Redact PDF
Permanently remove sensitive content from your documents
Drop your PDF here or click to browse
Supports PDF files up to 100MB
Need to remove sensitive information from a PDF before sharing? iReadPDF's redaction tool permanently removes text, images, and data from your documents. Unlike simply covering content, our redaction actually deletes the underlying data—it cannot be recovered.
Perfect for GDPR compliance, legal discovery, FOIA requests, and protecting personal information. Select text to redact, draw boxes over images, or search and redact all instances of specific text. The redacted areas are truly gone, not just hidden.
Why Use Our Redact PDF Online for Free?
Who Uses This Tool?
Trusted by professionals across industries for their daily document needs
GDPR Compliance
Remove personal data per GDPR. Redact customer information. Ensure privacy compliance.
Legal Discovery
Redact privileged information. Remove confidential data. Prepare documents for court.
FOIA Requests
Redact exempt information. Prepare public records. Meet disclosure requirements.
Healthcare
Remove patient information (PHI). Redact for HIPAA compliance. Protect health records.
Financial Documents
Redact account numbers. Remove financial PII. Protect financial records.
HR Documents
Redact employee SSNs. Remove salary information. Protect personnel records.
How It Works
Get started in three simple steps
Upload PDF
Upload the PDF containing information to redact.
Mark Redactions
Select text, draw boxes, or search by keyword to mark areas for redaction.
Apply & Download
Apply redactions permanently and download the sanitized PDF.
Powerful Features
Everything you need, nothing you don't
Text Selection
Click and drag to select text for redaction.
Search & Redact
Find and redact all instances of specific words or patterns.
Area Redaction
Draw boxes to redact images and non-text content.
Pattern Matching
Automatically find SSNs, phone numbers, and other patterns.
Permanent Removal
Data is truly deleted, not just visually covered.
Custom Appearance
Choose redaction mark color (black, white, or custom).
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions
Is the data truly removed or just covered?
Truly removed. Our redaction deletes the underlying data from the PDF. It cannot be recovered by removing a covering element.
Can someone recover redacted information?
No. Proper redaction removes the data from the file. This is different from simply placing a black box over text.
Can I redact by searching for keywords?
Yes, enter a word, phrase, or pattern (like SSN format) and redact all occurrences throughout the document.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
For scanned PDFs, use area redaction to cover sensitive parts. The image data in those areas is removed.
Is this GDPR compliant?
Yes, proper redaction permanently removes personal data, helping you meet GDPR "right to erasure" requirements.
Can I review before finalizing?
Yes, marked redactions are shown but not applied until you confirm. Review everything before making redactions permanent.
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