How to remove hidden metadata from a PDF before sharing it

Every PDF carries information you can't see on the page: who created it, which program and computer made it, when it was created and last changed. Before sending a document outside your organization or publishing it online, it is worth checking — and often removing — that hidden data.

What PDF metadata contains

• Title, subject and keywords — sometimes left over from a template or a previous document.
• Author — usually the name of the user account that created the file, which may be your full name.
• Creator and producer — the application and PDF engine used, sometimes including version numbers.
• Created and modified dates — revealing when a document was really prepared.
• XMP data — an extra hidden block that can repeat all of the above and more.

Why it matters

Metadata has embarrassed companies and individuals: a proposal “written for” one client still showing another client's name in the title, an anonymous report revealing its author, or a “new” document whose dates show it was made years ago. For job applications, the title of your CV may show in a recruiter's browser tab — make sure it says something sensible.

Step by step: view and edit

1. Open Edit PDF Metadata and select the PDF.
2. Review the properties shown: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Created and Modified.
3. Edit any field. Leave a box empty to remove that property.
4. Click Save Properties, then Download PDF.

Step by step: strip everything

1. Open the tool and select the PDF.
2. Tick Remove all metadata. This strips the author, software, dates and hidden XMP data.
3. Save and download.

Set a good title for published PDFs

If you publish PDFs on a website, the Title property is often what browsers and search engines display. A clear title such as “2026 Product Price List” looks far better than “Microsoft Word - final_v7.docx”.

Metadata is not the only hidden content

Removing metadata does not remove anything on the pages. If the document shows sensitive information — account numbers, addresses, names — remove it properly with Redact PDF. Drawing black boxes in an ordinary editor or cropping pages does not remove the underlying text. Comments and form fields can also hold information; Flatten PDF locks them into the page.

Common questions

Does removing metadata change how the document looks? No. The pages stay exactly the same.

Is my document uploaded? No. Properties are read and written in your browser.