PDF Protect prepares your PDF for secure sharing in two steps: strip all identifying metadata (author name, creator software, keywords) so recipients can't trace the document back to you, and add a visible watermark to every page as a clear ownership or confidentiality signal. Everything runs locally in your browser — your file never leaves your device.
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Remove Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, and Producer fields
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How to Protect a PDF Before Sharing
Before sharing a PDF — whether a business proposal, draft document, or sensitive report — it's often useful to remove identifying metadata and add a visual protection label. This tool handles both operations in your browser without any file upload.
What Is PDF Metadata and Why Remove It?
Every PDF carries invisible document properties: Author (often your real name), Creator (the software that made it), Subject, and Keywords. When you share a draft or confidential document, these fields can reveal who created it, when, and with which software. Stripping metadata removes these fields before sharing.
Adding a CONFIDENTIAL Watermark
A diagonal watermark on every page serves as a clear visual signal that the document is sensitive. Recipients who attempt to screenshot or print pages will see the watermark on every page. You can customize the text to "DRAFT", "INTERNAL USE ONLY", "FOR REVIEW ONLY", or any other label up to 30 characters.
Privacy From the Start
For maximum privacy, use both options together: strip the metadata so no identifying information is embedded, then add a watermark so anyone who receives the document knows it is confidential. This combination is the simplest two-step approach to preparing a PDF for external sharing without specialist software.
FAQ
What security features does this tool provide?
PDF Protect offers two privacy features: metadata stripping (removes the Author, Creator, Subject, and Keywords fields that can reveal who made the document and with what software) and watermarking (adds a diagonal text label to every page). Both operations run entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded anywhere.
What metadata does this tool remove?
It removes all document properties: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, and Producer fields. These fields often contain the original author's name, the software used to create the document, and other identifying information you may not want to share.
What does the CONFIDENTIAL watermark look like?
A diagonal text watermark reading 'CONFIDENTIAL' is added to every page. You can customize the text to 'DRAFT', 'INTERNAL USE ONLY', or any other label. The watermark appears as light gray diagonal text that is clearly visible but does not obscure the document content.
Can the watermark be removed by someone else?
A determined person with PDF editing software could potentially remove it. This watermark is a deterrent and visual indicator, not cryptographic protection. For documents requiring tamper-proof protection, consider digital signatures.
Is my PDF file uploaded to any server?
No. All processing happens entirely in your browser using pdf-lib. Your file never leaves your device.
Does using both features together make the PDF more secure?
Yes. Combining metadata stripping with a watermark gives you two complementary layers: the stripping removes hidden identity information from the file properties, while the watermark makes the document's sensitivity visible on every page. For documents that must not be modified, pair this tool with a PDF signing tool to add a tamper-evident digital signature.