Yes — Redact PDF is completely free on DukPdf. No account required, no email, no watermark.

Are my files uploaded?

No. All processing happens directly in your browser. Your files never leave your device, so nothing is uploaded to any server.

Do I need an account?

No account or email is required. Every tool works for anonymous visitors.

Does it work offline?

Yes — once the page has loaded, the tool runs entirely in your browser and continues to work without an internet connection.

Redact PDF — Black Out Sensitive Text

How to Redact a PDF

Add your PDF

Click “Select file” or drag and drop a PDF. The file is read in your browser — files stay local.

Select content to redact

Click and drag to draw redaction boxes over text, images, or entire regions you want permanently removed. The original content underneath is destroyed, not just visually hidden.

Apply and download

Click “Apply Redaction”. The redaction is finalized in the PDF and the result downloads automatically. The original content cannot be recovered from the output.

Every step runs in your browser. No server uploads, no waiting.

Why use this tool

DukPdf’s Redact PDF tool permanently removes sensitive content from a PDF — text, images, or entire regions. Unlike blacking out with a marker in an editor, DukPdf’s redaction destroys the underlying content, not just the visible layer. All redaction runs in your browser, so the document never leaves your device. To understand why this matters, read why redaction without uploading is critical. To add a password to the redacted file, use Protect PDF. For a deeper guide covering true redaction vs visual black boxes, see our redact PDF guide.

When you'd use this

Legal discovery redaction

Redact privileged information, Social Security numbers, or client names from a PDF before producing it in a legal matter.

Medical record de-identification

Remove patient names, dates of birth, and other PHI from a medical record before sharing it for research or a second opinion.

Financial statement redaction

Black out account numbers, tax IDs, or specific transaction details from a bank statement before sharing it for proof of funds or an audit.

Redact a contract for sharing

Remove salary, bonus, or other sensitive terms from an employment contract before sharing a template with a new hire.

Why this matters for your privacy

☁️ CLOUD PDF TOOLS

📄 your-file.pdf

↓ uploaded over the internet

☁️ their server

A copy of your document sits on someone else’s infrastructure — deleted on their schedule, not yours.

✗ OUT OF YOUR HANDS

DukPdf

📄 your-file.pdf

⟳ stays right where it is

💻 your device

Processed by your own browser, start to finish — on your machine, under your control.

✓ STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE

We send the software to your file — not your file to our servers.

Redact PDF — questions

Is the redacted PDF uploaded to a server?

No. The redaction runs entirely in your browser. The original content is destroyed locally. Open DevTools → Network tab while redacting — zero upload requests carrying your document.

Does the redacted file stay on my device?

Yes. Both the source file and the redacted output are processed locally. The document never leaves your browser. The only way anyone else sees the redacted file is if you share it with them yourself.

Is DukPdf redaction permanent?

Yes. Unlike drawing a black rectangle over text in an editor (which leaves the original text recoverable), DukPdf redaction removes the underlying content. The redacted text cannot be extracted from the output PDF.

Can I undo a redaction?

No. Once you click “Apply Redaction”, the original content is destroyed in the output file. The source file is unchanged, but the redacted output has the content permanently removed. Always keep a copy of the original.

Why does permanent redaction matter?

Visual redaction (drawing a black box) is not secure. Anyone with a PDF editor or text extraction tool can recover the “redacted” text. DukPdf removes the underlying content, so the text is truly gone from the file.

What types of content can I redact?

Text, images, and entire page regions. Draw a redaction box over any visual element to permanently remove it. The redaction works on any content rendered in the PDF, not just text.

Can I redact only specific pages?

Yes. Apply redactions to the pages you choose. Other pages are left untouched. Use Extract Pages if you need to save only the redacted pages as a new PDF.