Remove PDF Metadata
Strip the author, software, dates, XMP data and hidden app data from a PDF before you share it. The file is cleaned in your browser.
Reviewed by Dany, RightSums team · Updated
Runs in your browser. Your files are not uploaded.
pdf-security · PDF tool · UK & US
Open a PDF and the tool lists the metadata it finds: title, author, subject, keywords, the creator and producer apps, creation and modification dates, custom fields such as Company, the embedded XMP stream, page-level XMP and private application data (PieceInfo). One click deletes the document information dictionary, every XMP stream and the PieceInfo blocks, then drops any objects left orphaned so the old values are not still hiding in the file. Page content is not touched. The language tag stays, and so do comments, form field values, attachments and bookmarks, which can carry names of their own. Password-protected files open once you type the password. The cleaned copy downloads as a new file ending in -no-metadata.pdf.
Accepted inputs
Outputs
- PDF (metadata removed)
How to use the Remove PDF Metadata
- Choose a PDF from your device, and enter its password if it is protected.
- Read the list of metadata found in the file, including any XMP and application data.
- Click Remove metadata to delete those properties and the hidden objects behind them.
- Download the cleaned copy, which is saved with -no-metadata at the end of its name.
Frequently asked questions
What metadata does a PDF contain?
A PDF usually stores a title, author, subject, keywords, the app that created it, the app that produced the PDF, and creation and modification dates. Many files also carry an XMP stream that repeats these, custom fields such as Company, and private data blocks left by editing software.
Does removing metadata change how the PDF looks?
No. Only the document properties and hidden data blocks are deleted, so the pages, fonts and images stay exactly as they were. The file may get slightly smaller because orphaned objects are dropped when it is saved.
Does it remove names written on the pages?
No. It clears document properties only, so a name typed in the body text, a header or a signature stays visible. Use Redact PDF to remove details that appear on the pages themselves.
What is left behind after cleaning?
The document language tag is kept, and the tool does not touch comments, form field values, attachments or bookmarks. Comments often record the reviewer's name, so flatten or delete them first if the file must be anonymous.
Is my PDF uploaded when I remove metadata?
No. The file is read, cleaned and saved by code running in your browser, so it never reaches a server. That matters here, because the details you are removing are usually the ones you want to keep private.
Related tools
- Edit PDF Metadata
View and change a PDF's title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, dates and language. Leave a field empty to remove it.
- Compress PDF
Shrink a PDF by compressing the photos and scans inside it while text, links and form fields stay as they are. Runs in your browser.
- Protect PDF
Password-protect a PDF with AES-256 encryption and choose whether people can print, copy, edit, comment, fill forms or move pages.
- Redact PDF
Permanently black out names, numbers and other personal data in a PDF. Search for text or draw boxes, and the content underneath is destroyed, not just covered.