Redact a PDF Locally
Drawing a black rectangle is not redaction if the text underneath can still be copied. This tool draws the boxes and then rasterises each redacted page, so the hidden text, metadata and selectable characters are removed from the output.
Key facts
- Category
- PDF & Documents
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not required
- Processing
- In your browser
- Input
- Local files or pasted data
- Platform
- Modern desktop and mobile browsers
What it does
Drawing a black rectangle is not redaction if the text underneath can still be copied. This tool draws the boxes and then rasterises each redacted page, so the hidden text, metadata and selectable characters are removed from the output.
Draw black boxes over sensitive content and flatten those pages to remove the text.
How to use it
Here is the short version of using Redact PDF.
- Open the PDF — Navigate to the page that contains the sensitive information.
- Draw the boxes — Drag over names, account numbers or signatures. Undo or clear individual pages as needed.
- Redact and download — Every page with a box is flattened to an image; untouched pages stay as original vector pages.
Features that matter
What Redact PDF does well.
- Nothing leaves your device — The work happens in your browser tab. There is no upload endpoint in this app, so your files and text cannot be stored, logged or seen by us.
- No upload wait — You skip the round trip to a server entirely. Results are limited by your own CPU, not by network speed or queue size.
- Free, no account, no quotas — No sign-up wall, no watermark, no daily limit. Optional accounts only exist to save favourites and presets across devices.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF safe to use here?
Yes. This tool runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you paste or open is sent to a server, and the page keeps no copy after you close it.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Every tool is fully usable without signing in. An account only adds saved favourites and reusable presets.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The interface is mobile-first with large touch targets and a stacked layout, so it works on phones and tablets as well as desktops.
Is the text really removed?
On redacted pages, yes. The page is converted to an image after the boxes are drawn, so the original text layer is not included in the output. Unredacted pages keep their original text.
Can I search the redacted PDF afterwards?
Text on redacted pages is no longer searchable or selectable. That is the trade-off that makes the redaction trustworthy. Keep an unredacted original in secure storage if you need it.
Open Redact a PDF Locally
Try it now — it runs in your browser and needs no account.
Open the tool