What it checks
- Text you can't see: words under black bars, white boxes or pictures, and text drawn in an invisible color. They are outlined in red on the page.
- Your own search: type a name or number you removed, and it searches the text anyone could copy out.
- Earlier versions: files edited and saved on top of the original can still hold the original.
- Hidden data: document properties such as author and title, comments, filled-in form fields, bookmarks, attached files and scripts.
Fix what it finds
Download a cleaned copy removes the hidden text it found, along with metadata, comments, form data, bookmarks, attachments, scripts and earlier versions. Visible content is not changed. To hide something that is still visible, use the redactor.
Limits
The checker reads the file's text layer. It can't read words inside pictures, such as a scan or a photo of a signature, so look at every page as well.
Questions
- How can I tell if a PDF redaction worked?
- Open the PDF here and type what was supposed to be hidden. The checker searches the text anyone can copy out, and outlines text that sits under a cover where it can't be seen.
- Why can I still copy text from under a black box?
- Most PDF editors draw a rectangle over the text without deleting it. The text is still in the file, so selecting or copying it reveals it. Use the cleaned copy here, or redact again with a tool that deletes the text.
- Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
- No. The PDF is opened inside your browser tab. The site's security policy blocks the page from sending data to any server, and it works offline once loaded.