Redact a PDF permanently — not just cover it
Drawing a black rectangle over text in most PDF editors only hides it: the words are still in the file, and anyone can copy them out or remove the rectangle. The Redact PDF tool performs true redaction. Each page you redact is redrawn as an image with your black boxes burned in, so the hidden text, its fonts and its positions no longer exist in the document.
Mark areas by hand, or let the tool find sensitive data for you: email addresses, phone numbers, payment card numbers (checked with the Luhn algorithm), Indian Aadhaar and PAN numbers, US Social Security numbers, or any words you type. Every match is boxed for you to review before anything is changed.
Use it for KYC copies, bank statements, HR files, court bundles, research data, invoices and anything shared under GDPR, DPDP Act or HIPAA-style obligations. Redaction happens in your browser and the document is never uploaded.
How to redact a PDF
- Drop your PDF onto the upload area or click it to choose the file.
- Optional: type names or phrases (separate several with commas) and tick the kinds of personal data to look for, then press Find and mark.
- Check every page with the arrow buttons. Drag on the page to add your own redaction boxes; select a box to resize or remove it.
- Choose the redaction colour and the quality of redacted pages (200 dpi suits most documents).
- Press Redact and download. Read the verification notes under the result before you share the file.
Redact PDF features
True redaction
Affected pages are re-rendered as images with the boxes burned in, so the covered text is gone — not hidden under a shape.
Automatic search
Finds emails, phone numbers, card numbers, Aadhaar, PAN and SSN patterns, plus your own words or regular expressions, across every page.
Unaffected pages stay vector
Only pages with redactions are converted. All other pages keep their selectable text and sharp graphics.
Thorough clean-up
Old page objects are deleted, links and bookmarks are re-pointed to the new pages, form fields and accessibility tags that could hold copies of the text are removed, and metadata can be cleared.
Built-in verification
The finished file is reopened and checked: redacted pages must have no text layer, and no marked phrase may remain anywhere as text.
Private
Search, rendering and rebuilding all happen locally. Nothing is uploaded.
Why black boxes are not enough
There have been many public cases of “redacted” court filings and government reports whose secrets were recovered simply by copying the text from under the black bars. A PDF page is made of separate layers of instructions: drawing a rectangle adds an instruction, but does not remove the text-drawing instruction underneath. That is how PDF Whiteout and ordinary annotation tools work, and why they must never be used for confidential information.
Real redaction removes the content itself. This tool does it the most robust way available in a browser: it rasterises each affected page with the boxes applied, replaces the page, and then deletes every object only the old page used. Text on redacted pages can no longer be selected — that is the point.
What the automatic patterns look for
| Pattern | Matches | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Email addresses | name@example.com | Any standard address |
| Phone numbers | +91 98765 43210, (555) 123-4567, 020 7946 0958 | 9–15 digits with spaces, dots or dashes, or an unbroken 10-digit Indian mobile |
| Card numbers | 4111 1111 1111 1111 | 13–19 digits that pass the Luhn check |
| Aadhaar numbers | 2345 6789 0123 | 12 digits starting 2–9, in 4-4-4 groups or unbroken |
| PAN numbers | ABCPE1234F | Five letters (4th is the holder type), four digits, one letter |
| US SSN | 123-45-6789 | Dashed format; invalid ranges such as 000 and 666 are excluded |
Good redaction practice
- Automatic search depends on the PDF having real text. Scanned pages are images — redact them by drawing boxes.
- Review every page: patterns can miss unusual formats, and names often appear in headers, footers and signatures.
- Check places outside the page too: file names, bookmarks and attachments. Clear hidden properties with Remove PDF Metadata.
- Keep the unredacted original somewhere safe; redaction cannot be undone in the new file.
- Sending the result by email? Add a password with Protect PDF.
Redact PDF FAQ
How do I redact a PDF for free?
Open the PDF in Redact PDF, mark the areas by dragging or with Find and mark, and press “Redact and download”. There is no sign-up, watermark or page limit.
Is this real redaction or just a black box?
Real redaction. Each redacted page is rebuilt as an image with the boxes burned in, the old page and its text are deleted from the file, and the result is verified to have no text left on those pages.
Can I redact Aadhaar and PAN numbers automatically?
Yes. Tick “Aadhaar numbers” and “PAN numbers”, press Find and mark, review the boxes and redact. The same works for emails, phone numbers, card numbers and US SSNs.
Why can’t I select text on the redacted pages any more?
Because the text has been removed — that is what makes the redaction safe. Pages without redactions keep their selectable text.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Yes, by drawing boxes by hand. Automatic search needs real text; scanned pages are pictures, so their words can’t be searched.
Is my document uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs in your browser and the PDF never leaves your device.
Will the file size change?
Redacted pages become images, which are usually larger than text. Choose 150 dpi for smaller files, or compress the result with Compress PDF.