Is my data secure when I upload documents?

Every file transfer is encrypted using TLS 1.3, the same security protocol used by banks. Once uploaded, files are stored encrypted and automatically deleted from our servers within 2 hours of processing, regardless of whether you download the result. We do not read, analyse, or share your documents with any third party.

Is redaction permanent or can it be reversed?

The redaction tool visually blacks out the selected areas and embeds them into the PDF on download. The black boxes are part of the document content. We recommend verifying the redacted output before sharing. For highly sensitive documents requiring certified forensic-level redaction — such as legal discovery or regulated data removal — consult a document security specialist.

What can I redact in a PDF?

You can draw redaction boxes over any area of any page — text, images, signatures, tables, or any other visible content. The tool works on the visual layer, so you draw a box over whatever you want to hide and it is blacked out in the downloaded PDF.

Can I redact multiple pages in one session?

Yes. You can add redaction boxes to any number of pages in a single session. Navigate between pages, add redaction boxes wherever needed, and then download the fully redacted PDF in one go. You are not limited to one page at a time.

What's the file size limit?

You can upload PDFs up to 5MB on the free tier. If you need to redact larger documents, contact us — bulk processing for larger jobs is available.

Do I need to install software or create an account?

No installation and no signup required. PDFHaul runs entirely in your browser. You can redact PDFs immediately without creating an account or providing an email address. If you want to save your processing history or access redacted files across devices, you can optionally sign in with Google.

Can I redact PDFs on mobile?

Yes. The PDFHaul web app works on any modern browser on desktop, tablet, and mobile. Drawing redaction boxes on a touchscreen is supported. For a faster native experience on iOS or Android, use the PDFHaul mobile app.

Redact PDF Online Free

Draw black boxes over sensitive text, images, or any other content in a PDF before sharing. Simple, fast, and no software required. No account needed, files deleted within 2 hours.

Drop your PDF here

or click to browse

Select PDF

Up to 10 MB

Enterprise-grade security

Files auto-delete

Free to get started

How to Redact PDF

1
Upload your PDF
Click the upload area or drag and drop your PDF. Any PDF version is supported.
2
Draw your redaction boxes
Select the redaction tool and draw boxes over any text, image, or area you want to black out. Add redaction boxes to as many pages as you need.
3
Download your redacted PDF
Download the PDF with all sensitive content permanently blacked out and embedded into the file.

Why use PDFHaul
to redact PDFs?

Redact any content on any page

Draw redaction boxes over text, images, tables, signatures, or any visible content. Not limited to text-layer redaction — covers anything on the page visually.

Multi-page redaction in one session

Navigate between pages and add redaction boxes across the entire document before downloading. No need to redact one page at a time.

Redactions embedded in the PDF

The black boxes are part of the document on download. The redacted areas are not a visual layer that can be toggled off — they are baked into the file.

Files deleted in 2 hours

Your documents are automatically purged from our servers within 2 hours. Not stored, not analysed, not sold.

Who redacts
PDFs?

Redaction is used any time a document needs to be shared with sensitive information removed — in legal, compliance, HR, and healthcare contexts.

Legal discovery and disclosure

Redact privileged communications, personal identifiers, and confidential information from documents produced in litigation or regulatory investigations before sharing with opposing counsel.

GDPR and data privacy compliance

Remove names, contact details, national ID numbers, and other personal data from documents before sharing externally or responding to subject access requests. Reduce your compliance exposure when sharing records.

HR and employee records

Share a sanitised version of an employee record or performance review with a third party without exposing personal details, salary figures, or other sensitive fields that are not relevant to the request.

Healthcare and patient documents

Remove patient names, identifiers, and medical record numbers from documents before using them for training, research, or sharing with non-clinical staff who do not need access to the full record.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about redacting PDFs online

Yes, completely free. You can redact unlimited PDF documents at no cost, with no watermarks on the output. No subscription required. PDFHaul is free for anyone who needs to black out sensitive content before sharing a PDF.

More PDF tools

After redacting, annotate or sign in the PDFHaul viewer. No re-uploading needed.

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