Redact a PDF
Black out names, account numbers and addresses — and have the words actually removed from the file, not merely hidden behind a rectangle.
Runs in your browser · Your file is never uploaded · No account needed
How to redact a PDF
- Open the PDF and choose the Censor tool.
- Type the words to redact, or drag boxes over what should go.
- Review the matches and untick any you want to keep.
- Save — the text is removed and a black bar is drawn.
What you get
- Search-based redaction across the whole document at once.
- Multiple search terms, with a per-match review list.
- Drag boxes to cover pictures, logos or handwriting.
- Suggestions that scan for emails, phone numbers and ID-like strings.
- True removal: the redacted text is deleted from the file, so it cannot be copied out of the black bar.
When you would use it
Share a bank statement safely
Remove the account number and address before sending it to a landlord or an accountant.
Publish a document with names removed
Search once and every occurrence is listed for review.
Hand over records under a request
Third-party details come out properly, not just covered.
Why it stays on your device
Most online PDF sites upload your document to a server, process it there and email you a link. This one does not. The PDF is opened, changed and saved by your own browser, so a contract, a bank statement or an ID scan never travels over the network — and the tool keeps working on a slow connection.
Questions
Is the text really gone, or just hidden?
Really gone. Drawing a black rectangle over words leaves them in the file where anyone can select or extract them — this removes the text itself and then draws the bar.
Can I redact a scanned document?
You can draw boxes over any area, and on a scan those boxes are burnt into the image so nothing shows through.
How do I find every occurrence?
Search for the term and the tool lists every match in the document; untick any you would rather keep.
Is my document sent anywhere for redaction?
No — which matters here more than anywhere else. The whole process happens inside your browser.
Is black highlighting the same as redacting?
No, and this is where documents leak. A black rectangle drawn in a normal editor sits on top of the words — anyone can select or copy the text underneath. This deletes the text, then draws the bar.
How do I permanently remove text from a PDF?
Search for it in the Censor tool and save. The characters are taken out of the file's content stream, so they cannot be extracted afterwards.
Related tools
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Get Redact / Censor on your device
The same tool, three ways — and offline on Windows and Android, so a document never needs a connection at all.
Prefer a page first? About the Windows app · About the Android app