Not all information is appropriate for general consumption. So, this tutorial shows how to redact PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Specifically, we’re going to cover five tasks:
- How to redact text and images (basic method)
- How to repeat redactions across multiple pages
- How to redact entire pages
- How to find and redact text
- How to customize the appearance of redactions
Plus, the bonus section at the end explains how to sanitize specific metadata and other items from your PDF.
Warning: The redaction processes shown here are permanent. You cannot remove redactions or undo the sanitation process after they have been applied. Therefore, you should perform these steps on a secondary copy of your PDF, not on the original.
The images below are from Adobe Acrobat Pro. The steps are the same in Acrobat Pro 2017 and Acrobat Pro 2020.
The redaction tool is not available in Acrobat Standard DC, Acrobat Standard 2017, Acrobat Standard 2020, or in Adobe’s free PDF software, Acrobat Reader.
This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
Friendly Reminder: No technology is perfect. Therefore, you should always review the accuracy of your redactions before sharing your PDF with others.
How to Redact Text and Images in PDFs — Basic Method
This is the basic method for redacting text and images. Due to the complexity of Adobe Acrobat’s redaction tool, this tutorial can’t cover every option but will instead focus on the options most readers will need.
- Select the Tools tab.
- Select the Redact button in the Tools Center.
- Select the text or image you want to redact. A red border will appear around your selection.
Pro Tip: Hover your cursor over the selection to see a preview of the redaction.
- Select the Apply button in the Redact toolbar.
- Toggle the button on (blue) or off (gray) for the Sanitize and remove hidden information option in the Apply Redactions dialog box.
Hidden information includes but is not limited to the following items:
-
- Attached files
- Links
- Bookmarks
- Comments and markups
- Metadata (e.g., author’s name)
- Digital signatures
Important Note: If you want to choose which items are sanitized, toggle this option off now and use the Sanitize Document tool later, as shown in the bonus section at the end of this tutorial.
- Select the OK button.
- Select a location to save your file in the Save As PDF dialog box. Note that you may not see this dialog box if you are saving an existing file.
- (PC Users) Note that _Redacted has been added to your file name in the Windows Save As PDF dialog box.
- (PC Users) Select the Save button in the Windows Save As PDF dialog box.
Now that we’ve covered the basic method of redaction, let’s look at several advanced methods.
How to Repeat Redactions across Multiple Pages in PDFs
You can redact text or images in the same location, such as a header or footer, on multiple pages. Note that this option will not redact the selected text or images in other locations on other pages. See “How to Find and Redact Text” below to learn how to find specific text for redaction.
- Select the Tools tab (see figure 1).
- Select the Redact button in the Tools Center (see figure 2).
- Select the text or image you want to redact (see figure 3).
- Right-click the selection and select Repeat mark across pages from the shortcut menu. (Note that the selection will turn black or another chosen fill color when you right-click.)
- Select specific pages from the Repeat Redaction Mark dialog box:
-
- All pages
- Odd pages
- Even pages
- Specific page range entered into the text box
- Select the OK button.
- Select the Apply button in the Redact toolbar (see figure 4).
- Follow steps 5 through 9 in “How to Redact Text and Images in PDFs” above to complete your page redaction.
How to Redact Entire Pages in PDFs
- Select the Tools tab (see figure 1).
- Select the Redact button in the Tools Center (see figure 2).
- Select the arrow to the right of the Redact Text & Images button.
- Select Redact Pages from the drop-down menu.
- Choose your redaction option in the Mark Page Range dialog box:
-
- Mark current page for redaction allows you to mark the current page and additional pages for redaction.
- Mark specific page range for redaction allows you to enter individual pages (e.g., 5, 7, 9) or a page range (e.g., 10–20) into the text box.
- Select the OK button.
- (Optional Step) If you chose Mark current page for redaction, you can scroll to other pages and use the cursor to select additional pages.
A red box will appear around the selected page or pages.
- Select the Apply button in the Redact toolbar (see figure 4).
- Follow steps 5 through 9 in “How to Redact Text and Images in PDFs” above to complete your page redaction.
How to Find and Redact Text in PDFs
You can find specific words, phrases, or patterns to redact in individual PDFs or multiple PDFs within a folder.
- Select the Tools tab (see figure 1).
- Select the Redact button in the Tools Center (see figure 2).
- Select the arrow to the right of the Redact Text & Images button (see figure 13).
- Select Find Text & Redact from the drop-down menu.
- Read the alert box warning you that images and line art are not searchable even if they look like text and then select the OK button.
- Select the PDF or location to search in the Search panel.
- Select Single word or phrase or Multiple words or phrase and then enter your search term into the text box. (Alternatively, move to step 9 to choose Patterns.)
- (Optional Step) Select Whole words only and/or Case-Sensitive if you want to refine your search.
- (Alternative Step) Select Patterns and then select an option from the menu:
-
- Phone numbers
- Credit cards
- Social security numbers
- Email addresses
- Dates
- Select the Search & Remove Text button.
- Select the results you want to redact.
- Select the Mark Checked Results for Redaction button.
- Select the X to close the Search panel.
- Follow steps 5 through 9 in “How to Redact Text and Images in PDFs” above to complete your page redaction.
How to Customize the Appearance of Redactions in PDFs
Important Note: Complete these steps before creating your redactions. You can’t change the appearance of existing redactions.
- Select the Tools tab (see figure 1).
- Select the Redact button in the Tools Center (see figure 2).
- Select the arrow to the right of the Redact Text & Images button (see figure 13).
- Select Properties from the drop-down menu.
- Select new options in the Redaction Tool Properties dialog box.
The most popular option is the Redact Area Fill Color. If you choose No Color, your redaction will be a blank space.
- Select the OK button.
- Create your redactions as shown in the three sections above.
Bonus Section: How to Sanitize PDFs
The following steps show how to sanitize specific metadata, hidden information, and other items in your PDF.
Warning: These steps are permanent.
- Select Sanitize Document in the Redact toolbar.
- Select Click Here in the Sanitize Document dialog box.
- Deselect any results you don’t want to remove in the Remove Hidden Information pane.
- Select the Remove button.
- Read the warning in the Remove Hidden Information alert box and then select the Okay button.
The status in the Remove Hidden Information pane will change to “Removing selected items … Done” when the removal process is finished.
Related Resources
How to Restrict Editing in Adobe Acrobat
How to Password Protect PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac)
How to Insert Watermarks in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
How to Search Multiple PDFs with Adobe Acrobat’s Advanced Search
How to Find and Replace Text in Adobe Acrobat DC
How to Combine Files into One PDF in Adobe Acrobat
How to Add Copyright Metadata to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac)
Updated February 05, 2023