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Redact PDF

Black out personal data in a PDF for good: find PAN, Aadhaar, mobile numbers, emails, card numbers or any text, add boxes by hand, and burn them in.

About Redact PDF

This free tool lets you redact a PDF properly, not just cover text with a black box. It can find PAN, Aadhaar, mobile numbers, email addresses, GSTIN, IFSC and card numbers automatically, search for any words you add, or let you drag boxes by hand. Review the list, untick anything that should stay visible, then redact and download.

Pages with redactions are flattened to images with the boxes burned in, so the hidden text cannot be copied or recovered, and document metadata is removed. Use it to hide an Aadhaar number before sharing a KYC copy or to black out text in a PDF before sending it to a third party. Your file is processed in the browser and never uploaded.

How to use Redact PDF

  1. Drop a PDF or try the sample KYC document.
  2. Tick the kinds of data to find, add words to search for, and click Find. You can also drag boxes on the page.
  3. Review the list: untick anything that should stay visible, or click a box on the page to toggle it.
  4. Click Redact and download. Pages with redactions are flattened to images so the hidden text cannot be recovered.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is opened and processed entirely inside your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, so it is safe for confidential documents.

Is this a real redaction or just a black box on top?

Real. Every page that has a redaction is re-drawn as an image with the boxes burned in, so the text underneath no longer exists in the file. Pages without redactions are copied unchanged. Document metadata (title, author, keywords) is removed. After saving, the tool re-reads the output to confirm the redacted text cannot be found.

Why is the text on redacted pages no longer selectable?

Because those pages are now pictures. That is what makes the redaction permanent. Choose 300 DPI if the file will be printed, 150 DPI for a smaller file.

Which patterns are detected?

Email addresses, Indian mobile numbers (with or without +91 or 0), PAN, Aadhaar (12 digits, first digit 2–9), GSTIN, IFSC codes and card numbers (13–19 digits that pass the Luhn check). Detection reads the PDF text layer, so scanned pages need manual boxes.

What does redact a PDF mean?

Redacting means permanently removing sensitive information from a document, so it cannot be read, searched or copied, rather than just hiding it under a shape.

How do I hide my Aadhaar number in a PDF?

Drop the PDF, tick Aadhaar and click Find, or drag a box over the number. Check the boxes and click Redact. For scanned copies, draw the box by hand.

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