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Clear PDF Metadata Before Sharing

Clear standard document properties from a PDF before sharing. Visible page text, names, and images are not redacted.

How to remove metadata from a PDF

  1. 1

    Add your PDF

    Drop the file into the box above. It is opened for the current task; nothing is changed until you choose to remove the metadata.

  2. 2

    Remove the metadata

    Click Remove Metadata. Every document property is removed in one step; the editor does not show or select individual fields.

  3. 3

    Strip and download

    Download the newly saved PDF. The names and text printed on the pages are not changed.

What is removed

The editor removes the whole document information dictionary: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Producer, Creator, the creation and modification dates, any custom properties, and the XMP metadata. The old values are deleted from the file, not just hidden, so they cannot be read back out of the saved PDF.

Metadata is information about the document, not the visible page content. Clearing the Author field will not remove a person's name printed in a letter, scanned into an image, or included in selectable page text.

The original PDF is not edited. The result is a newly saved copy, so open its document properties after downloading if you want to confirm they are empty.

What metadata removal cannot clean

This is not a complete privacy or sanitisation guarantee. It does not promise to remove every embedded file, hidden object, script, attachment, or piece of content stored elsewhere in a complex PDF.

Bookmarks, digital signatures, forms, and advanced PDF structures may be affected when the file is saved again. Check important documents in a PDF viewer, and use Redact PDF when the sensitive information is visible on the page.

Removing metadata is different from editing metadata. This tool removes them; Edit PDF Metadata lets you replace fields such as title, author, subject, and keywords with new values.

From the blog

Your files are never retained by PilotPDF

PilotPDF does not keep copies of your original files, completed files, passwords, or document contents after processing.

Read our privacy policy for details about analytics and data handling.

Related tools

Edit PDF Metadata

Set title, author, and keywords instead of removing them.

Redact PDF

Black out sensitive content on the pages themselves.

Flatten PDF

Make filled-in form fields permanent before sharing.

Remove Image Metadata

Strip EXIF data (location, camera) from photos too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Producer, Creator, the creation and modification dates, any custom properties, and the XMP metadata. The old values are deleted from the file, not just blanked.
No. Metadata is separate from visible page content. Use a proper redaction tool for names or text shown on the pages.
No. It targets the listed document properties and does not guarantee removal of every attachment, script, hidden object, or advanced PDF feature.
They may be affected when the PDF is saved again. Check the output, especially if the document contains signatures, forms, or advanced navigation.
No. The editor creates a newly saved copy and leaves the original file unchanged.
Removing deletes all of the document properties. Edit PDF Metadata lets you enter new values instead.
Usually not. Standard metadata is small, so any size change is likely to be modest.
No. PilotPDF does not retain your original or cleaned PDF.