PDF Password Protect
Encrypt and protect your PDF with a password.
How to Use PDF Password Protect
- 1Note: browser-based PDF encryption is not currently supported — see the information box in the tool.
- 2Upload your PDF file to strip its metadata.
- 3Click 'Remove Metadata & Download' to clear all author, title, subject, creator, and keyword fields.
- 4Download the cleaned PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I add a password in the browser?
PDF encryption (AES-256 or RC4) requires low-level binary operations that no stable browser-based PDF library currently supports. Tools like Adobe Acrobat, Preview on macOS, or LibreOffice can add passwords on your desktop.
What metadata is removed?
Title, Author, Subject, Creator, Producer, and Keywords fields are all cleared. These fields can leak personal information about the document's origin or author.
Does removing metadata affect the document content?
No. Only the document properties fields are changed. All text, images, and formatting remain identical.
About PDF Password Protect
PDF metadata removal is an important privacy step before sharing sensitive documents. When a PDF is created by Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or another application, it automatically embeds metadata: the author's name, the original filename, the creating application, and more. This information can reveal more than you intend.
Our PDF Metadata Remover uses pdf-lib to clear all standard metadata fields and re-save the document. The resulting PDF has no author name, no title, and no application fingerprint — just clean content.
For full password protection with AES encryption, we recommend Adobe Acrobat (paid), Preview on macOS (free, built-in), or LibreOffice (free, open-source). These tools can encrypt PDFs with user and owner passwords that are recognised by all PDF readers.