Redact PDF — Permanently Remove Sensitive Information

What Redaction Actually Means

Drawing a black rectangle over text in a PDF editor is not redaction. It's a visual cover that anyone can remove by selecting the text underneath, copying the page content, or inspecting the file in a PDF reader. The sensitive data is still there — it's just hidden.

True redaction permanently removes the underlying content from the PDF structure. After redaction, the text, image, or data you marked is gone — not hidden, not covered, but deleted from the file. It cannot be recovered by selecting text, copying, extracting, or inspecting the document.

This distinction matters for legal compliance, FOIA requests, healthcare records, financial documents, and any situation where sensitive information must be truly eliminated before sharing.

How PDFlys Redact PDF Works

The Redact tool lets you visually mark areas for removal, then permanently strips the content from the PDF when you download. Here's the step-by-step process.

Step 1: Open the Redact PDF Tool

Navigate to the PDFlys Redact tool. No account or signup required.

Step 2: Upload Your PDF

Drag your PDF into the upload area or click to browse. Your file loads into your browser's memory — it's never uploaded to any server.

Step 3: Mark Content for Redaction

Click and drag on the PDF to draw redaction boxes over sensitive content. You can:

• Mark text — names, addresses, Social Security numbers, account numbers
• Mark images — photos, signatures, logos, diagrams
• Mark entire sections — paragraphs, tables, headers, footers
• Navigate between pages to redact content throughout the document

Each marked area appears as a highlighted box. You can resize, reposition, or delete any mark before finalizing.

Step 4: Review Your Marks

Before applying redaction, review every page carefully. Check that all sensitive content is covered and that no redaction boxes accidentally overlap content you want to keep.

Step 5: Download Your Redacted PDF

Click "Download Redacted PDF." The tool processes the file in your browser, strips the marked content from the underlying PDF structure, and generates a clean file for download.

Why Visual Covering Is Not Enough

To understand why proper redaction matters, consider what a PDF file actually is. A PDF contains multiple layers:

• Visual layer — what you see when you open the file
• Text layer — selectable, searchable, copyable text
• Metadata — author, creation date, software used, revision history
• Embedded objects — images, fonts, annotations

Drawing a black rectangle only covers the visual layer. The text layer still contains the original content. Someone can:

1. Select the text behind the rectangle and copy it
2. Use "Select All" (Ctrl+A) and paste into a text editor
3. Search the document for the "hidden" text
4. Open the PDF in a text editor and read the raw content

PDFlys Redact removes content from all relevant layers, not just the visual surface. After redaction, the text is gone from the text layer too.

Common Redaction Use Cases

Legal Document Review

Before sharing case files with opposing counsel or the public, redact privileged attorney-client communications, witness identities, and confidential settlement terms.

FOIA and Public Records Requests

Government agencies must redact personal information, security details, and exempt material before releasing public records. True redaction ensures compliance.

Healthcare Records (HIPAA)

Remove patient identifiers, diagnosis codes, and treatment details when sharing records for research, audits, or inter-facility transfers.

Financial Documents

Strip account numbers, transaction details, and client information from reports shared with auditors, regulators, or third parties.

HR Documents

Redact employee personal details (SSN, home address, salary) from documents shared during investigations, legal proceedings, or compliance reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone undo my redactions?

No. PDFlys removes the marked content from the PDF's internal structure. The data doesn't exist in the output file — there's nothing to undo or recover. This is different from drawing shapes over text, which only hides content visually.

Does redaction change the page layout?

Redacted areas appear as black boxes in the final document. The surrounding content and page layout remain unchanged. The black boxes indicate where content was removed.

Can I redact specific words automatically?

The current tool uses a visual drawing interface — you manually mark areas to redact. This gives you precise control over exactly what gets removed, which is important for accuracy in legal and compliance contexts.

What about document metadata?

The Redact tool focuses on visible content removal. If your document contains sensitive metadata (author name, revision history), you should also review the document properties separately.

Is this suitable for legal compliance?

PDFlys Redact permanently removes content from the PDF structure, which meets the technical requirement for redaction in most legal and regulatory contexts. For specific compliance requirements (FOIA, HIPAA, court orders), consult your legal team about your organization's redaction standards.

After Redaction

Once your document is redacted, consider these next steps:

• Protect PDF — Add password encryption before sharing the redacted document
• Compress PDF — Reduce file size if the redacted document needs to be emailed

For a deeper look at how PDFlys keeps your files private during processing, see our post on how PDFlys keeps your files private.