Redact PDF Online Free
Hide sensitive details for good. Draw boxes or search for words and numbers; redacted areas are removed from the file, not just covered.
How to redact a PDF
Open the PDF
Select or drop your file.
Mark what to hide
Draw boxes, or search for a word or number to mark every match.
Redact
Press Redact & download. Marked pages are flattened so the hidden text can’t be recovered.
Everyday uses
- Masked Aadhaar – hide the first 8 digits before sharing a copy.
- Bank statements – hide balances or account numbers.
- Legal documents – remove names before sharing as samples.
- Screenshots in reports – hide phone numbers and emails.
Good to know
Pages with redactions are converted to images with the boxes burned in, so the text underneath is deleted — not just hidden behind a black box. Other pages are left untouched and stay searchable. Document metadata (author, title) is removed.
Private by design. Redact PDF works inside your browser. Your file is processed on your device and is not uploaded to our server.
Limits to know before you start
- Pages that have a redaction are saved as images, so their text can no longer be selected or searched. Other pages are untouched.
- Find & redact only finds text stored as text. In scanned pages, draw the boxes yourself.
- Redaction cannot be undone in the new file. Keep your original somewhere safe.
If something goes wrong
Find & redact finds nothing. The page may be a scan or the text may be split across lines. Draw boxes yourself.
The tool asks for a password. The PDF is protected. Type the password you normally use to open it; it is used only in your browser. The new file is not locked.
The result is large. Redacted pages become pictures. Delete pages you do not need first, then compress.
Redact PDF – questions
Is the redacted text really gone?
Yes. The marked pages are rebuilt as images, so the original text is not in the file any more.
Can I search and redact all occurrences of a number?
Yes. Type it in “Find & redact” and every match is marked.
Why can’t I select text on redacted pages afterwards?
Because those pages are flattened to remove the hidden text. Run OCR PDF if you need searchable text again.
This page describes Redact PDF as it works today. If you notice a difference, tell us and we will correct it. See our editorial standards.
Related tools
- Edit PDFAdd text, images, shapes, highlights, whiteout and drawings.
- Protect PDFAdd a password to a PDF with AES-256 encryption.
- Watermark PDFStamp text or a logo across your pages, with opacity and angle.
- Sign PDFDraw, type or upload a signature and place it on any page.
- Crop PDFTrim margins or keep just the part of the page you need.
Step-by-step guide: How to Redact a PDF: Black Out Sensitive Information