Black out confidential information in PDF permanently
1 min read·25 July 2026
National IDs, bank account numbers, names, addresses — sometimes information in a PDF must be permanently hidden before sharing. PDFrust's redact tool removes selected areas from the PDF structure irreversibly.
Redacting vs. drawing a black box
There is a critical difference: drawing a black rectangle over text in a PDF editor hides text visually, but the underlying text remains selectable and readable by anyone who copies the content. True redaction removes the data from the PDF structure permanently. Always use a real redaction tool for sensitive data.
How to redact with PDFrust
Open the redact tool and upload your PDF. Draw rectangles over the text or images you want to remove. Choose the fill colour (default black, but white or a pattern also works). Click "Redact" — the selected areas are permanently removed from the PDF structure.
Redact PDF
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Verify the redaction
After redacting, verify the hidden information is truly gone: open the PDF in a viewer and try to select the black areas. If no text is selectable under the redaction, the operation succeeded.
When to redact
Sharing contracts where certain clauses are confidential. Sharing ID documents with only partial information visible. Distributing internal reports to external parties with sensitive business data removed.
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