Redact PDF
Black out text and areas in a PDF so they are really removed, by drawing boxes or finding words. Your files are never uploaded to our servers. ToolkitPoint processes them on your own computer, so confidential documents stay with you.
Processed in your browser. Your files are not uploaded.
How to use Redact PDF
- Choose a PDF; its pages appear below.
- Type words to find (names, numbers, emails) and press "Mark matches", or drag on a page to draw boxes.
- Check every page and remove any wrong box with ×.
- Press "Redact and download" and check the new file before sharing it.
What Redact PDF does
Black out text and areas in a PDF so they are really removed, by drawing boxes or finding words.
The document bytes are handled in browser memory with PDF libraries loaded only on this page. The selected files are not uploaded to ToolkitPoint. For Redact PDF, the operation is specifically to black out text and areas in a PDF so they are really removed, by drawing boxes or finding words.
Worked example
Find the account number 4417-2290 in a 3-page statement: both matches get black boxes. After download, page 1 (with matches) is an image where the number is gone, and pages 2 and 3 keep their normal selectable text.
When Redact PDF is the right tool
- Sharing bank statements, payslips or contracts with personal details removed.
- Preparing documents for FOIA or legal disclosure.
How to verify the result
Open the downloaded PDF independently and inspect page count, page order, orientation, selectable text, and any marks you added. The final Redact PDF output should visibly match this goal: Black out text and areas in a PDF so they are really removed, by drawing boxes or finding words.
Important limitations
Redacted pages become images without selectable text; search finds text only in the text layer, so scanned pages need boxes drawn by hand.
A free Redact PDF alternative
People looking for Redact PDF often compare products such as Adobe Acrobat Online, iLovePDF, Smallpdf. ToolkitPoint is not affiliated with those services. This page keeps black out text and areas in a pdf so they are really removed, by drawing boxes or finding words free and available without an account; features, limits, and policies on other products can change, so compare their current product pages before choosing.
Last updated: September 15, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is the text under the boxes really removed?
Yes. Every page with a box is rebuilt as an image with the black boxes burned in, so the hidden text no longer exists in the file and cannot be copied or searched. Drawing a black shape in most editors only covers the text.
What happens to pages without boxes?
They are copied unchanged, with their selectable text and quality.
Why can't I select text on redacted pages?
Because those pages are now images; that is what makes the redaction permanent. Run OCR PDF on the result if you need searchable text again.
Does find work on scanned PDFs?
No. A scan has no text layer, so draw boxes by hand.
Is my document uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser, which is what you want for sensitive files.