PDF Security
Quick privacy actions for PDFs: remove identifying metadata, flatten form fields.
100% in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
Features
- Strip metadata (author, producer, dates)
- Flatten form fields (lock filled forms)
- Password encryption in the native app
- No upload — your file stays local
- Works on any unencrypted PDF
- Free, no signup
About this tool
This tool helps you clean metadata and form fields before sharing a document. Processing starts only after you choose a file yourself. Clip PDF does not send the file to its own upload service: the work runs in the browser on your device. That makes it useful for one-off jobs where you need a new working copy quickly.
The workflow is deliberately transparent: you can select a PDF, review the offered cleanup steps, and save a new copy. Only then is the new file created. The web tool cleans document-related information; real password encryption belongs in the native app. For important documents, inspect the preview and open the downloaded result once more before sharing it.
Local processing improves data minimisation, but it does not replace a careful result check. Cleanup is not a legal redaction of confidential page content. Keep the original file and follow your organisation's security rules for contracts, official records, and sensitive documents.
How to clean a PDF
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Choose action
Strip metadata or flatten form fields.
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Drop your PDF
Pick the file you want to clean.
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Apply
The tool rewrites the PDF locally.
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Download
A cleaned PDF is generated for download.
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Review the result
Open the new file and check its content, page order, and legibility before sharing it.
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Store the copy
Save the checked result somewhere you can find later; the source file remains unchanged.
Typical use cases
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A quick one-off task
Use the tool when you need to clean metadata and form fields before sharing a document without creating an account or sending the document to a third-party upload service. Until download, the new file remains a local browser result.
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Check before sharing
For email attachments, applications, or team review: create a copy, open it again, and check page count, legibility, order, and visible content before sending it onward.
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Working in a browser
On a personal computer or mobile device, the browser version is convenient for occasional jobs. For repeated, very large, or legally sensitive workflows, dedicated desktop or enterprise software is often a better fit.
Tips & limitations
- Work on a copy and keep the original unchanged.
- Open the downloaded PDF and check every page before sharing it.
- Cleanup is not a legal redaction of confidential page content.
- For confidential documents, also follow your organisation's rules and secure the device you are using.
Frequently asked questions
Can I password-protect a PDF here?
Not in the web tool. Encryption keys need to live on-device; the native app handles this safely.
What does "flatten" do?
It bakes form-field values into the page so reviewers cannot edit them after the fact.
Will images or text be lost?
No — only metadata fields or form widgets are affected.
Is my file uploaded?
No, pdf-lib runs in your browser.
Free?
Yes.
Is my file uploaded to a Clip PDF server?
No. The browser tools process selected files locally on your device. Normal device and browser security practices still apply.
Why should I open the result again?
PDFs can react differently depending on their content, fonts, and size. A quick check confirms that the generated copy suits its intended purpose.
Is this suitable for very large or confidential files?
It is intended for ordinary one-off browser tasks. Device memory limits very large files; regulated or business-critical work also requires your own compliance controls.
Want it on the go? Get the app.
All tools, fully offline, with extras the web cannot do.
