How We Handle Your Files
Redact a PDF for Free
redact PDFs. text-based PDFs. manual redaction boxes.
How We Process Your Files
Every file follows the same secure, temporary processing workflow — built to protect your privacy while delivering a permanently redacted document you can trust.
Upload
You upload your PDF over a secure HTTPS connection. The file goes into temporary, secure processing storage and nowhere else.
Temporary Processing
Your file stays active only for your current session. It is never permanently stored on our servers — once the session ends, it is gone.
Manual Redaction
You draw redaction boxes over any content you want removed. You are always in complete control of what gets redacted.
Review-first Regex Detection
For text-based PDFs, smart regex patterns identify potential sensitive content. You personally review every suggestion before it becomes a redaction box — no surprises.
Metadata Cleanup
Standard PDF metadata including author name, creator software, timestamps, subject line, keywords, and any custom fields are fully stripped during processing.
Download
You download your redacted PDF with complete metadata cleanup applied. The original file is permanently removed and never stored.
Automatic Deletion
All temporary files are automatically deleted once processing finishes — fully compliant with our retention policy, no manual action needed.
Our Processing Principles
RedactionPDF runs on a privacy-first foundation. Here is a clear overview of exactly what we do — and what we never do — with your documents.
No AI Training
Your uploaded documents are never used to train AI models. No human review of your files takes place during standard processing — period.
No Manual Review
Files are processed entirely automatically. RedactionPDF team members do not access your documents as part of the standard workflow.
Temporary Storage Only
Your files are accessible only during active processing. The moment your session ends or the retention window expires, all temporary copies are completely removed.
User Responsibility
You are responsible for reviewing the final downloaded PDF to confirm that redactions were applied exactly as intended.
Related Information
Your Responsibility
After downloading your redacted PDF, make it a point to review it carefully and confirm that redactions were applied correctly. RedactionPDF gives you full control over which areas to redact, and you review every regex detection suggestion before it becomes a redaction box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Automatic detection works with text-based PDFs; scanned or image-only PDFs can still be marked manually.
review suggestions before applying redaction | RedactionPDF
How long do you keep my uploaded files?
Your files are automatically wiped once processing finishes — we follow a strict no-retention policy. RedactionPDF never stores copies of your documents on our servers after the job is done.
Can anyone at RedactionPDF access my files?
Never. Everything goes through automated workflows — no human ever views your documents. RedactionPDF's team doesn't manually review user files as part of standard operations.
What metadata is removed from my files?
We scrub all standard PDF metadata during processing — things like author name, creator software, creation and modification timestamps, subject line, keywords, and any custom metadata fields you may have added.
Is my uploaded data used to train AI models?
Never. Uploaded documents are never used to train AI or machine learning models at RedactionPDF. Your files stay private end-to-end — that's a firm commitment, not just a formality.
What if the redaction doesn't apply correctly?
You're responsible for reviewing the final downloaded PDF to confirm redactions are correct. Found an issue? Just upload and reprocess with adjusted redaction boxes — it's a quick retry.
Is my upload connection secure and encrypted?
Yes. All file uploads happen over HTTPS with full encryption in transit — your documents are protected from the moment they leave your device until processing completes.