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GivenTool

Remove metadata from a PDF

See the hidden author, software, dates, IDs and camera data in a PDF, then save a copy without them.

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PDFs often carry more than their pages: the author's name, the company, the software and computer that made them, editing history, unique file identifiers, comment author names and camera details inside photos. This tool shows what is in your file, then removes it.

Drop a PDF here or click to choose onePDF files up to 100.0 MB each.

Processed on this device with your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

A PDF carries more than its pages. The document properties often name the author and company, the program and computer that produced it, and when it was created and last changed. An XMP metadata packet can repeat all of that with editing history and unique document IDs. File identifiers can link a copy back to the original. Comments carry their authors' names, design programs leave private editing data behind, and photos from a phone camera may still contain the camera model, the date and even GPS coordinates.

This tool first shows you what it found, field by field: document properties, XMP fields, identifiers, editing data, page thumbnails, comment authors and photos with camera data. Then it writes a clean copy without them. Old versions of the metadata left over from earlier edits of the file are removed too, not just unlinked, because the new file is rebuilt from the objects the pages actually use.

What stays: everything visible on the pages, the comments themselves (you can keep or remove their author names), bookmarks, links and form fields. Attached files are kept and listed, because they may be part of the document; open them to check what they contain.

Removing metadata is not redaction. Names, letterheads, signatures and stamps printed on the pages are still there, and so is any hidden text layer in scanned pages. To remove visible content for good, use Redact PDF; to stop people opening the file, use Protect PDF.

How to use it

  1. Choose a PDF; the metadata it carries is listed.
  2. Decide whether to also remove author names from comments.
  3. Click Remove metadata.
  4. Download the clean copy and share that one instead of the original.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded?

No. The file is read and processed by your browser on your device; nothing is sent to a server. The PDF engine is downloaded from this site the first time you use a tool and then runs on your device.

What exactly is removed?

The document information dictionary (title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, dates and any custom fields), every XMP packet, the file identifiers, application editing data, page thumbnails, camera data inside JPEG photos and, if you choose, comment author names.

Does it change how the pages look?

No. The page content, fonts and images are not changed. Only the metadata around them is removed, so the file prints and reads exactly as before.

Will PDF/A files still be valid?

No. PDF/A archival files must contain XMP metadata that declares them PDF/A. Removing it means the file no longer claims PDF/A conformance, although it still opens normally.

Does it remove the text of redacted areas?

No. A black box drawn over text in another editor usually leaves the text underneath. Use Redact PDF, which burns the boxes into images and removes what is under them.

Is a digitally signed PDF still signed afterwards?

No. Any change to a signed file invalidates its digital signature, so remove metadata before signing, not after.

What if my PDF is password-protected?

The tool will say so. If it is your file and you know the password, remove the protection with Unlock PDF first, then use the unlocked copy here.

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