Redact PDF
Black out sensitive text or areas, then flatten pages before sharing
Redact PDF — black out secrets before you share
Redact PDF covers sensitive strings or a rectangular region with solid black, then flattens pages to images so the covered content is not left as selectable text underneath. Use it before sending contracts, IDs, or reports — free on pdfLaunch.
Only rewriting a typo? Use Edit PDF (white cover is not redaction). Password-locking without removing content? That is Protect PDF. Trimming margins? Use Crop PDF.
How redaction works on this tool
Search and black out text
Enter a phrase; every matching selectable text span on the chosen pages gets a black rectangle.
Or paint a rectangle
Enter X, Y, width, and height in PDF points (origin bottom-left) to black out a fixed area — useful for stamps or image regions.
Flatten so text isn’t copyable
After blackout, pages are rebuilt as images. Selecting/copying the hidden string from the download should no longer work.
Page scope
Apply to all pages (default), the first page, or the last page only.
How to redact a PDF here
Upload the PDF
Choose a file up to 25 MB. Scanned pages need OCR first if you want search-and-redact.
Choose text or area
Search a string or enter rectangle coordinates, pick page scope, then Apply Redaction.
Download the redacted PDF
Save pdflaunch-redacted-….pdf and spot-check that every secret is covered.
Content people redact most often
Always verify the download. Search mode only finds selectable text spans — it will not match text that lives only inside an image until you OCR.
Redact vs edit, protect, crop, and OCR
Redaction stays on your device
Search, blackout, and flatten run locally — we do not receive the sensitive PDF for server processing
- Local flatten: marked pages are rendered and downloaded from an object URL on your device.
- No redact upload: unlike OCR or Office converters, Redact does not send the file for server conversion.
- Optional cloud pickers: Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive only fetch the file into the browser session.
- No account wall: redact and download without registering.
Redact PDF FAQ
What redaction modes are available?
Search-and-redact selectable text, or paint a rectangle by entering X/Y/width/height in PDF points.
Is the covered text still in the file afterward?
Pages are flattened to images after blackout, so the covered string should not remain as selectable/copyable text in the download.
Can search-and-redact find text in a scan?
Only after a text layer exists. Run OCR first, then return here.
Is Redact the same as Edit PDF’s white cover?
No. Edit rewrites spans and covers with white. Redact blacks out content and flattens pages for sharing.
Will the PDF get larger after redacting?
Often yes — flattened image pages can outweigh the original text PDF. Compress afterward if needed.
How large can the PDF be for redaction?
Up to 25 MB.
Are my files uploaded when I redact a PDF?
No. Blackout and flattening run in your browser.
Can I redact only the last page?
Yes. Choose Last Page (or First Page) instead of All Pages before applying.
What coordinate system does area mode use?
PDF points with the origin at the bottom-left of the page (72 points ≈ 1 inch).
Do I need a pdfLaunch account to redact a PDF?
No. Upload, apply redaction, and download without registering.