Guide5 min read
How to Permanently Redact a PDF
A black box over PDF text doesn't delete it — the text is still copy-pasteable. Redact it for real, free, entirely in your browser.
Redact PDF
Permanently black out and remove text or images from a PDF. Free, instant, nothing uploaded.
Drop your PDF here
or click to browse — PDF files only
✓Free forever
✓No account required
✓No watermark
✓Nothing uploaded to servers
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Everything you need to redact a PDF
100% private — nothing uploaded
Redaction happens locally in your browser using pdf.js and pdf-lib. Nothing is sent to a server.
Genuinely irrecoverable
Redacted pages are rebuilt as flattened images, not covered with a box — the underlying text is actually gone.
Untouched pages stay untouched
Only pages with a redaction region are rasterized. Every other page keeps its original, selectable text.
Unlimited, free redaction
No per-day limit, no watermark, no account. Redact as many PDFs and pages as you need.
Instant processing
No server round trip — your PDF is rebuilt in seconds, right in the browser.
Three steps to a redacted PDF
- 1
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop the PDF onto the page, or click to browse.
- 2
Add regions over what to remove
Switch between pages, click "Add region to this page," then drag it to cover each piece of text or image you want gone. Add as many as you need.
- 3
Redact and download
Click Redact & download — pages with a region are permanently rebuilt so the covered content can't be recovered.
Built for anyone who needs to remove sensitive content
Whether it's a legal filing, a medical record, or a contract you need to share — PixelTools redacts it for free, with nothing uploaded.
Legal & compliance documents
Remove names, case numbers, or privileged sections from filings before sharing with opposing counsel or the public.
Medical & personal records
Black out patient identifiers or personal details before forwarding a record for research, insurance, or education.
Contracts & financial statements
Cover account numbers, salaries, or other sensitive figures in a document you need to share more broadly.
FOIA & public records requests
Redact exempt information from a document before it's released in response to a public records request.
Frequently asked questions
Is this tool free?
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Yes, completely free with no limits. No account required.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
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No. Redaction happens entirely in your browser using pdf.js and pdf-lib. Your file never leaves your device.
Does drawing a black box actually remove the text underneath?
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Not by itself — a black rectangle drawn on top of text leaves the text in the file, recoverable with copy-paste or any text-extraction tool. This tool avoids that: any page with a redaction region is rebuilt as a flattened image, so the covered text and everything else on that page is genuinely gone from the file, not just hidden.
Will pages I didn't redact still have selectable text?
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Yes. Only pages that have at least one redaction region are rasterized. Every other page passes through unchanged, with its text still selectable and searchable.
Can I redact more than one thing per page?
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Yes. Add as many regions as you need on any page, and drag each one to cover exactly what should be removed.
What happens to a redacted page's text — can it still be found with Ctrl+F?
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No. Once a page is redacted it becomes a flattened image, so none of its text — the part you covered or the rest of the page — is selectable or searchable anymore. That's the honest tradeoff of doing redaction correctly.
Will this remove a password from my PDF?
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No. Redact PDF works on files you can already open. If your PDF is password-protected, use Unlock PDF first.
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