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How to remove hidden metadata from a PDF

Every PDF carries hidden data you never see on the page: the author's name, the software that made it, creation and edit timestamps, sometimes GPS coordinates from an original photo, and even embedded JavaScript. Before you send a document to a counterparty, a client, or the public, it's worth stripping that trail — and you can do it without handing the file to a cleanup service.

Step by step

  1. Open the sanitize tool

    Go to the Remove-metadata (Sanitize) tool and add your PDF. It loads in your browser — no upload.

  2. Review what's in the file

    The tool surfaces the metadata it found — title, author, producer, dates, JavaScript, attachments, and hidden data.

  3. Strip it

    Apply the clean-up to remove the metadata and any embedded scripts while leaving the visible content and form fields intact.

  4. Download the clean PDF

    Export the sanitized file. Re-open its document properties to confirm the author and history are gone.

Clean a PDF now

Why this stays private

  • Cleaning runs on your device — the document (and whatever's hidden in it) never leaves your browser.
  • It removes the hidden data but keeps the page you see and any fillable fields, so the file stays usable.
  • Embedded JavaScript is stripped too, which also closes a common way a PDF can carry active content.

Questions

What metadata does a PDF actually carry?
Typically the title, author, the app that produced it, creation/modification dates, keywords, sometimes GPS from a source image, plus attachments and JavaScript. None of it shows on the page, but it travels with the file.
Will stripping metadata change how the PDF looks?
No. The visible content and form fields are preserved; only the hidden metadata and scripts are removed.
Is the file uploaded to sanitize it?
No. It's processed entirely in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.

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