Redact PDF
Black out the data you don't want to show. The hidden text is truly removed and can't be recovered.
Select PDF file
or drag and drop your document here
Drag with the mouse (or your finger) over the text you want to hide. You can mark several areas and several pages.
PDF redacted successfully!
The redacted areas have been removed from the document: the hidden text can no longer be recovered.
How to black out data in a PDF
Hide names, ID numbers, addresses or any sensitive data before sharing a PDF. The redacted areas are removed from the file, not just covered.
Select or drag the PDF.
Drag to draw a black rectangle over each piece of data you want to hide. Repeat on as many pages as you need.
Click Redact and download.
Download the PDF. Pages with redactions become an image, so the hidden text disappears from the file.
When should you redact a PDF?
Personal data
Hide ID numbers, phone numbers, addresses or account numbers before sending a document.
Contracts and legal documents
Share a contract while hiding amounts, clauses or the other party's details.
Medical or academic documents
Show a report or record without revealing the name or identifying details.
Screenshots and publications
Publish a document as an example after removing any private data it shows.
Why use JapalTools?
Your files never leave your device
Everything happens in your browser. Documents are never uploaded to any server, so you can use it with payslips, contracts or ID documents.
Free, no sign-up and no watermarks
You don't need an account or to leave your email, and nothing is added to the result.
Works on any device
Computer, tablet or phone, with an up-to-date browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari). Nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
No. Unlike drawing a black box on top (which leaves the text underneath), here the redacted page becomes an image: the original text disappears from the file and nobody can copy or see it.
No. Since those pages become an image, their text can no longer be selected or searched (that's the price of secure redaction). Pages without redactions are kept intact, with their text.
Only on the pages you redact, which are saved as a good-resolution image. The rest of the document is untouched. The PDF may be a bit larger on those pages.
Yes. Since the result is an image with the black area on top, it works just as well with text PDFs as with scanned PDFs or photos inside the document.
No. The document is processed in your own browser and is not sent to JapalTools or anyone else. When you close the page, no copy remains outside your device.