Question 1

Does PDF redaction permanently remove the text under the box?

Accepted Answer

After you apply, the download burns those pixels. The original file still has the words. Send _redacted.pdf, not the source.

Question 2

Is redacting a PDF the same as highlighting it?

Accepted Answer

No. Highlight leaves selectable text. Redaction is a black box that is meant to destroy what sits underneath once you apply.

Question 3

Can I search and replace a name to redact it?

Accepted Answer

No. This tool is draw-and-apply. There is no find field. Walk the pages and box what you can see.

Question 4

What is the _redacted.pdf filename?

Accepted Answer

That is the new burned copy. The file you dropped is not overwritten.

Question 5

Do I have to apply redaction boxes before I send the file?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Unapplied boxes are not a finished redaction. Apply, then download, then send that download.

Question 6

Will redaction work on a scanned PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You are painting pixels. A scan is already a picture, so boxing a region still covers that region in the download.

Question 7

Can I redact only one page of a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Draw on the pages that need it. Pages you never mark stay as they were in the new file.

Question 8

Does redaction also remove the words from extractable text?

Accepted Answer

The intent of apply is to burn the marked region so it is not sitting under a thin cover. Still review the download. Do not assume a second hidden text layer vanished if you never boxed it.

Question 9

Should I encrypt a redacted PDF as well?

Accepted Answer

If the remaining pages are still sensitive as a whole, encrypt the redacted download. Redaction hides spots. Encryption gates the file.

Question 10

Why is redaction better than covering text with a white box in an editor?

Accepted Answer

A white box in many editors is just another object. Apply here is meant to burn pixels into _redacted.pdf so the cover is not a peel-off layer.

Question 11

Can I undo a redaction on the downloaded file?

Accepted Answer

Not as a restore of the burned pixels. Keep the original if you might need the unredacted page later.

Redact a PDF - Burn Black Boxes into the Pixels