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PDF Redaction

Black boxes that really remove the text.

A black rectangle drawn over text in many PDF editors leaves the words underneath, and anyone can copy them out. This tool does not cover text. It turns each page into a picture with the boxes burned in, so the words are gone from the file. It finds emails, phone numbers, IBANs, card and ID numbers for you, clears the file's hidden details, and then checks the result. Nothing is uploaded.

Drop a PDF here, or click to chooseAlso works on a JPG or PNG of a scan. The file stays on your device.

How it works

1. Find

Pick what to look for. Text PDFs are read directly.

2. Review

Every box is shown on the page. Turn off what should stay, and draw boxes for anything the search missed.

3. Remove and verify

We rebuild the file from page pictures, then reopen it and check for text, hidden details and black under every box.

Questions

Why not just draw a black box in my PDF editor?

In many editors the box is a shape on top of the page. The text is still in the file underneath, and copy and paste or a search will bring it back. This tool removes the page text altogether by turning the page into a picture with the box burned in. Then step 4 reopens the result and checks for text.

I already blacked out a PDF somewhere else. Can I check it?

Yes. Drop it here and press Find them. Anything listed is still readable in that file's text layer. The tool only looks for the types you tick and the words you type, so add the names or numbers you meant to hide.

What does the output look like?

Each page becomes a picture inside a new PDF, so you cannot select or search the text any more. That is what makes the removal permanent. The file is larger than a text PDF. The quality choice sets the sharpness.

How good is the automatic search?

It matches patterns, so it can miss things and can mark things that are not private. Names are a guess. Always look at every page before you share the file. Drag a box over anything it missed. Step 4 confirms what was removed from the file. It cannot know what you meant to hide.

What does the check in step 4 prove?

That the new file has no text layer, no comments, form fields or attachments, no author or title details, that no selected values were found in extracted text or a raw-byte search, and that the area under every box is black. It does not prove that you chose every sensitive item.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The PDF is read, searched and rebuilt on your device.

Is this legal-grade redaction?

We make no legal or compliance claims. Courts and agencies have their own rules for redaction. Check yours.

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