Redact PDF

There's a critical difference between hiding text and removing it. Drawing a black rectangle over sensitive information with an annotation tool hides it visually but leaves the original text in the file — copy the area and paste it elsewhere and the content appears. Proper redaction destroys the underlying content so it cannot be recovered by any method.

Use this for documents going to external parties that contain information you're not authorized to share: client names in legal filings, account numbers in financial reports, personal addresses in HR documents, and private notes in any shared file.

After redacting, test the result. Try selecting text near the redacted area. Search for the redacted word using Ctrl+F. If it appears in results, the redaction wasn't applied correctly. Always test before the file leaves your hands.