How to Redact a PDF on Windows
Windows has no built-in way to redact a PDF, so you need a redaction tool: a free app such as PDF Redaction Studio Desktop from the Microsoft Store, the same tool in Edge or Chrome, or Adobe Acrobat Pro. Drawing black boxes in Edge, Word or Paint does not remove the text, and neither does Microsoft Print to PDF. Whichever tool you use, check the exported file before you send it.
This guide compares the options on Windows 11 and 10, gives the steps for each, and explains the shortcuts that leak text.
Which Windows method should you use?
| Studio Desktop (Microsoft Store) | Online tool in Edge or Chrome | Acrobat Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free up to 100 pages/month | Free up to 100 pages/month | Subscription |
| Install | Microsoft Store app | Nothing to install | Desktop installer |
| Finds names, addresses, numbers | Yes, AI, 15+ data types | Yes, AI, 15+ data types | A few US patterns |
| Scanned PDFs | OCR built in, 100+ languages | OCR built in, 100+ languages | OCR available |
| Search and redact all matches | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clears metadata | Yes, on export | Yes, on export | With Sanitize Document |
| Removes text permanently | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Method 1: PDF Redaction Studio Desktop from the Microsoft Store (recommended)
The desktop app is listed in the Microsoft Store as Redact PDF – PDF Redaction Tool. It installs in a few clicks, updates itself, and works on 64-bit Windows 11 and 10.
Steps
Install the app from the Microsoft Store
Open the Microsoft Store, search for "Redact PDF – PDF Redaction Tool" and click Get. The app installs like any Store app and updates itself. Prefer not to install anything? Open the online tool in Edge or Chrome instead; the steps below are the same.
Open the PDF
Drag the file from File Explorer into the app window, or choose it from your PC. OCR, text extraction and face detection run on your computer.
Review the AI highlights
Names, addresses, dates, phone numbers, email addresses and ID numbers are highlighted on every page. Scanned pages are read with OCR automatically.
Add or remove redactions
Search for a word to redact every occurrence, draw boxes over anything else, and press Ctrl+Z to undo.
Export and verify
Export the redacted PDF. The text and pixels under each box are deleted and the metadata is cleared. Open the result in the redaction checker, or press Ctrl+A in your PDF viewer to confirm nothing under the boxes can be selected.
Free for up to 100 pages per month. Also available for Linux.
Method 2: the free online tool in Edge or Chrome
If you can't install apps on a work PC, open the free PDF redaction tool in Microsoft Edge, Chrome or Firefox. It works the same way as the desktop app: drop the PDF, review the AI highlights, add boxes and download the redacted file. A free account is needed to download the result.
Method 3: Adobe Acrobat Pro on Windows
Open Tools → Redact, mark text or use Find Text & Redact, click Apply, then run Sanitize Document and save as a new file. The free Acrobat Reader cannot redact. For the full walkthrough, see How to redact in Adobe Acrobat; for other routes, see How to redact a PDF without Adobe.
What doesn't work on Windows
- Microsoft Edge. Edge is the default PDF viewer on Windows 11 and 10. Its Draw and Highlight tools add annotations on top of the page; the text underneath stays in the file.
- Microsoft Print to PDF. Printing a marked-up PDF bakes the boxes into the page, but the original text usually survives as a selectable text layer.
- Word, PowerPoint and Paint. Black shading or shapes hide words on screen only. Saving to PDF keeps the text. Paint does remove pixels from an image, but only works on screenshots, not on a multi-page PDF.
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.
Quick summary
- Install Redact PDF – PDF Redaction Tool from the Microsoft Store, or open the online tool in Edge.
- Open the PDF from File Explorer.
- Review the AI highlights; search or draw boxes for the rest.
- Export the redacted file.
- Verify it before sharing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Windows have a built-in PDF redaction tool?
No. Windows 11 and 10 open PDFs in Microsoft Edge, which can highlight, draw and add text, but has no redact command. Anything you draw in Edge is an annotation that sits on top of the text, so the text can still be copied.
Does Microsoft Print to PDF remove redacted text?
No. Printing a PDF with black boxes to "Microsoft Print to PDF" merges the boxes into the page, but the text underneath usually stays in the new file as selectable text. Use a real redaction tool, then check the output.
Can I use the Snipping Tool or Photos app to redact a PDF?
Only for a single screenshot. Snipping Tool and Photos edit images, so blacking out part of a screenshot does remove those pixels, but you lose the text, the other pages and the original layout. For a real PDF, use a redaction tool and keep the document intact.
What is the best free PDF redaction tool for Windows?
For most people, PDF Redaction Studio Desktop from the Microsoft Store or the same tool in the browser. Both find personal data automatically, read scanned pages with OCR and clear metadata, and the free plan covers 100 pages every month. Acrobat Pro redacts well but needs a subscription.
Is the desktop app safer than the online tool?
Both delete the redacted content for real. The desktop app runs OCR, text extraction and face detection on your PC and needs no browser. AI detection of names and other personal data can use our cloud service, which receives the extracted page text rather than the PDF file.
Does it work on Windows 10 as well as Windows 11?
Yes. The Microsoft Store app supports 64-bit Windows 10 and 11, and the online tool works in any current version of Edge, Chrome or Firefox.
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