Redact PDF
Redact a PDF in your browser: black out names, numbers, emails or phone numbers so the text is removed, not just hidden. Free, no upload.
Use the interactive tool to choose your files and create a download. JavaScript is required for local processing. No account needed.
How to redact a PDF
- Choose a PDF with selectable text, up to 300 MB and 200 pages.
- Type the words or numbers to black out, one per line, or tick emails, phone numbers or long numbers.
- Press Redact PDF. WaterPDF checks the result and confirms the text is gone before you download it.
Pages with a match are redrawn as 200 dpi pictures with black boxes burned in, so the covered words are deleted from the file rather than hidden under a shape. Pages without a match are kept as they were. Document title and author are cleared. Scanned pages have no text to search; run OCR PDF first.
Before you get started
How do I black out text in a PDF for free?
Choose the PDF, type the words or numbers to hide and press Redact PDF. It runs in your browser, so the document is not uploaded, and no signup is needed.
Is the text really removed, or just covered?
Removed. A black shape drawn over text in most editors leaves the words in the file, where they can be copied. WaterPDF turns each page with a match into a picture with the black box part of it, then searches the new PDF to confirm the words cannot be found.
Can it find account numbers, phone numbers and emails?
Yes. Tick the options to find every email address, phone number, or number with six or more digits, such as account, card or Aadhaar numbers, on every page.
Why was nothing found in my scan?
A scanned page is a picture without text. Run OCR PDF first to add text, then redact the OCR copy.
Are my documents uploaded?
No. Selected file contents are processed in your browser. Normal page requests still reach the hosting provider. Use a trusted device and keep your originals.