Redact a PDF and remove sensitive information for good
Drawing a black box over text doesn't remove it: anyone can still copy it out. PDFZyro's redaction deletes the text and pictures under the box from the file, then saves the result as a new version.
Free plan with no time limit. Pro free for 7 days, no card needed.
How to redact a PDF
Open the document
Choose a PDF from your documents or upload one, and open the Redact tool.
Mark what to remove
Select text, draw boxes over areas, or search for words and patterns such as Social Security numbers, emails, phone numbers and card numbers, and mark every match at once.
Apply the redactions
Check the marks, then apply them. The content underneath is removed from the file and the redacted copy is saved as a new version.
Redaction that really removes content
True redaction
The text and pictures under each mark are deleted from the PDF, not hidden. Copying, searching or converting the file can't bring them back.
Search and redact
Find Social Security numbers, emails, phone numbers, credit card numbers, dates or your own words across the whole document and redact every match in one go.
Areas and pictures
Draw a box over a signature, a photo or part of a scan to remove it, not only selectable text.
Hidden data too
The words you redact are also removed from the document's properties, bookmarks and comments, and you can remove all other hidden data in the same step.
Your original is kept
The redacted copy is a new version. The original stays in the history, private to you, in case you need to redact again.
Private by design
Encrypted and private
Every file is encrypted before it's stored, and only you and the people you share with can open it.
Your original stays safe
Every change is saved as a new version. The original is never changed, and you can restore it at any time.
No watermarks
Files you save never get a watermark, on any plan, including the free one.
Works in your browser
Nothing to install. Use it on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks, iPhone, iPad and Android.
Questions and answers
Is a black box the same as redacting?
No. A black rectangle drawn over text only covers it: the text is still in the file and can be selected, copied or found by search. Redaction removes the content itself, which is what PDFZyro does when you apply redactions.
How do I redact a PDF for free?
Create a free PDFZyro account, open your PDF with the Redact tool, mark the text or areas to remove and apply. Redacting isn't counted towards the Free plan's daily tasks.
Can I find and redact every email address or Social Security number?
Yes. Search for a pattern such as Social Security numbers, emails or phone numbers, or for your own words, and PDFZyro marks every match. Review the marks, remove any you want to keep, then apply.
Can redaction be undone?
Not in the redacted file: once applied, the content is gone from that version. Your earlier version stays in your private history, so you can start again from it if you redacted too much.
Is Redact PDF free?
Yes. Redact PDF isn't counted towards the Free plan's daily tasks, so you can use it as much as you like with files up to 50 MB. Pro adds unlimited edit, convert, compress and OCR tasks and more storage, and is free to try for 7 days.
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