Redact PDF — Permanently Remove Sensitive Text
Black out names, addresses, account numbers, and any other PII before sharing your PDF. Everything happens in your browser — your file is never uploaded.
Upload a PDF to redact
Your file is processed locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
PDF redaction is the process of permanently removing sensitive or identifying information from a PDF document. Unlike simply placing a black box over text — which can often be reversed by copy-pasting the underlying text or removing the overlay — true redaction flattens the content so the sensitive data is gone for good.
TryDocsy's Redact PDF tool runs entirely in your browser using pdf-lib and PDF.js. You draw rectangles over the areas you want to hide, and the tool produces a new PDF where those regions are replaced with opaque black rectangles. Because no upload is involved, your document never leaves your device — making this the safest way to redact contracts, invoices, medical records, or any document containing personally identifiable information (PII).
Common redaction use cases include redacting social-security numbers, account numbers, names, addresses, signatures, email addresses, and phone numbers before sharing documents with third parties.
How to Redact a PDF
- 1
Upload your PDF — the file is processed locally in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
- 2
For each page, click and drag to draw a black redaction rectangle over the sensitive content. Adjust the size and position of each rectangle as needed.
- 3
Use the page navigator to review every page in the document. Pages with no redactions are left untouched.
- 4
Click "Apply & Download" to generate a new PDF with the redactions permanently burned in. The downloaded file can be shared safely.
- 5
Verify the redacted PDF by opening it in any reader. The underlying text under your rectangles is no longer selectable or copyable.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is redaction in TryDocsy truly permanent?
Yes. The redacted PDF produced by this tool replaces the redacted regions with opaque black rectangles drawn directly into the page content stream. Selecting or copying text from the redacted area will not reveal the original content.
Is my document uploaded to a server?
No. The entire redaction process runs in your browser using WebAssembly. Your PDF is never uploaded, logged, or transmitted to any server.
Can I redact entire pages or just specific areas?
This tool redacts specific rectangular areas, which is the safest way to remove targeted text. If you need to redact an entire page, consider combining this tool with PDF Organize to delete pages instead.
What file size is supported?
There is no hard limit. Because processing happens on your device, the practical limit is your available memory. Most documents under 100 MB process smoothly.
Does redaction work on scanned (image) PDFs?
Yes. The tool renders every page — including image-only scans — so you can draw rectangles over the visible content. For better results on scanned documents, run the PDF through OCR first.
Can I undo a redaction?
Before downloading, you can clear individual rectangles. Once you've downloaded the redacted PDF, the redactions are permanent — that's by design. We recommend keeping the original file until you've verified the redacted version.