Privacy4 min read
How to redact a PDF properly (a black box is not enough)
Drawing a black rectangle over text leaves the text underneath. Learn how to really remove sensitive information before sharing a PDF.
Quick answer
Use Redact PDF. It burns opaque boxes into the page pictures and rebuilds a new PDF, then checks that no hidden text remains. The trade-off is that the result has no selectable text.
Why highlighting or a box fails
Annotations and shapes sit on top of the page. The original text is still in the file, so anyone can select it, copy it or search for it.
Steps
- Run PDF Privacy Inspection to see metadata, comments and attachments.
- Open Redact PDF and drag boxes over everything that must be hidden.
- Download, then read the verification message and look at every page.
- Share the redacted copy, never the original.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I select text in the redacted file?
Pages are rebuilt as pictures so the covered text is destroyed. That is also why it is safe.