Redact text in a PDF
Search for the text you want gone, or let it find the usual suspects automatically, then black those areas out. Unlike drawing a rectangle over a word in an editor, the covered content is removed rather than hidden under a shape someone can move.
How to redact text in a PDF
- 1Open the PDFThe document text is read so matches can be located precisely on the page.
- 2Choose what to redactType specific terms such as a name or a reference number, and switch on automatic patterns for email addresses, phone numbers, card numbers and social security numbers.
- 3Review and applyMatches are highlighted on the page preview before anything is committed, so you can check for false positives first.
Questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read by your browser and processed in the page. It never reaches a server, so there is no upload to wait for, no queue, and no copy of your document sitting somewhere with a retention policy.
Can the redacted text be recovered?
The covered regions are removed from the page rather than hidden under a drawn rectangle, which is the mistake that has embarrassed a lot of organisations. Check the output before sending it, particularly if the document carries the same information somewhere else, such as in its metadata or an attachment.
What can it detect automatically?
Email addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers and US social security numbers. Anything else, such as names or account references, you type in as a search term.
Does it work on scanned documents?
Not directly. A scan is an image with no text to search. Run it through OCR PDF first so there is a text layer to match against.
Is the search case sensitive?
No. Terms match regardless of case, so entering a name in lower case still finds it capitalised.