Your files stay with you
Everything is processed in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server, and there is no account to create.
PDF schwärzen
Permanently black out sensitive text or images in a PDF.
or drop files here
How it works
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Add your PDF file.
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Draw a black box over everything that must disappear.
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Click Redact PDF and download. The pages you marked become pictures without the covered content.
Free, fast and private
Free, without limits
No sign-up, no watermarks added by us and no daily limit on the number of files.
Works on any device
Use it on a computer, tablet or phone. After the page has loaded it even works offline.
Frequently asked questions
Is the covered content really removed?
Yes. Every page with a black box becomes a picture with the box painted into it, and the original page is deleted from the file: its text, fonts, form fields and comments are gone. A redacted page has no text left to copy or search. Pages you did not mark are not changed.
Why do the marked pages become pictures?
A PDF keeps the text of a page separately from how the page looks. A black rectangle on top hides the text but does not delete it, and anyone can copy it out. Turning the page into a picture with the box painted into the pixels is the only way to be sure. The price is that the whole page is no longer selectable text, and the file may get larger. A lower resolution makes it smaller.
Can I undo a redaction later?
No. The covered content is permanently removed from the file you download. Keep your original file in case you need it.
What else changes in the file?
Bookmarks, the tag structure used by screen readers and the document properties such as title and author are removed, because they can quote the redacted text. Attachments, and form fields and links on pages you did not mark, are kept: check them if they may hold sensitive information.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The work happens inside your browser on your own device, so private documents stay private. You can check this in your browser’s network panel.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no fixed limit. Very large files need a lot of memory, so on an older phone a smaller file works best.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
More tools
PDF schützen Lock a PDF with a password so that only people who know it can open the file. PDF komprimieren Make a PDF smaller by compressing its pictures. Text, links and layout stay the same. PDF bearbeiten Add text, images, shapes, highlights, drawings and signatures to a PDF, or click existing text or a picture to change it. PDF-Wasserzeichen Stamp text or an image across your PDF pages.