pdfviz

Scan a PDF for private data

or drop one here
Choose a PDF file first.

A PDF carries more than its pages. This scan lists the author, the producer, the dates, the XMP packet and the trailer identifier your file hands to strangers, so you can remove what you choose. Page words are untouched, files stay in this tab, and very large files can exceed what the tab can hold.

How to run a PDF privacy scan

  1. Choose a PDF

    Press Choose a PDF, or drop one on the page. The file is read and scanned in this browser tab.

  2. Review what it carries

    The scan groups document details, software fields, dates, other metadata and embedded file attachments. Values are shown only inside the tool.

  3. Choose what to remove

    Every finding starts selected. Keep all selected, deselect all, or choose individual items. The scan does not treat words printed on the pages as metadata.

  4. Read the check, then download

    The cleaned file is opened again. Selected data must be gone, unselected findings must remain, the page count must match, and the selectable text must pass the retention check before Download appears.

Metadata is not the same as the words on the page

A PDF carries two separate kinds of information about you. The first is metadata: the author field your word processor filled in, the name of the program that produced the file, the creation and modification dates, the keywords, the identifier in the trailer, and any file someone attached to the document. None of it is drawn on a page, which is why people forget it exists and send it out with the file.

The second kind is page content: a name in a letterhead, an address in a footer, a signature image. The privacy scan does not touch page content. For that, use redact PDF to remove words and images from the page itself. The two tools are complementary: redact the page, scan the metadata. Each tool checks its own output before download.

After scanning, consider protecting the file if you are sharing it, or running a redaction check if the document contains boxes drawn over sensitive text. Each tool works independently and all of them run in your browser.

When you need a PDF privacy scan

Sharing files externally. Before sending a PDF to a client, vendor or public body, scan it so the file does not leak your name, your software or your edit history.

Publishing documents online. A PDF uploaded to a website carries its metadata into every download. Strip it first so strangers cannot learn what tool you used or when you last edited.

Legal and compliance workflows. Redact the page content, then scan the metadata to check the file does not identify the author or reviewer through hidden fields.

Archiving cleaned files. Run the scan as the last step before archiving, so stored files carry the pages plus only the metadata kinds you chose to keep.

Submitting to public records requests. Before publishing records in response to a FOIA or similar request, scan the files so the metadata does not reveal internal author names or editing software.

Sharing files with outside counsel. Law firms and external reviewers do not need to see your internal document metadata. Scan before sharing to keep the file professional and clean.

What a PDF metadata scan reads

A PDF file is more than its pages. Surrounding the visible content is a layer of metadata: the document information dictionary, the XMP packet, the trailer identifier and any embedded file attachments. This tool reads all of it and groups the findings so you can see what the file carries before you send it out.

The document information dictionary holds the title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer fields. Your word processor or design tool filled some of these when the file was made. The XMP packet is a separate XML block that may duplicate or extend those fields. The trailer identifier is an identifier the file carries in its trailer, and embedded files are attachments someone added to the document.

When you remove selected findings, the tool rewrites the file without them and reopens the result to verify: the selected data is gone, the unselected findings remain, and the page count matches with the selectable text passing the retention check. This verified-output check must pass before the download appears.

Questions about PDF privacy scans

Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The scan, your selections and the cleaning all run in this browser tab. No part of the file is sent to a server.
What does the scan find?
It lists document fields (title, author, subject, keywords), software fields (producer, creator), creation and modification dates, the XMP packet, the trailer identifier and embedded file attachments.
Does it remove text from the pages?
No. It removes metadata only. For words and images on the page, use redact PDF.
Can I choose what to remove?
Yes. Every finding starts selected, but you can deselect all or toggle individual items. Unselected findings remain in the output.
How does it verify the result?
The cleaned file is reopened. Selected data must be gone, unselected findings must remain, the page count must match, and the selectable text must pass the retention check before Download appears.
Should I scan before or after other edits?
Scan last. Compressing, merging or editing the cleaned PDF can write a new producer field or modification date, so the copy you inspected is no longer the copy you send.
Is there a file or page limit?
There is no server-side cap: processing happens in your browser. Very large files are still bound by your browser tab's memory.
Does the scan store my data?
No. Values are shown only inside the tool. usage data events carry only action names, counts, sizes and durations, never file contents.

The other pdfviz tools

All of them run in a browser tab like this one, and none of them needs an account.