Non-encrypted PDF input
Open a PDF up to 25 MB and 20 pages. Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked before use.
Source metadata removal during PDF redaction
Remove PDF metadata while redacting visible details.
Apply at least one visible redaction, then create a new image-based PDF without carrying the source file's hidden properties and objects into the download.
Need to change only an author or title field while keeping searchable text? Use a dedicated metadata editor. FreeRedact requires a visible redaction and rebuilds the pages as images.
What this tool does
A clean-looking page can still carry information you cannot see
PDF metadata can include an author, title, subject, keywords, software name, and creation or modification dates. The file may also contain searchable text, form values, comments, links, attachments, scripts, thumbnails, or other embedded objects that are not obvious in a normal page view.
FreeRedact does not attempt to edit every hidden field in the source file. Instead, it renders the visible pages locally and creates a fresh PDF from those page images after you apply at least one reviewed redaction. The original PDF objects are not copied into the new file.
The tradeoff is deliberate: the rebuilt PDF is no longer searchable, selectable, or form-editable. If you only need to change one author field while preserving the original document structure, use a dedicated metadata editor. Use FreeRedact when the safer outcome is a flattened sharing copy.
Files and output
Supported formats and results
Visible-page rebuild
Each visible page is rendered as an image in the browser before the new PDF is assembled.
Hidden objects left out
The source text layer, forms, comments, attachments, links, scripts, and embedded objects are not copied.
Fresh PDF properties
The output receives new FreeRedact document properties rather than preserving the source author, title, or custom metadata.
How to use FreeRedact
A careful three-step workflow
Open the source PDF
Choose a supported PDF. Its visible pages are rendered locally without sending the file to a server.
Review visible private details
Accept useful suggestions and add at least one redaction. Metadata removal does not replace a page-by-page visual privacy review.
Download the rebuilt copy
Export a new image-based PDF, then inspect its properties and behavior in a second viewer.
Automatic suggestions
Metadata removal and visible redaction solve different problems
Hidden properties are not the only privacy risk in a PDF. The names, addresses, identifiers, and signatures visible on the page must still be reviewed.
Visible content suggestions
- Names, contact details, postal addresses, and account identifiers
- Payment cards, U.S. SSN-style numbers, private links, access tokens, and IPv4 addresses
- Faces, handwriting regions, and repeated custom text
- Details on every rendered page, including scans that do not contain a searchable text layer
Important limitations
- FreeRedact creates a flattened sharing copy; it is not a metadata-field editor
- Bookmarks, accessibility structure, searchable text, forms, links, and attachments are intentionally not preserved
- Text recognition can miss faint scans, handwriting, rotated text, and unusual layouts
- The new PDF's visible pages still require human review before distribution
Before you share
Check which source properties the rebuilt PDF leaves behind
Use the exported copy for testing and keep the source file separate.
Use these checks: Inspect source and output metadata · Understand PDF output limitations
- Open file or document properties and compare the author, title, subject, keywords, creator, and dates with the source.
- Try selecting, copying, and searching for text that appeared in the original PDF.
- Look for comments, annotations, attachments, form controls, links, scripts, and embedded media.
- Open the file in a second PDF viewer to confirm the pages render correctly.
- Review the visible pages again; removing metadata does not hide names or identifiers printed on the page.
- Rename the downloaded copy if its filename includes a person's name, case number, health condition, customer, project, or other private context.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
What PDF metadata does FreeRedact remove?
FreeRedact builds a new PDF rather than copying the source metadata. The original author, title, subject, keywords, dates, custom fields, and software history are not preserved.
Does it remove comments, attachments, and form values?
Yes. The new PDF contains page images, not the source comments, attachments, form fields, links, scripts, or embedded objects.
Can I remove metadata without adding a visible redaction?
The current editor requires at least one accepted or manual redaction before export. It is designed to create a reviewed redacted sharing copy, not to act as a metadata-only field editor.
Will the cleaned PDF remain searchable and accessible?
No. The flattened pages are image-based, so searchable text and document structure are not preserved. Consider the needs of the recipient before choosing this method.
Related tools and guides
Continue your privacy check
Ready to review the file?
Open the private editor to apply these checks. No signup is required, and the file stays on your device.
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