What this removes
- Title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer and dates
- XMP metadata on the document and on its pages and pictures
- Earlier saved versions and any objects no longer used
- Page thumbnails, private data left by the creating program, scripts and open actions
- The original document ID, replaced by a new one
What it can’t remove
Anything on the pages. A name in a header, a signature or an address is content. Use Redact PDF to take those out.
A worked example
A freelancer exports a quote from a client’s template. The PDF lists another person as author, names the template, and still contains an earlier version with last year’s prices. After cleaning, the quote reads the same, has no author, and has one version.
Questions
- What does a PDF say about me?
- Usually the name on your computer account as the author, the program and version that made the file, and when it was created and changed. A second block called XMP repeats this and may add a document ID that links copies of the same file.
- Why is rewriting the file important?
- Many tools "remove" properties by adding a note to the end of the file saying they are gone. The old values are still there and can be read. This tool rebuilds the file from only the parts that are in use, so earlier versions and deleted values are not in the output.
- Does the text stay selectable?
- Yes. Pages, text, fonts, links and form fields are untouched. Only metadata and unused leftovers go.
- What about comments and attachments?
- Names and dates on comments are removed. The comments themselves, attachments and filled-in form fields are part of the document, so they are pointed out and left for you to decide.
Your file stays on this device
The tool above runs in a sealed frame that cannot send your file anywhere. It works with airplane mode on, and the counter above it stays at 0. Here is how you can check that yourself.
Related tools
- Find hidden content Check a PDF or Office file for hidden text, sheets, comments and tracked changes.
- Redact PDF Black out names, emails and numbers so they are gone for good.
- Compress PDF Shrink a PDF without touching its pictures.
- Remove metadata Strip location, device and hidden previews from photos and documents.
- Remove EXIF data Take the camera, date and location data out of a photo without changing the picture.
- Remove location from a photo Take the GPS position out of a photo and keep everything else.
- Remove metadata from a Word document Remove author names, comments' authors, tracked-change names and template paths from Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.
- Remove GPS from a video Take location, device and dates out of a phone or action-camera video without re-encoding it.
- View EXIF data See the location, camera and dates stored in a photo before you share it.
- Redact image Cover parts of a screenshot or photo with solid boxes.