Why isn't the text selectable afterwards?

Every page is re-rendered as an image, which is precisely what destroys the hidden text. A selectable text layer would mean the redacted words were still in the file.

Can someone move the black box aside?

No. It is not an object sitting on top of the page — the pixels are part of the page itself and the original text is gone.

Does redaction remove metadata too?

The visible content is redacted. Run the output through the Metadata Editor if the document properties also mention names or systems you want removed.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. Every operation runs inside your browser tab using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Nothing is transmitted to MyToolyard or any third party, and nothing is stored after you close the tab.

Is there a file size or page limit?

There is no artificial limit — the practical ceiling is your device's memory. Files up to roughly 100MB are comfortable on a modern laptop; very large scanned documents are best processed in smaller batches.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The interface is fully responsive and touch-friendly. Very large documents will be slower on mobile because processing uses the device's own CPU and memory.

Redact PDF

Drag boxes over anything confidential. The page is re-rendered with the boxes burned in, so the text underneath is genuinely gone — not just covered.

No training on your data
Region: global

Drop a PDF to redact

Click, drag or paste — redaction runs on your device

PDF & DocumentsOptimise & Secure

Redact PDF — Overview

About this tool

What is Redact PDF?

Redact PDF permanently removes confidential content rather than covering it. Drag boxes over names, account numbers, salaries or addresses on a live page preview, then export.

On export each page is re-rendered with the boxes burned in, so the text underneath is genuinely absent from the output file — it cannot be selected, copied, searched or recovered by moving a rectangle.

That is the crucial difference from drawing a black shape in a PDF editor, the mistake behind many well-publicised leaks of supposedly redacted documents.

What it does

What does Redact PDF do?

Redaction that survives copy-and-paste:

Click-and-drag boxes directly on a rendered page preview
Multi-page support with per-page and clear-all controls
Click any box to remove it before exporting
Choice of blackout colour, including white for blanking
Output resolution from 100 to 300 DPI
Hidden text destroyed on export, not merely masked

How to use

How to use Redact PDF

1
Drop the PDF
Move to the page you need to redact using the page controls.
2
Drag over the sensitive text
Draw a box over anything confidential. Click a box again to remove it if you misjudged the area.
3
Redact and download
Pick an output resolution, then export a document where the hidden content no longer exists.

Good to know

Privacy & cost

This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, logged, or saved on our servers — safe for confidential or proprietary data.

Use cases & scenarios

Where it fits

Sharing a contract externally

Hide pricing, signatures and personal details before circulating a contract for reference.

Freedom-of-information and legal disclosure

Remove third-party personal data before releasing documents, with confidence it cannot be extracted.

Screenshots for support tickets

Redact account numbers and email addresses from statements before attaching them to a ticket.

Value & benefits

Why people pick this tool

✓Free forever — no page caps, watermarks, sign-ups or premium tier
✓100% in-browser processing — your documents never touch a server
✓Works offline once the page has loaded, ideal for confidential files
✓No queues or waiting rooms — the work happens at the speed of your device

Frequently asked questions

FAQs

Final thoughts

The bottom line

Most redaction failures are not sophisticated attacks — they are someone drawing a rectangle and assuming that is enough. Burning the blackout into the page removes the assumption, and processing locally means the unredacted original never leaves your device.

More ways to edit a PDF

Merge, split, compress, protect and sign PDFs privately in your browser.