Remove PDF Metadata

Use Remove PDF Metadata

Reads and rewrites the title, author, subject and keywords stored inside a PDF. Everything happens on this device, which is the point: metadata is exactly the part you would not want to send to a stranger.

Choose PDFSelect one PDF from this deviceTitleAuthorSubjectKeywords, comma separated

This clears the document information, not every traceThe information dictionary is what most viewers and search tools read, and clearing it is what people mean by removing metadata. Text inside the page content, XMP packets written by some producers, and earlier revisions of an incrementally saved file are separate things this does not touch.

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About Remove PDF Metadata

Every PDF carries a small block of descriptive information alongside its pages, and most people never look at it. It usually records who created the document, what software produced it, and a title that is frequently just whatever the file was called when it was first saved. That is more revealing than it sounds. A CV can name its author's employer through the template they used, an anonymised submission can carry the writer's account name, and a supposedly fresh document can announce it was produced two years earlier. Checking that block before sending anything outward is a small habit worth having. Doing so through a website that receives the file, however, defeats the purpose entirely - which is why this tool reads and rewrites the document without it ever leaving the tab.

What happens to the PDF

The document information dictionary is read and displayed as soon as you choose a file, so you can see what is actually there before deciding anything.
The title, author, subject and keyword fields are editable directly, which covers the case where you want accurate metadata rather than none.
Clearing writes empty values to every field rather than leaving them absent, so nothing survives from the original.
The document is edited in place and saved, rather than being rebuilt from copied pages, so fillable form fields continue to work.
The result downloads from data held in the page. Your original file is never modified.

Common remove pdf metadata jobs

Checking a CV before sending it

Open it here first. Author fields commonly hold a full name or a corporate account, and the producer field often names the software and version.

Anonymising a document for review

Clear the fields, then read through the pages as well. Metadata is only one of the places a name hides; headers, footers and tracked comments are others.

Check before relying on the PDF

This clears the document information dictionary, which is what viewers and search tools read and what people mean by PDF metadata. It is not a guarantee that every trace is gone.
Some producers also write an XMP metadata packet, a separate XML block that can duplicate the same fields. This tool does not rewrite it.
Text inside the pages themselves is untouched. A name in a letterhead or a footer is page content, not metadata.
A PDF saved incrementally can retain earlier revisions within the file. Saving here writes a fresh document, which usually collapses that, but do not treat it as a forensic wipe.
Creation and modification timestamps are handled by the library on save and are not separately editable here.

Questions about Remove PDF Metadata

Does this remove everything identifying?

No, and it would be wrong to claim so. It clears the document information dictionary. XMP packets, text on the pages and embedded file attachments are separate and untouched.

Can I edit the fields rather than clear them?

Yes. Type the values you want and save. Accurate metadata is often more useful than none, particularly for documents that will be archived or searched.

Do form fields survive?

Yes. The document is edited in place rather than rebuilt from copied pages, which is what preserves the form.

Why does the producer field change?

Saving writes a new document, and the library records itself unless you set the field yourself. Clearing sets it to empty.

Is the PDF uploaded to check it?

No, and that is the whole point. A tool that received your file in order to strip its metadata would have defeated the reason you wanted it stripped.