How to remove PDF metadata before sharing
Inspect PDF properties, clear common author and XMP metadata, then check the saved copy. Understand what metadata cleanup leaves in the document.
To remove PDF metadata, first inspect the document, create a cleaned copy with Remove PDF Metadata, then inspect that downloaded copy. This lets you check the result instead of assuming that a successful download means every identifying detail has disappeared.
What PDF properties can reveal
A PDF can store a title, author, subject, keywords, creation and modification dates, and the application that produced it. These properties are separate from the words visible on its pages. PDF information can also appear in XMP metadata attached to the document or its objects.
This tool clears the document Info dictionary and reachable XMP metadata references. It processes one valid, unencrypted PDF within 50 MB locally in your browser. It does not upload the document for processing.
Inspect, clean and inspect again
- Keep your original and open a working copy in PDF Info & Health Check. Read the author, title and other reported properties. Note anything that should not accompany the shared copy.
- Open Remove PDF Metadata and choose that PDF. Select Remove metadata, then preview and download the cleaned result.
- Choose the downloaded result in PDF Info, rather than inspecting the source file again. Confirm that the unwanted common properties are no longer reported.
- Open the result in your usual reader. Check the page count, appearance and any document properties it exposes before sharing.
Example: remove an old author from a report
Suppose a report's properties still name the person who created its template. Cleaning can remove that stored author value. If the same name appears in a footer, on a cover sheet or inside a comment, it is a different kind of content and can remain. Search and visually review the saved document as well as checking its properties.
Metadata removal is not complete sanitization
A PDF properties remover is not a guarantee of anonymity. Page text, images, comments, attachments, links, form values and other identifying content are not removed by this operation. The Info report offers basic signals; it is not a complete security audit. For confidential page content, follow a verified redaction workflow rather than hiding text with a shape, crop or overlay.
When to edit metadata instead
If you want a useful document title or the correct author rather than blank properties, use Edit PDF Metadata. Review the saved values afterward. Document keywords describe the PDF; changing them is not a way to improve this website's search ranking.
Rewriting a PDF can invalidate digital signatures. Keep signed originals, check the recipient's requirements and perform a final review after later edits, because another editor can write fresh metadata into the file.
Prepared by PDF Tools Club · Updated October 18, 2026. Instructions reflect this release’s controls and limits.