Redact PDF - Black Out Sensitive Text & PII
Permanently blackout SSN, credit cards, bank accounts, and personal data from PDF.
Redact PDF & black out sensitive PII
Drag across the page preview to cover Social Security numbers, card numbers, addresses and other private details.
Upload a PDF to redact
PDF files up to 100 MB
How to use Redact PDF (Blackout PII)
- 1Upload your PDFSelect the document containing sensitive personal data (SSN, credit card, phone).
- 2Mark redaction boxesDrag across the page preview to place a black box over each piece of confidential information.
- 3Download redacted PDFDownload a clean, privacy-compliant PDF file.
Your files are processed over an encrypted connection and deleted automatically within one hour. Nothing is shared with anyone.
Redact PDF (Blackout PII): what to know before you start
Covering text is not redacting it
Drawing a black rectangle over a word hides it visually and leaves it completely intact in the file. Anyone can select the area, copy it, and read what was underneath. This is the single most common redaction failure, and it has exposed confidential information in filed court documents and published government releases more than once.
That is why the option to destroy the text under each box is on by default here. With it enabled, the pages you marked are re-rendered so the original text objects no longer exist anywhere in the document.
The trade-off you are making
Removing the hidden text means rebuilding those pages as images, so text on redacted pages stops being selectable and searchable. Only the pages you drew on are affected - the rest of the document keeps its selectable text and stays compact.
For most redaction work that is the right trade. If you genuinely need the page to remain searchable, turn the option off, but understand that you are then producing a document whose hidden content can be recovered.
What to redact, and what is easy to miss
Work from the rendered preview so you cover what is actually visible. Beyond the obvious identifiers - names, account numbers, addresses, dates of birth - check headers and footers, which repeat across pages and are easy to overlook, and any signature block.
Redaction does not touch document metadata. Author name, the software used and creation dates survive untouched, so run the file through the metadata remover as well before sharing anything sensitive.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Is redaction permanent?
Yes, as long as you leave "Also destroy the text under the boxes" ticked. Those pages are re-rendered so the hidden words no longer exist in the file and cannot be copied out. Untick it and the box only covers the text on screen - the words underneath stay in the document.
Why do redacted pages stop being selectable?
Removing the hidden text means rebuilding those pages as images. Only the pages you drew on are affected; every other page keeps its selectable text.
Is this tool free?
Yes. Every tool on WorkSathi is free to use with no sign up, no watermark on your result and no daily limit.
What happens to my files?
Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed, and then deleted automatically within one hour. We never open, share or sell your documents.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The tools work in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS - there is nothing to install.
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