By Jenefey Aaron

Updated on 2025-02-18

100 % Helpful

PDF Editor Tips

How to Redact Information on PDF Easily: 6 Simple Ways

By Jenefey Aaron

2025-02-18 / PDF Editor

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Need to hide sensitive details in a PDF? Whether it’s personal data, business documents, or legal files, redacting information ensures your private details stay safe. In this guide, we’ll show you six easy ways to remove or blackout text in PDFs, so no one can recover it.

There are many ways to get it done without requiring advanced skills. By just following simple steps with online tools, desktop software, or your phone, you will maintain an easy yet secure environment for your documents. Let's just check in and learn how to redact information on pdf fast.

Part 1: Prior to Starting to Redact Information on PDF

Part 2: How to Redact a PDF without Adobe PRO [Easy]

Part 3: How to Redact Information on PDF in Adobe

Part 4: How to Redact a PDF on Mac (Using Preview)

Part 5: How to Black Out Sensitive Information in PDFs

Part 6: FAQs about How to Redact Information on PDF

Part 1: Prior to Starting to Redact Information on PDF

Before choosing a tool to redact PDFs, it's essential to compare their features. Below is a comparison of popular software for PDF redaction:

Please swipe to view

Software

Success Rate

Security

Speed

Scope of Application

Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor

Very High

Strong

Fast

OCR, AI-powered

Adobe Acrobat Pro

High

Strong

Fast

Comprehensive

Microsoft Word

Medium

Moderate

Fast

Basic Editing

Google Docs

Medium

Moderate

Slow

Cloud-based

Foxit PDF Editor

High

Strong

Moderate

Advanced Editing

Kofax Power PDF

High

Strong

Slow

Enterprise-ready

PDF XChange Editor

High

Strong

Fast

Versatile

Part 2: How to Redact a PDF without Adobe PRO [Easy]

Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor makes it super easy to hide sensitive info! With just a few clicks, you can blackout private details and keep your documents secure. Plus, it’s not just for redacting—this tool lets you edit, convert, and even extract text from scanned PDFs effortlessly.

There aren't any complicated steps, confusing menus, or anything else-nothing more than a simple, user-friendly experience that gets the job done quickly. Be it contracts, reports, or personal files, this all-in-one PDF editor makes the work.

High-Precision OCR Scanning: Extract and edit text from scanned PDFs with near-perfect accuracy.
Versatile File Conversion: Convert PDFs into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, EPUB, and over 30 other formats.
Comprehensive Editing Tools: Modify text, images, backgrounds, watermarks, and links with ease.
AI-Powered Smart Features: Use GPT-4o integration for quick summaries, insights, and data extraction.
Reliable Customer Assistance: Get fast, responsive tech support whenever you need help.

Steps of how to redact pdf document on pc

Download Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor, install it on your PC, and open the application. Click “Open PDF” to import your file or simply drag and drop it into the editor.

Select the highlighter icon under “Comment”, pick a dark color, and apply it over the text you want to hide.

Save the Redacted PDF – Click “File” > “Save As” to securely export your edited document.

Method 1-Using Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word does not include a built-in redaction tool, but you can still remove sensitive data from documents. This method is useful if you want to hide personal details-such as your name, metadata, or confidential text-before sharing a file. It is easy and effective to redact information in Word no matter if the documents are legal, financial, or personal.

Pros:

Easy to Use: No extra software is needed—just Word.
Quick Redaction: Replace sensitive text in seconds.
Works on Multiple Formats: Can be used for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.

Cons:

Not a Secure Redaction Method: Text can still be retrieved with document recovery tools.
No Blackout Effect: Instead of fully removing text, it replaces words.

How to redact a pdf on mac:

Click File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document.
Select all the elements you want to inspect (e.g., document properties, personal info, hidden text).

Click Inspect, then review the results.
If Word finds sensitive data, click Remove All to delete it permanently.

Method 2-Using Google Docs

Google Docs does not have a built-in tool for redaction, but you can hide sensitive information manually. This method is simple, free of charge, and available to anyone with a Google account. Unfortunately, it lacks security and is less efficient.

Tenoshare

Freely Available for Use: Google Docs is thus free and functional for anyone who has an internet connection.
Very Easy to Use: No additional software needed; its user-friendly layout makes redaction pretty clear.
Collaboration Features: Multiple Users Can Work Outside a Document Simultaneously.

Tenoshare

Manual Process: Drawing dark boxes over sensitive text is a manual process that is time-intensive.
Security Risks: The hidden text can sometimes be retrieved using copy-paste or document history.
No Metadata Removal: Sensitive details like author names and hidden comments remain.

Steps of how to redact information on pdf:

Go to Google Docs and upload your PDF file or Word Document.
Google Docs will automatically convert your document into an editable version.
Click Insert > Drawing and make use of the shape tool for creating a black rectangle.
Place the black box over the private details to hide them.

Download the document in PDF format after redaction to prevent further edits.

Part 3: How to Redact Information on PDF in Adobe

Before sharing a PDF, it is essential to remove sensitive information that could compromise privacy. Adobe Acrobat provides a secure way to redact visible text, images, and hidden metadata. This offers confidential details are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.

