Sanitize PDF (Remove Hidden Data)

How to do it

1. 1
   Add your file

   Choose it or drop it here. It stays on your device.

2. 2
   Pick pages and options

   Select the pages you want and adjust the settings.

3. 3
   Convert and download

   Press convert, check the result and download it. Nothing is sent to a server.

About this tool

A PDF can carry more than what you see: scripts that run on opening, attached files, links, and details such as author and software. Choose what to strip and download a cleaner copy. It is useful before sending a file to a client or publishing it.

What each option does

Remove JavaScript deletes document and page scripts and automatic actions. Remove embedded files drops attachments. Remove document details clears the title, author, subject, keywords and software, and the XMP record. Remove links takes away clickable links and web actions.

What it does not do

Text hidden under a black box or in layers remains in the file. For that use Redact PDF, which removes the text for good.

Worked example

A contract exported from Word with the author's name and an attached spreadsheet is cleaned of both before it is emailed.

Tips for best results

Work on a copy of your file and keep the original until you have checked the result. Open the output before you send it to a portal, an employer or an office, and look at every page. If a size limit applies, check how the receiving site measures it, because some count a kilobyte as 1000 bytes and others as 1024. All processing happens inside your browser tab on your own device, so large files depend on your device memory and may take a little longer on a phone.