Redact PDF

Draw black boxes over sensitive content. On export the underlying text and images are truly deleted — not just covered.

How to redact a PDF without uploading it

  1. Drop your PDF above — it opens right in your browser and never leaves your device.
  2. Draw black boxes over anything sensitive, or use auto-detect to find ID numbers, bank card numbers, phone numbers and emails. Names, companies and places can be found with the optional on-device AI model.
  3. Export. Redacted pages are rebuilt so the content underneath is deleted — not covered — and a verification report proves nothing can be copied out.

FAQ

Is drawing a black box over text enough to redact a PDF?

In most tools, no — a black rectangle drawn on top leaves the original text inside the file, and select-all + copy reveals it. Blackbar deletes the underlying text and images on redacted pages instead of just covering them.

Do my files get uploaded?

No. This site is a static page with no server that could receive files. Everything runs locally in your browser — it even works with the network unplugged.

Can it redact scanned PDFs?

Yes. Use “Scanned-page OCR detect” to find sensitive information inside scans, or draw boxes manually — exported pages contain no hidden text layer either way.

How do I know the redaction really worked?

After export, Blackbar re-opens your file and shows a report: zero extractable text on redacted pages and scrubbed metadata. You can also paste-test any PDF on the “Check my PDF” page.