Remove hidden data from a PDF
See what a PDF carries besides its pages, such as the author’s name, attached files and scripts, and remove what you choose.
- 1 Choose files
- 2 Adjust
- 3 Download
or drag and drop here
PDF · 30 MBProcessed on this device. Your files are never uploaded.
- ✓ Free
- ✓ No account
- ✓ Files stay on your device
Prove it’s private
This panel counts the network requests this page makes after you choose a file, and how much each one sends. Your file is read and changed on this device. Our code never sends it anywhere.
- Requests since you chose a file –
- To pdfreadygo.com, for tool code and fonts –
- To ad and analytics services –
- Requests that sent a file or binary data –
- Most data sent in one request –
Ads and analytics can keep making small requests while you work, and they are counted above. Compare the largest one with the size of your file.
Before you chose a file, this page made 0 requests to load itself, its ads and its analytics. This counter can’t see inside ad frames, and ad frames can’t read your file. It also doesn’t list the tool’s background workers, which only load code from this site.
Test it yourself with airplane mode
- Open this page while you are online and wait a few seconds, so it can save itself for offline use.
- Turn on airplane mode, or turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data.
- Choose your file and run the tool. It still works, because nothing has to be sent.
A few extras, such as the HEIC photo decoder, are only saved after you first use them. Offline, they show an error instead of sending anything.
A PDF can hold much more than what you see on the page: the author’s name, the app and dates it was made with, attached files, comments, JavaScript, form entries, hidden layers and earlier saved versions. When you choose a file, the tool lists what it found. You pick what to remove, and it saves a clean copy, then checks the new file again.
Good to know before you begin
This tool doesn’t change the text and images on your pages. To black out text you can see on a page, use Redact PDF. Removing form fields or comments deletes what was typed in them. A digital signature stops being valid when the file changes, and password-protected PDFs need to be unlocked first.
How to remove hidden data from a PDF
- Select Choose a PDF, or drag your file onto the box.
- Read the list under Found in this file.
- Tick what to remove. Form fields are off by default, so filled-in forms stay fillable.
- Select Remove hidden data →, read the check under Your file is ready., then select Download result ↓.
What it looks for
- Document properties: title, author, subject, keywords, the app that made the file, and the dates it was created and changed.
- XMP metadata: a second copy of these details, sometimes with editing history.
- Attached files: other files stored inside the PDF.
- JavaScript and automatic actions: scripts and actions that run when the file opens or a page is shown.
- Comments and markup: notes, highlights and drawings, often with the reviewer’s name.
- Form fields: fields and what was typed in them.
- Hidden layers: content in layers that are switched off. It is still in the file.
- Earlier saved versions: some apps add changes to the end of a file, so the old text stays inside. The clean copy is saved fresh, which drops them.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is read and cleaned in your browser on your own device. You can check this with the Prove it’s private panel above.
Does it change how my pages look?
Page text, images and links stay as they are. Comments you remove no longer show, and form fields you remove disappear with what was typed in them.
Can it remove text I can see on a page?
No. Use Redact PDF for that.
Why are form fields off by default?
Removing fields deletes what was typed in them, and the form can’t be filled in again. To keep the answers as plain page content, use Flatten PDF first.
How do I know it worked?
After saving, the tool opens the new file, looks again and tells you if anything you selected is still there.
Having trouble? Read the FAQ or visit help and contact.