Redact PDF
Use Redact PDF ↓Permanently remove sensitive text, numbers and images from a PDF — content under a box is destroyed, not just covered up.
True redaction: every page of the output is rebuilt as a flattened image with your boxes burned in, so removed content is truly gone — it cannot be copied back, searched or recovered. The trade-off is that the finished PDF is image-only, with no selectable text, links or form fields.
Continue your task
Password-protect the redacted copy before you share it. Open Protect PDF.
Protect PDF
Password-protect the redacted copy before you share it.
PDF Metadata Editor
Scrub document properties such as author and title before sending the file.
How to Redact a PDF: Remove Content, Not Just Cover It
What true redaction means, why black boxes alone fail, and how to check a redacted file before sharing it.
Last updated: October 22, 2026 · Maintained by ToolVero
About Redact PDF
Redact PDF permanently removes sensitive content from a document before you share it. You draw boxes over the passages, numbers or images that must go; the tool then rebuilds every page as a flattened image with the boxes burned in, so the covered content no longer exists anywhere in the file.
When is Redact PDF useful?
Removing names, account numbers, addresses, prices or personal details from contracts, statements, ID scans and reports before emailing or uploading them.
- Use it when you need a quick result without installing desktop software.
- Review the output when the result will be submitted, published, printed or used for an important decision.
How to use Redact PDF
- Choose a PDF, draw a box over each item to remove (use the page buttons for multi-page files), then choose Redact & Download and save the -redacted.pdf copy.
Practical tips for Redact PDF
Zoom your judgement, not the page: draw each box slightly larger than the content it covers, and check every page — a name often appears in headers, footers and signature blocks as well as the body.
- Keep the original input when the operation changes or converts it.
Things to know before you start
Because pages become images, the output is larger than a text PDF and its remaining text cannot be selected or searched. That permanence is the point of redaction. If you only need to hide content visually in a draft, a watermark or the PDF Editor may be enough — but never share a merely covered file as "redacted".
Privacy and file handling
ToolVero is built around browser-based utilities where the individual tool supports local processing. When a tool loads a public JavaScript library, that library is used to perform the operation in the page. Do not enter passwords, private keys or other highly sensitive information into any tool unless you understand the processing involved.
Frequently asked questions
Is this true redaction, or just black boxes?
It is true redaction. The output is rebuilt page by page as flattened images with the boxes burned in, and the original text layer is discarded entirely — there is nothing left under the box to copy, search or uncover.
Is Redact PDF free?
Yes. ToolVero provides this utility without requiring a subscription for routine use.
Why does the redacted PDF have no selectable text?
Flattening every page to an image is what makes the removal permanent. If you also need a searchable copy, keep your original private version and share only the redacted one.
About this page
Written and maintained by Fahad Farid. See our editorial policy or report an error.
Redact PDF pages online
Use ToolVero to redact PDF content when a document is leaving your hands: job applications, tenancy paperwork, invoices and statements often carry more personal data than the reader needs. Redact first, then check the downloaded copy page by page before sending it.