Bank statements
If you're only asked to prove your address or that you have an account, hide the transactions, balances, card number and full account number.
PDF tool
Redact PDF
Permanently hide sensitive information by selecting the areas directly on your PDF.
Select your PDF file
Upload the document and visually select the information you want to hide.
Preparing your PDF...
We're preparing the pages so you can select the areas to redact.
Select what you want to redact
Click or touch and drag over the areas you want to hide permanently.
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How do I redact information?
Follow these steps before creating your final document.
1
Select a page
Choose the page from the thumbnails.
2
Mark the information
Click or touch and drag over the area you want to hide.
3
Review and apply
Check your areas before applying the redaction.
Applying redactions...
We're creating a new copy of your PDF with the selected areas hidden.
Your PDF is ready!
The selected areas were redacted.
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Redactions
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The redacted information will be removed from the generated copy. Always keep your original document.
Share your documents without exposing your personal data
Every day people are asked for copies of documents that contain far more information than needed: a bank statement as proof of address that also shows your transactions, a payslip that reveals your salary, or an ID with your signature and ID number. Redacting lets you hand over only what's requested.
With SoloHazlo you see every page of your PDF, mark the areas you want to hide with the cursor or your finger, and create a new copy with that information removed. You can zoom in, zoom out and move the document to mark even small details precisely.
Redacting isn't the same as covering with a black box
A very common mistake is to open the PDF in an editor, draw a black box over the data and save it. It looks hidden, but the text is still there underneath: anyone can select it, copy and paste it, or find it with the PDF reader's search.
SoloHazlo applies the redaction to the document's content inside each area you mark. When the copy is generated, whatever was in those areas is removed and the space is covered. That's why it matters to use a redaction tool and not just a drawing editor.
Data you'll usually want to hide
IDs and certificates
On copies of ID cards, passports or certificates, consider hiding the signature or ID numbers when the recipient doesn't need them.
Payslips and contracts
To prove where you work you don't always need to show your salary, deductions, tax ID or social security number.
Public versions of documents
Offices, schools and firms that publish documents or answer information requests need "public versions" in which third parties' personal data is blacked out before release.
How to redact a PDF with SoloHazlo
Load your document
Select the PDF (up to 100 MB and 300 pages). In a few seconds you'll see thumbnails of all its pages.
Go to the page and zoom in on the data
Choose the page from the thumbnails or with the arrows. Use + and − to zoom, "Fit" to see the whole page, and "Move" to pan without marking anything by accident.
Mark each area
Click or touch and drag over the data. You can mark several areas on the same page and on different pages. If you make a mistake, select the area and use "Delete selection".
Apply the redaction and download
Press "Apply redaction". When it's done you'll see how many pages the document has and how many areas were redacted. Download the copy and check it before sharing it.
How to check that the redaction worked
Before sending a document with sensitive data, run this quick check on the downloaded file:
1. Search for it. Open the redacted PDF, press Ctrl + F (or the magnifying glass on your phone) and type part of the data you hid, for example the first digits of an ID number. It shouldn't be found.
2. Try to select it. Drag the cursor over the redacted area, copy and paste into a notepad. The original text shouldn't appear.
3. Check the edges. Zoom in on each area to confirm that the tops or bottoms of letters, or the last digit of a number, aren't peeking out.
4. Check every page. The same data (your name, your account number) is often repeated in the header or footer of every page. Make sure you've marked it on all of them.
Common problems and how to fix them
When I drag on my phone, the page moves instead of marking
Check that "Move" mode is turned off. With "Move" on, dragging pans the document; without it, dragging marks an area to redact.
The data is very small and hard to mark
Zoom in with the + button before marking. It's better to mark an area slightly larger than the data than to fall short.
I marked an area by mistake
Select it and use "Delete selection". Until you press "Apply redaction", you can correct as many areas as you like.
I get an error when loading the PDF
If the file has a password, you first need to unlock it with the program or service that created it. It may also be damaged: try opening it on your computer to check.
What happens to your documents
To apply the redaction, the PDF is sent to our server, the redacted copy is generated, and it's made available for you to download through a private link. Files are deleted from the server automatically shortly after processing. We don't look at the content of your documents or share them with third parties.
Your original file isn't changed. Keep it somewhere safe: the redaction is permanent in the copy, and if you need any of the data later, you'll only have it in the original.
Frequently asked questions about redacting PDFs
Can what I redacted be recovered?
Not from the redacted copy: the content of the marked areas is removed. That's why it's important to keep your original and check carefully before applying.
Does it work with scanned documents?
Yes. In a scan each page is an image, and the area you mark will be covered in the copy. Just make sure to leave enough margin, because text in scans is sometimes slightly tilted.
Can I redact several pages at once?
You can mark areas on as many pages as you need before applying; the redaction is applied to all of them in one step.
What's the size and page limit?
Up to 100 MB and 300 pages per document.
Does it cost anything, or do I need to sign up?
No. Redact PDF is free and doesn't require an account. The site is supported by ads.