Redact PDF content
Draw solid redaction boxes, replace affected pages with raster images and save a PDF without the original page text layer.
At a glance: Input: 1 PDF · Output: 1 redacted PDF · Affected pages rasterised · Original file unchanged
Draw boxes over content to remove
Choose a PDF and SnackPDF renders its pages locally for review. Select the page you want to inspect, draw one or more solid boxes over names, addresses, numbers or other content, and move or remove boxes before applying them. Boxes are page coordinates, so check the whole page at a readable zoom and include every copy of the sensitive content.
This is a destructive operation on the saved copy. Keep the original file separate until you have reviewed the result and no longer need the unredacted version in the workflow.
Why redacted pages lose their text layer
When you apply redactions, every affected page is rendered to a high-resolution image, the boxes are painted solid, and that image replaces the original page. The original text and vector instructions are not retained behind the box. Unaffected pages are copied without rasterisation and keep their text layer.
Affected pages are no longer searchable or selectable. Test the saved PDF by selecting text, searching for the removed phrase and extracting text with another PDF tool. A black rectangle drawn over a live text layer is not a redaction; this tool deliberately accepts the text-layer trade-off so the removed page content cannot be recovered from the page structure.
Privacy, cost and compatibility
- Uploaded?
- No. Redaction rendering and PDF rebuilding happen in this browser tab.
- Cost and account
- Free to use without an account or paid credits.
- Watermark
- None is added to the redacted PDF.
- Offline
- Yes, after the complete application is ready for offline use.
- Mobile
- Supported touch browsers can draw boxes, although careful review is easier on a larger screen.
- Important limit
- Affected pages are rasterised and lose selectable text, links and vector structure. Check every page before sharing.