Remove hidden metadata from a PDF
A PDF often carries the author's name, the company, the software, dates, comments, attached files and even earlier versions of its pages. Drop a PDF to see what yours contains, then download a copy without it. The file never leaves your device.
Runs in your browser. Turn Wi-Fi off and try it.
What a PDF can carry without showing it
- Document properties: author, title, subject, keywords, company, and the dates it was created and changed;
- the software that made it, sometimes with a version number or a user name;
- XMP metadata: a second copy of those details, often with editing history and document IDs;
- attached files, such as the spreadsheet the report was made from;
- comments with the name of the person who wrote each one;
- earlier versions of edited pages, still inside the file;
- scripts that run when the file is opened.
Earlier versions inside the file
When a PDF is edited and saved, many programs add the changes to the end of the file instead of rewriting it. The old text and pictures stay inside, and specialised tools can bring them back. This tool rewrites the file with only the current version of each page.
What stays
Everything you can see: pages, text (still selectable and searchable), images, links and form fields with their values. Comments stay too, without their authors' names, unless you choose to remove them. Two checks run on the result: the same reader that found the data, then PDF.js, a second and independent PDF reader.
Metadata is not redaction
Removing metadata does not hide anything printed on the page. A name, an IBAN or a signature you can see is still there, and a black box drawn over it in an editor usually leaves the text underneath. To remove visible content for good, use Sumi: it finds personal data, lets you choose what goes, and burns it out of a clean copy.
Limits
Password-protected PDFs can't be changed without the password. A digitally signed PDF loses its valid signature once it is rewritten, so the tool tells you before you clean one. Files that use unusual structures may not be readable here; nothing is downloaded in that case.
Questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The page reads and rewrites the file inside your browser. Once the page has loaded, you can turn Wi-Fi off and it still works.
Does the text stay selectable?
Yes. Pages, text, images, links and form fields are kept as they are. Only the hidden data around them is removed.
Is this the same as redacting?
No. Redacting removes content you can see on the page, such as a name or an account number. This tool removes data you can't see. To black out visible content for good, use the Sumi app.
Can it clean a password-protected PDF?
Not directly. Open the file with its password, save or print a copy without protection, then drop that copy here.
What about Word and Excel files?
This tool reads PDFs only. In Microsoft Office, File, Info, Check for Issues, Inspect Document removes hidden data before you export. Then check the PDF here.