How to redact a PDF properly

Steps to redact a PDF

1. 1Open quillo.tr/redact-pdf.
2. 2Choose your PDF or drop it on the page.
3. 3Draw a box over what you want to hide, with your finger or the mouse. You can move the box and resize it from a corner.
4. 4Go to other pages and draw boxes there if needed.
5. 5Press Redact and download the new PDF.

Why is a black box not enough?

Placing a black shape over text in Word or a PDF reader only covers the picture. The text layer stays in the file: anyone who selects and copies, searches, or deletes the shape gets the text back.

turns each page you marked into an image and paints the box into that image. The letters under the box do not exist in the new file. The trade-off is that text on redacted pages can no longer be selected; pages without boxes stay exactly as they were.

A last check before sending

Open the downloaded file, try to select the redacted area and search the document for that number; nothing should come up. A document can also carry information you cannot see, such as the author name: remove it at quillo.tr/remove-pdf-metadata.

Frequently asked questions

Can redacted text be recovered?

No. The redacted page is rebuilt as an image, and the text under the box is not in the new file. Your original file stays unchanged on your device.

What if I want selectable text on a redacted page again?

Run the result through quillo.tr/ocr-pdf. The text is recognised and the page becomes searchable again; the redacted area stays empty.

Is my document uploaded to a server?

No. Redaction happens in your browser, on your own device; the file never reaches servers.