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Security & Privacy

Remove Metadata from PDF, Free

Remove metadata from a PDF free before you share it. See exactly what it says about you — author, company, software, edit history — then strip it all. The pages stay exactly as they are.

Settings appear once you add a PDF.

Document info (author, title, subject, dates, software)
XMP metadata (document ID, edit history, tools)
Names on comments and highlights
Advanced 1
Private app data and embedded thumbnails

Done on your device No upload, no queue, no sign-up.

Bytes sent anywhere: 0 B

How to remove metadata from a PDF free

Your PDF goes into this browser tab, is cleaned of its hidden details on your device, and comes back as a clean PDF. 0 bytes uploaded

  1. Add your PDFs

    Drop the PDF. You’ll see every piece of metadata it carries, and how much each one gives away.

  2. Check the settings

    Leave everything ticked, or keep some fields — the title, say — if you want them.

  3. Save the result

    Save the clean copy. The metadata is removed from the file itself, including earlier saved versions hiding inside it.

Why it doesn’t upload

You remove metadata because it identifies you. A cleaning service that uploads the file receives exactly what you were trying to hide — your name, your company, your software. This one reads and rewrites the PDF inside your browser.

Check it in your browser’s Network tab

Worth knowing

  • Metadata is removed; what’s printed on the pages isn’t. Names in the text itself need redacting.
  • Earlier versions saved inside the file (incremental saves) are removed too — they can contain text you deleted.
  • Digital signatures stop being valid after any change to the file.
  • Your PDF viewer may add its own metadata the next time you save the file from it.

Under the hood

What happens to your file

A PDF describes itself in two places: the Info dictionary (Author, Title, Creator) and an XMP packet, an XML block that often holds more, such as the app that made it and an edit history. Both are cleared together, and qpdf rewrites the file so the removed objects are really gone rather than just unreferenced.

Runs on pdf-libqpdf

Reference: qpdf manual · ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0)

Questions

What metadata does a PDF contain?

Usually the author’s name (often your computer account name), the company, the app and operating system that made it, creation and edit dates, and sometimes an XMP block with a document ID and a history of every save.

How do I remove the author name from a PDF?

Drop it here with Document info and XMP metadata ticked. Both places the author is stored are cleared — clearing only one leaves some readers still showing the old name.

Does removing metadata change how the PDF looks?

No. Pages, text, images, links and bookmarks are copied unchanged. Only the hidden information goes.

Can deleted text hide inside a PDF?

Yes. Many apps save changes by appending them to the end of the file, so the earlier version is still inside. This tool rewrites the file from scratch, which drops those earlier versions.

Should I remove metadata before emailing a PDF?

For anything outside your organization — a CV, a quote, a legal filing — it’s good practice. It takes seconds and shows only what you meant to send.

Read more about this

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