PDF guides
How to Permanently Redact a PDF
Redact PDF draws over sensitive text or images and permanently removes that content from the page, rather than just covering it with a removable overlay.
Ready to try the tool this guide describes?
Step-by-step redaction
A running summary shows how many pages will be redacted and how many will stay unchanged before you download.
- Open /tools/redact-pdf and choose or drop a PDF (up to 25 MB, 200 pages).
- Navigate to each page that has sensitive content.
- Draw one or more boxes over the content to redact.
- Select Redact & download.
What happens to a redacted page
Any page with a redaction box is rebuilt as a flattened image, so the text and pixels underneath the box are not present in the output at all — not merely hidden by a shape drawn on top. Text on a redacted page is no longer selectable or searchable, and links, form fields, or annotations on that page are removed.
Pages without a redaction box are left as their original vector content and are not flattened.
Privacy
Redaction happens locally in your browser. Your file is never uploaded to Looty Tools.
How to Redact a PDF FAQ
- Does redacting change pages I did not draw a box on?
- No. Only pages with at least one redaction box are flattened; every other page keeps its original vector content and quality.
- How many redaction boxes can I draw on one page?
- Up to 25 boxes per page, and up to 50 pages can be flattened per file.
- Can I choose the color of the redaction box?
- Yes, a color picker is available in the tool — the default is solid black.
- Will the redacted secret still be searchable in the downloaded PDF?
- No. Redacted pages are rebuilt as images with no underlying text layer, so there is nothing for a search or copy operation to find.
- What is the maximum file size?
- Redact PDF accepts one PDF up to 25 MB and 200 pages.
Related guides
- Redaction vs Blacking OutA black rectangle drawn over PDF text usually leaves the original text selectable and recoverable underneath it. Learn what real redaction requires instead.
- Remove Sensitive PDF InfoA practical checklist for removing sensitive text, images, and metadata from a PDF before sharing it, and which steps a redaction tool does and does not cover.
- How to Protect a PDFAdd a password to a PDF in your browser: choose a password, confirm it, and download an AES-256 encrypted copy that only your password can open.