How to redact a PDF properly (so the text is really gone)

Drawing a black rectangle over text in a normal editor does not remove the text — it can often be selected and copied from underneath. Real redaction has to destroy the text layer. This is how Redact PDF does it.

Steps

Open Redact PDF. Upload the PDF.
Draw boxes. Cover each sensitive area, with a little margin around it.
Apply. The pages are rebuilt as images with the boxes burned in, which removes the text underneath.
Verify. Open the result and try to select text under a box. Nothing should be there.

Open the tool: Redact PDF

Good to know

Because pages become images, text in the result is no longer selectable; use OCR PDF if you need searchable text in the safe parts.
Keep an unredacted original in a safe place.

Frequently asked questions

Can redacted text be recovered?

Not from the redacted file; the text layer no longer exists.

Does it work on scans?

Yes. Draw boxes over the image areas you want hidden.

Why can I not select text afterwards?

Pages are rebuilt as images to guarantee removal.

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