Free forever · No sign-up · AES-256 encryption

Redact PDF Online Free — Real Redaction, Not a Black Box

Draw over SSNs, account numbers, or any confidential text or image — the content is deleted from the file itself, so it can't be recovered by selecting, searching, or copying. Free, no signup — files are encrypted at rest and in transit, then auto-deleted after processing.

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Instant access
No file size limit
GDPR
AES-256
Auto-deleted

How to redact a PDF in 3 steps

Quick Start
  1. 1

    Upload your PDF

    Click Select Files or drag and drop. Works on any device — no software, no registration.

  2. 2

    Draw over sensitive content

    Click and drag a box over any text or image you want permanently removed. Click a region again to undo it.

  3. 3

    Download the redacted PDF

    Get a new PDF with the marked content permanently deleted — nothing recoverable underneath.

Simple Process

Three Steps to a Truly Redacted PDF

Permanently remove sensitive content in seconds

Upload PDF

Drag and drop or select

Mark Regions

Draw a box over any sensitive text or image

Download

Get the redacted PDF instantly

Why True Redaction Matters

A Black Box Isn't Redaction

⚖️

FRCP 5.2

Courts require personal identifiers to be actually removed, not masked

🔒

No Recovery

Underlying text/images are deleted, not just hidden by a layer

🖼️

Images Too

Redact scanned documents and photos, not just typed text

📄

Discovery-Safe

Protect PII before producing documents to opposing counsel

Check any redaction tool with this 3-step test

Before trusting any tool with sensitive documents, try to select, search, or copy the text under the black box in the result. If you can, it was only covered, not redacted.

  1. Try to select the text under the black region — you shouldn't be able to.
  2. Try to search the document for the redacted text — it shouldn't find it.
  3. Try Ctrl/Cmd+A to select all page content and paste elsewhere — nothing should appear where you redacted.
Security First

Enterprise-Grade Security

Your documents are protected by industry-leading security measures

AES-256 Encryption

Encrypted at rest and in transit

Auto-Delete

Never retained — deleted after your session

GDPR Compliant

Handled per EU data protection rules

Encrypted Transfer

HTTPS/TLS on every upload

No Manual Review

Only automated systems touch your file

Secure Cloud

Enterprise-grade infrastructure

No Registration

Use without signup

Legal-Ready

Built for confidential documents

Built for Legal Teams

Handle confidential documents with AES-256 encryption at rest and in transit, automatic deletion, and no third-party file review.

✓ Encrypted at rest & in transit
✓ No size limits
✓ Batch processing

More PDF Tools

Free, unlimited, no registration required

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about PDF jump links

Is drawing a black box over text enough to redact it?

No. If the box is a comment/annotation overlay, the text underneath is still in the file and can be recovered — by selecting and copying it, searching the document, or simply deleting the box layer. This is the most common redaction mistake and has led to real leaks in filed court documents.

Can redacted PDF text still be recovered afterward?

It depends on the method. An overlay box: yes, recoverable. True redaction, which this tool does: no — the underlying text and image content is deleted from the region you draw, so there's nothing left to select, search, or copy out.

What should I redact before filing in court?

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 (and Rule 49.1 in criminal cases) requires limiting personal identifiers in filings: only the last 4 digits of an SSN or taxpayer ID, birth year only (not month/day), a minor's initials only, and only the last 4 digits of a financial account number.

Will redacted content still exist in the file's metadata?

Not with this tool — the content is removed from the page itself, not just hidden from view. (Some tools only cover content visually, in which case metadata, revision history, or an OCR text layer can still leak the original text — always verify by trying to select or search the redacted area before filing.)

Is it safe to upload a sensitive PDF to redact it online?

Your file is encrypted in transit and at rest and automatically deleted from our servers after processing — it is never stored, reviewed by a person, or used to train any model.

Does redaction work on scanned or image-based PDFs?

Yes — the region you draw is removed regardless of whether the underlying content is text or an image.

Do I need Adobe Acrobat to redact a PDF?

No. Acrobat's genuine redaction is gated behind the Pro/Premium/Studio tiers, but true, permanent redaction doesn't require it — this tool does the same underlying content removal for free.

Is it free to redact a PDF?

Yes, completely free with no signup and no watermark on the free tier.

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