How to redact a PDF so the text is really gone
Quick answer
Drawing a black box over text in a PDF only hides it — the words are still in the file and can be copied out. To redact properly, open the DO101 PDF Redactor, drag over everything that must go, and download. Each page is flattened to an image with those areas painted out, so the original text is genuinely removed.
Open the Redact PDF — freeStep by step
- 1Open the PDF Redactor and choose the PDF.
- 2Drag a box over each area to remove, on any page. Click a box to take it off again.
- 3Download the redacted PDF.
- 4Check it: try to select or search for a redacted word. It should not be found.
Why a black rectangle is not enough
A PDF stores text and drawings separately. A rectangle drawn on top sits over the words without touching them, so anyone can select the text underneath, copy it, or extract it with a converter. Court filings and government reports have leaked exactly this way.
The trade-off
Because redacted pages are turned into images, the rest of the text on those pages is no longer selectable or searchable either. That is the price of certainty. If you need the unredacted pages to stay searchable, extract just the pages that need redacting, redact those, and merge them back.
Up to 40 pages can be redacted per run.
What people forget to redact
The same detail repeated elsewhere: a name in the page footer, an account number in the header of every page, a reference number that identifies the person anyway. Signatures and handwritten initials. Text inside images and stamps. Go through every page once with a single question — could someone work out what I removed from what I left?
Why it matters that nothing is uploaded
The documents people redact are, by definition, the ones with something to hide. Rendering, painting and rebuilding all happen on your device, so the unredacted original never leaves it.
Frequently asked questions
Does redaction remove hidden data too?
The redacted pages are rebuilt from images, so the text objects on them are gone. Check the document properties for an author name or title you also want removed.
Can I redact on a phone?
Yes. Marking areas works with touch as well as a mouse.
The tool for the job
Permanently remove sensitive text, not just cover it.