Redact PDF
Permanently cover sensitive text or areas on a PDF with black rectangles.
Cover sensitive text on a PDF before sharing
Before emailing a bank statement to your CA, a salary slip to a landlord, or a contract to a partner, there's usually something that shouldn't go with it — account numbers, a signature, a salary figure, a third-party name. This tool lets you draw opaque rectangles directly over those regions so the visible document no longer contains the sensitive content.
Typical redaction targets
- Bank account and card numbers on statements
- Aadhaar, PAN, SSN, and other ID numbers
- Signatures and initials when sending sample contracts
- Third-party names and addresses on shared letters
- Salary, bonus, or transaction amounts on pay slips and invoices
How to redact safely
Drawing a black rectangle covers the visual content, but the original text can still exist underneath in the PDF's text stream. For proper legal-grade redaction, flatten the PDF after redacting — that bakes the rectangle into the page and discards the hidden text. For extra safety, print to PDF or run OCR PDF → remove text layer afterwards.
How to use this tool
- Upload PDF.
- Click and drag rectangles over the text or areas to cover.
- Navigate pages to redact more.
- Click Redact & Download.
Frequently asked questions
Is the underlying text really gone?
Black rectangles hide the visual content. For complete cryptographic removal, also run Flatten PDF after redacting — that strips the hidden text layer.
Can the rectangles be moved by the recipient?
Without flattening, yes — annotation rectangles are still editable objects. Always flatten before sending to a third party.
Can I redact multiple areas on one page?
Yes — drag as many rectangles as you need on each page before moving to the next.
Why not use a highlighter in white?
White highlights look clean on screen but disappear on some printers and copy/paste can still retrieve the text underneath. Black, flattened rectangles are the safe choice.
Is the original file uploaded?
No — everything happens in your browser. The PDF, and whatever you black out, never leaves your device.