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Redact a PDF

Hide an ID number, bank details, an address or a signature before you share. The text under each box is really removed from the file.

FreeNo sign-upIn your browser

How it works

  1. 1Choose your PDF or drop it here.
  2. 2Draw boxes over what you want to hide with your finger or mouse.
  3. 3Press Redact and download the clean PDF.

Why real PDF redaction is more than a black box

Drawing a black rectangle on a PDF does not hide the text: it is still inside the file, can be selected and copied, and reappears when the shape is deleted. Court filings and press releases have leaked this way many times.

Quillo's redaction tool turns each page you mark into an image and paints the boxes into that image. The letters, pictures and hidden text layer under a box do not exist in the new file and cannot be recovered. Pages without boxes are kept exactly as they are.

Bank statements, ID copies, contracts and medical reports never leave your device while you do this. Redaction runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

How to redact a PDF properly

You might also need

Remove PDF metadataDelete author, app and date info.Protect PDFAdd an open password to a PDF.Crop PDFTrim the page margins.Watermark PDFAdd a text or logo watermark.

Questions

Can redacted text be recovered?
No. A redacted page becomes an image and the text under the box is not in the new file. Your original file stays unchanged on your device.
How do I black out text in a PDF?
Choose the PDF, draw a box over the text and press Redact. You can draw several boxes on a page and continue on other pages.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Processing happens in your browser, on your own device; your files are never sent to Quillo servers or anywhere else. Nothing is left behind when you close the page.
Can I still select text on a redacted page?
Pages with boxes become images, so their text can no longer be selected. Run the result through the OCR tool if you want it selectable again.
Is PDF redaction free?
Yes. No account, no page or file limit, and no watermark on the result.

Your files are processed in your browser and never sent to our servers.

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