How to Redact Sensitive Information in a PDF
Upload your PDF, select the text to redact (or search for keywords), click "Redact," and the text is permanently removed from the content stream.
Introduction
PDF Redaction is a free online tool that permanently removes sensitive information from PDF documents. Unlike black highlighting, which only covers text visually (the text can still be copied and searched), true redaction removes the text from the PDF content stream entirely — making it unrecoverable. This is critical for legal documents, government records (FOIA compliance), medical records (HIPAA compliance), and any document containing personal information like Social Security numbers, addresses, or financial data. Unlike other redaction tools that upload your files to remote servers, PDFly performs redaction entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your documents never leave your device. The tool offers both visual selection (click and drag over text) and Search & Redact (find and redact all instances of specific keywords). There are no file size limits, no daily usage caps, no watermarks, and no account required. This tutorial covers every redaction option, with security best practices, troubleshooting, and FAQs.
Step-by-Step Guide
Upload Your PDF
Drag and drop your PDF onto the redaction workspace, or click to browse and select it.
Select Text to Redact
Click and drag over text to select it, or use "Search & Redact" to find and redact all instances of specific keywords.
Apply Redaction
Click "Redact" to permanently remove the selected text. Redacted areas are filled with black bars.
Download the Redacted PDF
Download the redacted PDF. The sensitive information is permanently removed, not just hidden.
Pro Tips & Best Practices
Always verify redacted areas in the output PDF.
Use "Search & Redact" with patterns like email addresses for bulk redaction.
Redaction removes text from the content stream — it's not just a visual overlay.
After redaction, use the PDF Metadata Editor to remove sensitive metadata too.
Common Use Cases
Legal Document Preparation
Redact sensitive information from legal documents before discovery or public release.
FOIA Compliance
Redact exempt information from government documents for FOIA responses.
Privacy Protection
Remove personal information from documents before sharing publicly.
Key Features
Permanent Redaction
Text is removed from the content stream, not just hidden.
Search & Redact
Find and redact all instances of specific keywords.
Visual Selection
Click and drag to select text for redaction.
100% Private
All redaction happens in your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. PDFly's redaction removes the text from the PDF content stream entirely. It cannot be recovered.
Currently, redaction works on text content. To redact images, use the Delete Pages tool.
Black highlighting only covers text visually — the text can still be copied. Redaction permanently removes the text.
Common Issues & Solutions
Redacted text can still be copied
This means you used black highlighting instead of true redaction. PDFly's redaction tool removes text from the content stream. Make sure you're using the Redact button, not just adding a black rectangle annotation.
Search & Redact missed some instances
Check your search terms for typos or variations. The search is case-sensitive in some modes. Try multiple search terms for different variations of the same word or name.
Can't redact images in the PDF
Currently, redaction works on text content only. To remove sensitive images, use the Delete Pages tool to remove the entire page, or use the Crop PDF tool to crop out the image area.
Want to verify redaction was successful
After redacting, try selecting and copying text in the redacted areas using a PDF reader. If no text appears when you copy, the redaction was successful. You can also search for the redacted terms — they should not be found.
Ready to Try PDF Redaction?
Put this tutorial into practice right now. PDF Redaction is free, browser-based, and requires no signup.
Open PDF Redaction