PDF Security
PDF Security bundles two quick privacy actions for documents you are about to share. Remove metadata empties the identifying fields a PDF carries — title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer — while Flatten form fields bakes filled-in values permanently into the page. Both run entirely in your browser: the file is rewritten locally and never leaves your device. Password encryption is reserved for the native app.
100% in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
Features
- Empties title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer fields in one pass.
- Flattens interactive form fields so filled-in values become fixed page content.
- Processes the file locally with pdf-lib — nothing is uploaded to a server.
- Names the output automatically, adding a no-metadata or flattened suffix to the filename.
- Works on unencrypted PDFs of any page count, straight from the drop zone.
- Free to use in any modern browser, with no account and no installation.
About this tool
When you pick Remove metadata, the tool loads your PDF with pdf-lib, an open-source JavaScript library that runs directly in the browser. It then writes empty values into the six standard fields of the document information dictionary — title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer — and saves a fresh copy of the file. The page content itself is left completely untouched.
Flatten form fields addresses a different risk: a filled-in interactive form can still be edited by anyone who opens the file later. Flattening asks pdf-lib to draw the current value of every field — text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns — onto the page itself and then remove the interactive widgets. The result looks identical but behaves like ordinary, fixed page content.
Everything happens on your machine: the library is fetched once, your PDF is read into browser memory, rewritten there, and offered back as a download with a no-metadata or flattened suffix — no server ever receives the document. One deliberate gap remains: password encryption. pdf-lib cannot encrypt PDFs, so Clip PDF provides that feature in the native app instead.
How to clean a PDF
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Choose an action
The tool opens with three cards: Remove metadata, Flatten form fields and Password protection. Click one of the first two — the third only shows a note that encryption is available in the desktop app.
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Add your PDF
A drop zone replaces the menu. Drag your PDF onto it or click to open the file picker. Because processing stays local, even large or confidential documents are fine here.
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Let it process
A loading indicator appears while pdf-lib parses the file in browser memory, empties the metadata fields or flattens the form, and assembles the rewritten PDF. Small files finish almost instantly.
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Save the result
The browser offers the processed file for download. It keeps the original name and appends a suffix — no-metadata or flattened — so you can always tell the cleaned copy apart from the source file.
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Check and repeat
The action menu returns automatically, so you can process the next document right away. Open the downloaded copy once to confirm the fields are empty or the form is fixed before you share it.
Typical use cases
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Sending a quote to a client
You export a quote from your accounting software and notice the author field carries the name of a colleague who left years ago, plus the software's product string. Before the PDF goes out, run Remove metadata: all six information fields are emptied, and the client sees only the document itself — not your internal toolchain or staff names.
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Locking a filled-in form
You have completed a registration or contract form and need to pass it on. As an interactive PDF, the recipient could still change amounts or checkboxes after the fact. Flattening turns every field into fixed page content — your entries stay exactly as you made them, and the file also prints and archives more reliably in most viewers.
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Cleaning up before publishing
You want to publish a whitepaper, a handout or a club newsletter on your website. Metadata written by Word or InDesign — real names, working titles, program versions — has no business in a public download. One pass through Remove metadata clears the information dictionary, and because everything runs locally, no third-party server ever sees your draft.
Tips & limitations
- The tool only empties the classic information dictionary. Embedded XMP metadata streams, the date fields, and hidden content such as comments or attachments remain in the file.
- Encrypted, password-protected PDFs are not processed reliably — pdf-lib cannot decrypt them in the browser. Remove the protection first in a program that knows the password.
- Flattening is a one-way street: once the fields are baked into the page, the form cannot be made interactive again. Keep the original in case you need to edit it later.
- Verify the result: open the downloaded file and check the document properties in your PDF reader — title, author and the remaining fields should now be empty.
Frequently asked questions
Can I password-protect a PDF here?
No. pdf-lib, the library this tool is built on, does not support PDF encryption, and it cannot be added safely in the browser version. Clip PDF offers real password protection in the native app, where the encryption runs directly on your device.
Which metadata is actually removed?
The six standard fields of the document information dictionary — title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer — are set to empty values. The date fields and any embedded XMP metadata stream are not removed, so check the file if those details matter to you.
What exactly does flattening do?
Interactive form fields — text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns — are drawn onto the page with their current values, and the interactive widgets are then removed. The document looks the same, but it can no longer be filled in or altered through the form.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The pdf-lib library is loaded into your browser, and the whole read, modify and save cycle happens in local memory. Your PDF never reaches a server — which also means there is no upload size limit, only your device's available memory.
Does the tool change the page content?
Remove metadata leaves the pages entirely alone; only the information fields change. Flattening changes how form fields are stored but preserves their visible appearance. Text, images and the layout of the rest of the document stay exactly as they are.
Can I remove an existing password from a PDF?
No. The browser tool cannot decrypt protected files. It tries to open them anyway by ignoring the encryption flag, but the result is unreliable: processing may fail with an error, or the saved file may be unreadable. Unlock the PDF first in a program that knows the password.
Is a flattened form still machine-readable?
No — the field values no longer exist as data. Systems that extract values from interactive form fields will not find them after flattening, because the entries only survive as regular page content. If a recipient needs to process the form electronically, send the unflattened version.
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