Pros:

Permanent Redaction: Once applied, redacted content cannot be recovered.
Comprehensive Tools: Allows redaction of text, images, and hidden metadata.
Customizable Appearance: Users can modify redaction colors and overlay text.
Batch Redaction: Enables redacting multiple occurrences of the same text across pages.

Cons:

Requires Adobe Acrobat Pro: The redaction feature is not available in the free version.
Irreversible Process: Once saved, redacted content cannot be restored.
Time-Consuming: Manually marking and reviewing content takes effort.
Limited Free Trial: Full redaction features are only available with a paid subscription.

Steps to Redact Information on a PDF in Adobe

Start Adobe Acrobat and then navigate to All Tools > Redact PDF.
Simply click and drag along the label to highlight the text or images for which you wish to redaction.
By hovering over the marked areas, Apply check how those areas will appear once applied.
Click Apply and choose whether to Sanitize and remove hidden data.

Select Save As, and Adobe will add “_Redacted” to the filename to preserve the original.

Steps to Change Redaction Color in Adobe Acrobat

Open All Tools > Redact a PDF and click Set Properties.
Select the Redacted Area Fill Color option and choose a preferred color.
Enable Use Overlay Text to add custom text over redacted areas.
Choose font, size, alignment, and redaction codes if needed.
Confirm changes and proceed with redaction using the new settings.

Part 4: How to Redact a PDF on Mac (Using Preview)

It is important to protect sensitive information in a PDF, and it is free and easy to do with the built-in Preview app for Mac. The redaction feature allows you to permanently remove text and images to ensure that confidential data is protected. While it’s great for basic redaction, it may not have the advanced tools of dedicated PDF editors.

Tenoshare

No Extra Software: Built into macOS, no third-party apps needed.
Free to Use: No additional cost for redacting PDFs.
Easy to Use: Simple interface for all skill levels.
Permanent Redaction: Irreversibly removes sensitive data.
Basic Editing Tools: Includes annotation and markup options.

Tenoshare

Lacks Advanced Features: No batch redaction or pattern detection.
Possible Redaction Errors: May remove nearby text unintentionally. (Reddit)
Hidden Data Risk: May not fully erase metadata. (The Eclectic Light Company)
Irreversible Changes: Cannot undo redactions once saved.

How to redact information on pdf preview on macOS:

Right-click the PDF file, select "Open With," and choose "Preview."
Navigate to the "Tools" menu and select "Redact."

Alternatively, click the "Show Markup Toolbar" button and then the redaction icon.
A warning prompt will appear; click "OK" to proceed.
Highlight the text or images you wish to redact; they will be covered with black bars.
After completing redactions, go to "File" and select "Save" to apply changes. Once saved, redactions are permanent and cannot be undone.

Part 5: How to Black Out Sensitive Information in PDFs

Method 1: Using Foxit PDF

Foxit PDF provides a reliable way to redact sensitive information. It offers a dedicated redaction feature, allowing users to black out text and images permanently.

How to redact information on foxit pdf

Open Foxit PDF and go to "File" and "Open" to upload the document you want to work with, which is in PDF.
From "Protect", use the redaction tool.
Click on "Redaction", and then select "Mark for Redaction".
Use the hand tool to highlight the text or images for redaction.
Select "Protect" > "Redaction" and right-click on "Apply Redaction." Click on "Apply" to confirm the action.

Method 2: Using Kofax Power PDF

Kofax Power PDF Advanced ensures secure redaction by allowing users to mark and permanently remove confidential information.

How to redact information on pdf mac:

Launch your PDF document in Kofax Power PDF Advanced.
Click on the "Security" ribbon and choose the feature called "Mark Redaction."
Drag to select the text or area you want to redact.
Click on the "Apply Redaction" button, and you're done.

Save the redacted file with a different name if you need to keep an unredacted version.

Method 3: Using PDF-XChange Editor

PDF-XChange Editor allows users to censor text and images by applying a black overlay, ensuring the hidden content is unreadable.

Steps of how to redact information on pdf xchange editor:

Open the PDF document and navigate to the "Protect" tab.
Click "Mark for Redaction" and use the cursor to highlight the text or images.
Select "Apply All" to finalize the redaction.
The selected content will be covered with black bars.

Save the redacted file to prevent further modifications.

Part 6：FAQs about How to Redact Information on PDF

1. How to redact a PDF without uploading it?

You can use offline PDF editors like Preview (Mac), Foxit PDF, or Adobe Acrobat. Open the file, use the redaction tool to mark sensitive content, apply redaction, and save the file securely.

2. How do I remove information from a PDF document?

Use a PDF editor’s redaction tool to permanently remove text or images. If you only need to hide content, you can cover it with a black box. Always save a copy before making changes.

3. How do I anonymize all comments in a PDF?

In Adobe Acrobat, go to "Comments" > "Anonymize," or manually remove author names in the comment properties. Some editors let you flatten comments to remove identifying details permanently.

Conclusion:

In this article, we find out how to redact information on pdf with different online digital tools. Such redaction is important for privacy and security when sensitive information is in PDF format. On the contrary, if you want a more sophisticated and user-friendly alternative, Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor is a top recommendation.

This is the exact redacting, easy editing and secure processing of documents. Whether you are using contracts, reports, or sensitive files, the right tool does a great job at keeping your information protected.