Redact a PDF — for real
Mark areas, selected text or search results (emails, phone numbers, card-like numbers, IDs, your own words or patterns). On export the content under each box is removed from the file, not just covered — and the result is re-checked.
How to use Redact PDF
- Open the PDF.
- Mark areas, select text, or search for patterns and review every match.
- Apply: redacted pages are rebuilt without the hidden content.
- Read the verification result, then share.
When to use it
- Sharing bank statements, payslips or ID copies.
- Legal discovery and FOI responses.
- Removing customer data before sending a document outside your team.
What to expect
- Pages with redactions are rebuilt as high-resolution images, with the rest of their text kept searchable. Links and form fields on those pages are removed.
- Smart suggestions (names, addresses) are rule-based hints — always review them.
- Whiteout is a different tool and is not secure.
Questions
How do I know the text is really gone?
After export the editor re-opens the output and extracts its text, checking that redacted strings are absent, and tells you the result.
What about black boxes someone else drew?
The Redact panel detects text hidden under existing black rectangles and offers to redact it properly.