How to redact a PDFso nothing comes back
Step-by-step guides for removing names, numbers and faces from a document for good, on any device and for any kind of file. Every guide ends the same way: check the result before you send it.
Redaction basics
6 guidesHow to Check If a PDF Is Properly Redacted (Unredact Test)
Three quick tests to check whether a redacted PDF still hides recoverable text, layers or metadata, plus how to fix a failed redaction before you share the file.
How to Redact a PDF for Free (No Adobe, No Sign-Up)
Redact a PDF for free in your browser: AI finds names, addresses and ID numbers, and the text is deleted, not covered. Compare free options and their limits.
How to Redact a PDF Without Adobe Acrobat
Redact a PDF without Adobe Acrobat: five options, from a free AI browser tool and a desktop app to macOS Preview, online editors and open-source tools.
How to Permanently Redact a PDF (Not Just Black Boxes)
Permanently redact a PDF by deleting text, image pixels and metadata. See what a real redaction changes, how to do it free or in Acrobat, and how to verify.
How to Redact Text in a PDF (Every Instance, Automatically)
Redact text in a PDF and catch every instance of a word, name or number: AI detection by data type, search-and-redact for exact terms and manual boxes.
How to Black Out Text in a PDF (and Why a Black Box Isn't Enough)
Black out text in a PDF so it is really gone: why a drawn black box is not a redaction, and how to do it for free in a browser, in Acrobat or in Preview.
By device & platform
3 guidesHow to Redact a PDF on Mac (Preview vs Acrobat vs AI)
Redact a PDF on Mac three ways: Preview's built-in Redact tool, Adobe Acrobat Pro or a free AI tool in Safari or Chrome™, plus what Preview misses.
How to Redact a PDF on Windows 11 and 10 (Free, With or Without Adobe)
Redact a PDF on Windows 11 or 10 with a free desktop app from the Microsoft Store, a browser tool in Edge or Chrome™, or Acrobat Pro, plus why Edge and Print to PDF fail.
How to Redact in Adobe Acrobat: Step-by-Step (and What It Misses)
Redact in Adobe Acrobat Pro step by step: mark text and pages, use Find text & redact, apply it, remove hidden data and avoid mistakes that leave text.
By document type
1 guideHow to Redact a Scanned PDF (OCR + Image Redaction)
Redact a scanned PDF by running OCR first, as a scan is an image. Remove both the pixels and the recognised text from scanned documents, photos and faxes.
Which guide do I need?
- You have never done this before. How to Redact a PDF compares the four methods and explains which one actually removes the text.
- Someone sent you a redacted file. Check whether it is really redacted in under a minute.
- The document is a scan or a phone photo. OCR has to run before anything can be found: redacting a scanned PDF.
- You do not have an Acrobat licence. Redact a PDF for free, or see the alternatives to Acrobat.
- You are on a Mac. Preview can redact, but it cannot read scans and leaves metadata behind: what that means in practice.
- You are on Windows. There is no built-in redact tool, and Edge or Print to PDF leave the text in place: what to use instead.
- You need one name gone from every page. Redact text in a PDF covers search-and-redact across a whole document.
Every guide covers a recommended method using automatic detection, the alternatives on your platform such as Adobe Acrobat or macOS Preview, and what to avoid: drawing a black box, changing the text colour or blurring an image all leave the original recoverable.
Check that your redaction actually worked
Before you send a redacted PDF anywhere, open it in our free checker to confirm no hidden text, layers or metadata can be recovered.