Protect PDF
Add a password so only people who know it can open the PDF.
- No upload, ever
- Works offline
- Free to start
- No file-size limit
How it works
- Choose a PDF.
- Type a password, and choose what people may do with the file.
- Select Protect PDF and download the encrypted file.
Private by design
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server, and the page is technically blocked from sending them anywhere.
Questions and answers
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. The PDF is encrypted in your browser on your device, so neither the file nor the password is ever sent to us.
How strong is the protection?
The file is encrypted with AES-256. How well it holds up depends mostly on your password, so use a long one that’s hard to guess.
What if I forget the password?
Then nobody can open the file, including us. Keep the password somewhere safe, or keep an unprotected copy in a safe place.
Can I stop people from printing or copying?
Yes. Choose what people may do after opening the file. PDF readers are asked to honor these limits, but some ignore them; only the open password truly protects the file.
What is the permissions password for?
It’s a second password for changing the limits on printing, copying and editing. If you don’t set one, a random one is used.
Can I protect a PDF that already has a password?
If it needs a password to open, remove it with Unlock PDF first, then protect it with the new one. Files that only restrict printing or editing can be protected directly.
Related tools
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- Compress PDFMake a PDF smaller, mostly by shrinking the images inside it.
- Repair PDFTry to rebuild a damaged PDF so it opens again.
- Flatten PDFTurn fillable fields into ordinary content so they can’t be changed.
- Remove PDF metadataStrip the author, dates and editing history hidden in a PDF.
- Remove PDF annotationsDelete comments, highlights, stamps and drawings from a PDF.
- Convert PDF to PDF/APrepare a PDF for long-term archiving: PDF/A-2b profile and metadata, added on your device.
- Compare PDFSee what changed between two versions of a document.
- Batch PDFRun the same job over many PDFs at once, without doing them one by one.