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Redact PDF & Images

Add a file and draw boxes over what you want to hide. Before saving, the tool checks that no text is left underneath.

Add a file.

Files are processed on this page.

Your files are processed on this page only. Nothing is uploaded.

How to use

  1. 1. Add a fileDrop a PDF or an image (screenshot) on the box, or click to choose. You can also paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V.
  2. 2. Mark what to hideDraw boxes over the parts to hide. For PDFs, “Find candidates” looks for card numbers, SSNs, phone numbers and email addresses so you can black them all out at once. Type names or company names and press “Find & black out” to mark every place they appear. Click a candidate to switch it on or off. On a phone, turn “Draw boxes” off to scroll the page.
  3. 3. Redact, check and save“Redact & check” re-draws each page as an image with the boxes painted in, then opens the result again and checks that no text is left underneath. When it's done, press “Save”.

Why “redacted” text sometimes shows through

This tool re-draws every page as an image, so none of the four is left.

  • A black box was placed on top of the text, and the text is still underneath
  • The black was a highlighter or a see-through fill, so changing the brightness reveals it
  • The box is a comment (annotation), which can be deleted or hidden when printing
  • Hidden parts of the file (author, earlier versions, bookmarks) still hold the information

Before you send it

  • Check every page to the end for anything you meant to hide
  • Even after using “Find candidates”, check by eye
  • Open the saved PDF and confirm you can't select any text

FAQ

Who is this for?

Anyone who needs to hide names or numbers before sharing a document. Anyone posting a screenshot online who wants to remove personal details first. Office staff sending documents with ID or account numbers who need to hide what the recipient doesn't need.

Isn't a black box on top enough?

Not always. If a black box is only placed on top of a PDF, the text underneath can still be there. Then selecting and copying the text, searching, or moving the box can reveal what you meant to hide. This tool re-draws each page as an image with the boxes painted in, so the text underneath is gone.

How do you check that the text is really gone?

“Redact & check” opens the finished PDF again with a different reader and looks for text on every page. Only when it finds none does it say that no text is left and let you save. If any text is found, saving is blocked. Areas you did not black out stay visible, so check by eye that you didn't miss anything.

Can I select or search text in the saved PDF?

No. Because the pages become images, the text you didn't black out can't be selected or searched either. In return, what you hid can never come back.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The file is read in this page, redacted on your device and saved.

Will it find every card number or phone number?

It only looks where the PDF contains text. In scanned documents or photos the text is part of an image and can't be searched, so draw boxes there. Candidates can also pick up other numbers with a similar shape, so always check by eye. Numbers with each digit in its own box may not be found.

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