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Redact a PDF

Black out names, numbers and images, and Wispdf removes what was underneath for good. It happens in your browser, so the file you are protecting never leaves your device.

On your devicePro

Part of Pro and the 7-Day Pass, which open soon.

or drop it here

Accepts PDF

Uploads from this page: 0On your device. What this means

Redact PDF at a glance

Redact PDF is a tool that permanently removes private text or images from a PDF before you share it, leaving a black box where they were. The content under each box is deleted, not just covered, and Wispdf checks afterwards that it is gone. It runs on your device and is part of Pro.

Limits · Files up to 1 GB each · Any number of files at a time · Part of Pro and the 7-Day Pass, which open soon

How to use Redact PDF

  1. Open your PDF

    Choose the file or drop it here. It opens in your browser and is never uploaded.

  2. Mark what to hide

    Draw boxes over text or images, or search for a word to mark it everywhere.

  3. Redact and check

    Apply the redactions. Wispdf removes the content underneath, then checks that it is gone.

What Redact PDF does

Redacting a PDF means permanently removing private text or images before you share it, leaving a black box where they were. Wispdf deletes the content under each box, which a black rectangle drawn in many other apps does not do. You can search for a word to redact it everywhere, and Wispdf checks afterward that the hidden text is truly gone. All of it runs on your device.

People use it to

  • Remove account numbers from bank statements before they go into a court filing
  • Take salaries and home addresses out of HR records before sharing them
  • Hide a diagnosis on a doctor's letter before sending it to an employer

What's included

Content truly removed

The text or image under each box is deleted from the file, so it cannot be copied or uncovered.

Search and redact

Find a name or number once and redact every place it appears in the file.

Checked afterward

Once you redact, Wispdf checks that the hidden text is really gone before you share.

Never uploaded

Redaction happens in your browser. The sensitive original never reaches our servers.

Where your file goes

Redact PDF runs entirely on your device. Your file never leaves your browser, so the unredacted original is never uploaded, stored or seen by anyone at Wispdf.

On your devicePart of Pro and the 7-Day Pass. Try Pro free for 7 days, no card needed.

How privacy works at WispdfSee plans and limits

Questions about Redact PDF

Is Redact PDF free?
Redact PDF is part of Pro and the 7-Day Pass. Try Pro free for 7 days, no card needed. Because redaction runs on your device, there are no daily limits and no cap on the number of files. The practical limit is your device's memory, comfortably around 1 GB of PDFs on a computer and less on a phone.
Is my file uploaded when I redact it?
No. Redact PDF works on your device, inside your browser, and nothing is sent to our servers. The original, with everything you meant to hide, stays with you the whole time. That is the point of redacting in the first place: the private details should only ever leave your hands once they have been removed.
How do I redact the same name everywhere in a PDF?
In Redact PDF, search for the word, name or number you want to hide. Wispdf marks every place it appears, so you do not have to hunt page by page. Draw extra boxes for anything search cannot find, such as a photo or a signature, then apply. The content under every mark is removed from the file.
Why is a black box drawn in other apps not enough?
In many apps, drawing a black rectangle only places a shape on top of the page. The words are still in the file, so anyone can copy them, search for them or move the box aside. Redact PDF on Wispdf deletes the content under each box, then checks that the hidden text is truly gone before you share the file.
Can I redact a PDF on a Mac, Windows PC or iPhone?
Yes. Redact PDF works in any modern browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, iPhone, iPad and Android, with no app to install. For long documents with many redactions, a computer gives you a bigger screen to check every page, while a phone is fine for blacking out a few details on a single page.
Why does true redaction matter for court filings, HR and medical records?
These files hold details that can hurt people if they leak, such as account numbers, home addresses, salaries and diagnoses. Court filings can become public, and HR and medical records pass through many hands. If text is only covered, one copy and paste reveals it. Redact PDF removes it from the file.

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