Security & privacy
PDF security tools protect content and remove sensitive data: Protect PDF adds an open password, Unlock PDF removes one, Redact PDF permanently covers sensitive text, Privacy Scanner finds hidden data, Metadata Cleaner strips author and source info, and Watermark PDF stamps ownership. All run in your browser.
Securing a PDF means two different things: controlling who can open it, and removing information that should not be there. Both matter — a document can be password-protected yet still leak author names in its metadata.
Every security tool runs locally, which matters more here than anywhere: the whole point is handling sensitive documents without sending them anywhere.
How these tools work together
Passwords and permissions
Protect PDF encrypts the file with a password you choose — anyone opening it needs that password. Unlock PDF removes an existing password when you provide it. Restrict PDF stops printing, copying or editing without requiring an open password.
Note the honest limits: protection is standard PDF encryption, and removing a password requires knowing it. Paperly does not crack passwords.
Redaction and verification
Redact PDF permanently covers sensitive text with the page background — not a black box on top, but removal you can verify. Redaction Verification re-checks the output to confirm the redacted text is really gone.
This is the difference between redaction and covering text with a rectangle: redaction removes the underlying text layer so it cannot be copied or searched.
Metadata and hidden content
Metadata Editor sets title, author, subject and keywords; Metadata Cleaner strips them. Privacy Scanner finds hidden and potentially sensitive content before you share a document.
Authors, editing software and document history routinely survive in metadata — cleaning it before external release is a professional habit.
Watermarking
Watermark PDF stamps text like "CONFIDENTIAL" across every page. Image Watermark stamps a logo or image instead. Both support opacity control so the watermark marks the document without destroying readability.
Security & privacy tools
Guides for security & privacy
Frequently asked questions
Can you remove a password I forgot?
No. Unlock PDF removes a password only when you provide it. Paperly does not crack passwords, and no tool honestly can without the password.
Is redaction the same as covering text with a black box?
No. Redact PDF removes the underlying text layer so the content cannot be copied or searched. A black box over text often leaves the text readable underneath.
Are my documents uploaded?
Never. All security operations run in your browser — your files never leave your device.