How do I redact a PDF so the hidden text is really gone?
Open the PDF in Sealique, draw black boxes over the words in your browser; the marked pages are rasterised on the server so the covered text no longer exists.
A cover box in an editor hides text from the eye and leaves it in the file for anyone to copy. Redaction is different: the pages you mark are re-rendered as pictures with the boxes burnt in, so names, account numbers and paragraphs are gone for good before the document is shared or published.
Redact a PDF now Create an account Verify a signed document
Key facts
- Redact PDF on Sealique blacks out areas you draw and rasterises every page that has a box, so the text underneath is removed from the file rather than covered; it is included with an account, with no card and no daily limit.
- Pages without boxes keep their text and quality; only the redacted pages become images.
- Document metadata (author, title, keywords) is cleared from the redacted copy.
- Up to 400 boxes per document, drawn in the browser on page previews; the redaction runs on the server.
- The redacted copy is saved in your library as a new document and can be sealed with a PAdES digital signature.
Why rasterise the page?
Text in a PDF is stored as glyphs and strings that survive any box drawn on top. The only way to be certain it is gone is to replace the page: Sealique renders each marked page to a bitmap on the server, paints the boxes in solid black, and writes that picture back as the page. Text, fonts and hidden layers of that page are discarded in the process, and the document's metadata is cleared too.
Redact, then sign
Publish or share the redacted copy; keep the original in your library. If the redacted version needs to be proven unchanged, seal it with a PAdES digital signature so anyone can verify it online by its verification ID or QR code.
Redact PDF, step by step
Open Redact PDF
Sign in, open PDF tools and choose Redact PDF.
Choose the PDF
Drop a PDF of up to 50 MB or pick an unsigned document from your library. Pages are shown as previews.
Draw the boxes
Drag a box over every word, line or area that must disappear, on any page. Resize or remove a box before applying.
Apply the redaction
Press Redact. Pages with boxes are rasterised on the server; the redacted copy appears in your library next to the original.
Redact PDF is included with a Sealique account; the processing happens in your browser and on our servers, nothing is shared with third parties.
What Redact PDF includes
- Draw boxes on page previews in the browser
- Marked pages rasterised; hidden text removed
- Other pages untouched
- Metadata cleared
- Original kept, redacted copy in your library
- Works from a phone or a computer
Questions people ask
Is the text really removed?
Yes. Every page with a box is turned into an image with the boxes painted black, so the original text objects no longer exist in the file.
Copying, searching or extracting text from those pages yields nothing; the rest of the document keeps its text.
What is the difference from the editor's cover box?
A cover box is a filled shape drawn over the page; the text stays underneath and can be extracted. Redaction removes it.
Does the file get bigger?
Redacted pages become images, so they can be larger than text pages; run Compress PDF afterwards if size matters.
Can I redact a signed PDF?
No. A sealed PDF must stay as signed; redact the unsigned original or a copy, then sign the redacted version.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is included with a Sealique account: no card, no watermark, no daily limit.