How to remove metadata from a PDF.
Want to keep your information secure? Learn how to remove metadata from a PDF to hide sensitive information in a shared document.
When you save a document, it saves more than just the letters you type. Sometimes, that additional information might be considered sensitive. If you plan to share your PDF document, hiding the data might be a good idea. Here’s how to remove metadata from a PDF.
What is metadata?
Metadata is additional information about a document. It typically includes info like the author’s name, the title of the piece, the document’s creation date, keywords, and sometimes even the software used to make it. It’s like a digital fingerprint.
Metadata helps anyone reading the document understand more about it. It’s also important for optical character recognition (OCR) software, which transforms static scanned documents into searchable, editable text PDF files.
4 steps to remove PDF metadata.
If you don't want people to be able to read the sensitive information it can contain inside, you can choose to remove metadata from a PDF in four easy steps:
- Open the PDF document.
- Click the top left Menu (Windows) or File (macOS) > Document Properties.
- Edit or delete metadata properties - you can also check additional metadata fields in the Additional Metadata menu.
- Press OK and save the PDF.
This will delete all the metadata in the PDF. You can also choose to edit the existing metadata in the Document Properties menu. Simply change whichever fields you want, click OK, and save your document. Remember, you must own the PDF document you want to remove metadata for. Certain PDF permissions can prevent you from being able to delete metadata in a shared PDF.
Other ways to secure your PDF information.
Keep in mind that once you delete your PDF metadata, it can’t be undone. Make sure you really want to delete your metadata before you save the document. And if you’re not sure you’d like to remove PDF metadata, there are other ways to secure a PDF without altering the metadata.
The most common way to secure your personal information in a shared document is to password protect your PDF. That way only people with the password can open your document, ensuring it can’t be viewed by anyone you don’t want to see it — metadata and all.
Frequently asked questions.
Is metadata important?
Metadata provides more information about a document, helping you organize and search your files. It’s also helpful when using OCR software to change image files into readable text. However, a document doesn’t need metadata to function.
Can I save a PDF without metadata?
The metadata is updated every time you edit a PDF document. However, you can print to PDF to save a flattened copy of the document without metadata.
Can I search metadata?
Yes, file searches include metadata in their search parameters. It’s helpful if you want to search for authors, creation dates, or any keywords listed in the metadata.
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Content as a Service v2 - acrobat-hub - Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 10:18