Redact PDF
Search for text, emails, phone or card numbers and black them out for good.
Black out names, account numbers or anything confidential. Search the document or use one-click patterns for emails, phone numbers and credit cards. Redacted pages are flattened so the underlying text is really gone.
How to redact a PDF
- Choose your PDF.
- Search for text, click a pattern, or drag over areas to hide.
- Click “Redact & download”.
Frequently asked questions
Can the redacted text be recovered?
No. Pages with redactions are converted to images with the areas blacked out, so the original text is removed from the file.
What happens to pages without redactions?
They are kept exactly as they were, with selectable text.
How do I redact a PDF?
Open the PDF, then drag a box over anything you want to hide, or search for a word or phrase to mark every match. Click “Redact & download” and the marked content is removed from the file.
Can I redact every email address or phone number at once?
Yes. One-click buttons find all email addresses, phone numbers and credit card numbers in the document. Card numbers are checked with the Luhn test to avoid false matches.
Why isn’t drawing a black box enough?
In many editors a black rectangle only covers the text. The words underneath can still be selected, copied or found by search, which has caused real leaks in published court and government documents.
How do I check that the redaction worked?
Open the downloaded file, search for a redacted word with Ctrl+F, and try to select the blacked-out area. Check headers, footers and attachments as well.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. ModifyPDF processes files with JavaScript inside your browser. Your documents never leave your device, and nothing is stored after you close the page.
Find what to hide
Draw boxes over anything you want to hide, or search for a word or phrase to mark every match. One-click buttons find email addresses, phone numbers and credit card numbers (checked with the Luhn test to avoid false matches).
True redaction
Pages with redactions are flattened into images, so the hidden text is removed from the file rather than just covered by a black box. Pages without redactions are left untouched and keep their selectable text.
Why black boxes often fail
Drawing a black rectangle over text in many editors only covers it. The text underneath can still be selected, copied or searched, which has caused real data leaks in published court and government documents. True redaction removes the underlying content, which is what this tool does on every redacted page. Our guide to redacting a PDF explains the details.
Check before sharing
After redacting, open the downloaded file, search for a redacted word with Ctrl+F, and try selecting the area. Also check for information in places you might not see at a glance, such as headers, footers and attachments.