Redact a PDF offline — and remove the text for real
A black box drawn on top of text hides it on screen, but the text is often still inside the file. PdfForge deletes it, on your own PC, before you share the document.
Redaction that actually removes the data
A fast, private desktop toolkit — not another website that uploads your files.
Removed, not covered
Redacted text is deleted from the page, not hidden under a shape. It cannot be selected, copied or found by a search in the redacted copy.
Every match in one pass
Search for a name, a phone number or an ID and PdfForge lists every occurrence on every page. Select them all and redact them together.
Sensitive files stay local
The documents that need redaction are the last ones you should upload to a website. PdfForge does the whole job on your PC.
How to redact a PDF without uploading it
4 steps, entirely on your PC.
Download PdfForge free from mes-dev.com and install it on Windows.
Open Search & Redact, choose your PDF and search for the text to remove.
Review the matches listed by page, select them and click Redact selected.
Save the redacted copy, then search it again — the removed text is no longer found.
Frequently asked questions
Is drawing a black rectangle over text enough?
Usually not. A shape drawn on top of text hides it visually, but the text often stays in the file underneath, where anyone can select or copy it. True redaction removes the content itself, which is what PdfForge does.
Can I redact a scanned document?
Search only finds real text. For scanned pages, either run OCR first so the text becomes searchable, or use Redact area and draw a box over what should be removed.
What is free and what needs Premium?
Redaction is free for documents up to 2 pages, once a day and three times a month. Larger documents are blocked completely on the free plan rather than partly redacted, because a half-redacted file is a data leak. The one-time Premium upgrade removes the limit.
Can a redaction be undone?
Not in the redacted copy — that is the point. Your original file is never changed, so keep it somewhere safe and share only the redacted copy.
What about hidden information like the author name?
Use Strip metadata as well. It removes the author, software and dates stored inside the PDF, which a redaction of the visible page does not touch.
Get PdfForge free
Compress, merge, split, OCR, sign and redact PDFs entirely on your Windows PC — 50+ tools, nothing uploaded, and a one-time Premium upgrade instead of a subscription.
Download PdfForge — free