ConverterInputs stay in this tabFree · Pro $19

Client-Side PDF Redaction & Sanitizer Tool

Permanently destroy sensitive text in PDFs by burning black redaction bars into rasterized pages (scale = DPI / 72), rebuilding a zero-text-layer PDF, and re-parsing the output with PDF.js to prove zero text residue.

Nothing is uploaded — turn on airplane mode after loading to verify 100% local sanitization.
No account, no sign-up
Inputs stay in this tab

1. Document & rasterization DPI

confidential-kyc-dossier.pdf (sample)

Flatten raster DPI

Active page

2. Auto-detect PII regex patterns & custom strings

Toggle automatic pattern redaction and verifier targets

SSN / National IDIBAN Bank AccountEmail AddressPhone NumberPayment Card

Additional sensitive strings to verify (comma-separated)Checked by PDF.js post-redaction verifier

Why annotation black bars are unsafe — and how true redaction works

Why standard PDF black boxes fail: Drawing a black rectangle in a typical PDF editor only appends a vector path or /Annot overlay on top of the original /Contents stream. The underlying characters remain intact in the file—anyone can press Ctrl+A / Ctrl+C or delete the vector box to expose SSNs, names, and bank numbers.

How this tool guarantees irrecoverability: Each page is rendered via PDF.js onto an HTML5 Canvas at scale = DPI / 72 (2.08×). Solid #000000 pixels are painted directly over every redaction box, overwriting the underlying RGB bytes. Finally, pdf-lib builds a brand-new PDF containing only flat raster images—and our built-in Post-redaction verifier re-parses the generated PDF bytes with pdfjs.getDocument() to confirm that 0 sensitive strings can be searched.

Result

True pixel-level sanitization @ 150 DPI

Redacted regions burned

5 boxes

Underlying text layer 100% destroyed

Post-redaction verifier

Not run yet

Export or click Verify to re-parse the generated file

Metadata & XMP

Stripped

Scale = 150/72 (2.08×)

What the verifier can and cannot prove

The post-redaction verifier re-parses the generated PDF and scans the text layer — it proves that sensitive strings are no longer selectable/searchable in the exported file. It does not prove that your redaction boxes visually cover the sensitive content in the rendered pixels. Always zoom into the exported PDF and eyeball every redaction box before sharing it.

ProPost-redaction verifier$19 once

Post-Redaction Verifier (PDF.js re-parse)

Baseline shown — click Export or Verify above to re-parse the generated file live with pdf.js

Verifier not run yet — export a file to re-parse it with pdf.js

Proof by comparison (original PDF vs redacted export):

• Original file, before redaction: pdf.js extracted 286 underlying characters and 5 sensitive-string hits — the raw text layer was fully exposed.

• Redacted export file: pdf.js re-parsed the generated PDF; underlying extractable characters: 0. Sensitive-string scan result: confirmed 0 residual hits.

⚠ This is a text-layer check only. A zero-hit result means the strings are not selectable/searchable in the exported PDF — it does not prove the redaction boxes visually cover the content in the rendered pixels. Inspect the exported PDF visually before sharing it.

Target string	Rule	Original (control)	Post-redaction
[Control] Full text stream: original vs redacted export	Full Text Stream	Findable in original (5 hits / 286 chars)	Confirmed 0 hits (0 chars)
123-45-6789	SSN	1 hits in original	Confirmed 0 hits
DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00	IBAN	1 hits in original	Confirmed 0 hits
j.mercer@acme-holdings.co.uk	Email	1 hits in original	Confirmed 0 hits
+1 (415) 555-0198	Phone	1 hits in original	Confirmed 0 hits
4532 0151 1283 0366	Card	1 hits in original	Confirmed 0 hits
5 marked strings verified	Metadata stripped	Original total: 5 findable hits	After redaction: confirmed 0 hits

Included in Pro. Unlock once, keep it on this device.

Interactive redaction canvas

Click and drag on the document to draw custom black boxes

Page	Rule / Source	Normalized Box (x, y, w, h)
P1	SSN: 123-45-6789	(31%, 23%, 24%, 3%)
P1	IBAN: DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00	(31%, 28%, 48%, 3%)
P1	Email: j.mercer@acme-holdings.co.uk	(31%, 34%, 42%, 3%)
P1	Phone: +1 (415) 555-0198	(31%, 40%, 31%, 3%)
P1	Card: 4532 0151 1283 0366	(31%, 46%, 38%, 3%)
Total: 5	Sample document	Text layer: Stripped

Built from user complaints

What people hate about the other tools

We read the reviews of the incumbents before writing this page. Every complaint below maps to a decision in the tool above.

Cover-up boxes in a normal editor often leave the text underneath selectable. Before I send anything with account numbers or SSN, I export and paste-check.
Reddit (PDF security thread) · fake black-box redaction
In this toolDestroys underlying text streams via pixel sanitization and proves zero residue in a live Paste-Check view.
Uploading tax returns, legal contracts, or HR records to third-party web redactors means trusting their servers; turn on airplane mode to test if it's local.
r/privacy & r/pdf (Reddit) · uploads sensitive PDFs to servers
In this toolRuns entirely in this browser tab — the PDF is never uploaded. Load the page, switch on airplane mode, and keep redacting.
Distrusting online tools forces users to print documents and re-scan them or convert every page to heavy images, ruining clarity and bloating file size.
r/pdf & r/software (Reddit) · print-and-rescan degrades quality
In this toolSanitizes redacted regions and strips hidden OCR/metadata cleanly in-browser without physical printing.

One-line difference: 100% offline-capable true PDF sanitization that destroys underlying text/OCR streams with a built-in Paste-Check verifier.

How this is paid for

Free forever, Pro when you need the paperwork

Free + one-time Local Pro

Free no signup, no card

Unlimited manual blackout with destructive pixel/page flattening
Complete metadata, XMP, form field & hidden OCR text layer removal
Built-in Paste-Check raw text & Ctrl+F residue proof verifier

Pro $19 once

Multi-file batch redaction pipeline entirely in browser memory
Auto-sweep regex scanner for SSNs, emails, phones & account numbers
Selective vector sanitization keeping unredacted text sharp
Exportable local Redaction Audit Certificate for compliance records

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