Hidden PDF data is removed, and marked pages become final pixels.

Remove hidden document details and permanently cover the areas you marked.

Input

Result

Browser limits

Files are limited to 256 MB to protect browser stability, especially on phones. Processing stays on this device.

Destructive pixel-level region redaction

Permanently redact selected PDF regions by rasterizing only those pages, and remove metadata, attachments, and annotations locally in your browser.

Private by design

The selected file is not uploaded to Nablyx.

Processed locally in your browser

No. This tool reads and transforms the file locally in your browser.

Common uses

Destructive pixel-level region redaction
Metadata and XMP removal
Attachment and annotation removal
Unmarked pages keep vector content

Can redacted text be recovered from behind the black region?

The tool does not cover text with a PDF rectangle. It renders each marked page to pixels, paints the region before encoding, and rebuilds that page as an image, so its original text objects are not copied. Unmarked pages keep their vector text layer.

How to Redact a PDF Without Leaking Hidden Data

How to Remove Hidden Data from a PDF Before Sharing It