Redact PDF
Black out names, account numbers, addresses and anything else you need to hide. The content under each box is removed from the file — not just covered.
- Free, no signup
- No watermark
- Files never leave your device
or drag and drop one PDF here
How to redact a PDF
- Choose your PDF. Pick the file with the button above or drag it onto the box.
- Draw boxes. Go to each page and drag over anything you want removed. Move a box by dragging it; select it and press Delete to remove it.
- Check every page. Use the page arrows to make sure nothing sensitive is left uncovered.
- Redact and download. Select “Redact PDF”. Pages with boxes are rebuilt as images with the black areas burned in.
Redaction tips
- Why pages become images. Drawing a black rectangle over text doesn't delete it — anyone can copy it out. Turning the page into an image removes the text for good.
- Search before you share. Open the redacted file and try searching for the hidden words to double-check.
- Mind the margins. Draw boxes a little larger than the text so no edges of letters peek out.
- Other hiding places. FoxletPDF also drops the document's properties and XMP metadata, which can contain names. Check attachments and file names yourself.
Your files stay on your device
Like every FoxletPDF tool, this one runs inside your browser. Your file is read from your device, processed with open-source PDF libraries (pdf-lib and PDF.js), and handed straight back to you as a download. Nothing is uploaded, logged or stored. See our privacy policy for details.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded to redact it?
No. Redaction happens entirely in your browser — which matters most for exactly the kind of documents people redact.
Is the hidden text really removed?
Yes. Every page with a redaction is replaced by an image of itself with the black boxes burned in, so the original text, images and comments on that page are gone from the file. Other pages are copied without anything that could point back to the redacted page, such as shared resources, links or comments.
Why can't I select text on redacted pages?
Those pages are images now — that's what makes the redaction safe. Pages without boxes keep their selectable text.
Why did my links and comments disappear?
Links, comments and form fields can refer to other pages, including redacted ones, so FoxletPDF removes them from the whole file to make sure nothing hidden is carried along. Page content on unredacted pages is kept.
Does it remove metadata?
Yes. The document title, author and XMP metadata are removed from redacted files.
Will the file get bigger?
Redacted pages are stored as images, so the file can grow a little, especially with many redacted pages.