pdfMB

View, edit and remove PDF metadata

See what your PDF says about you, then remove it or change it. Your file stays on this device.

  • No uploadYour file stays on this device.
  • Your original stays as it isYou download a new copy. Your file is never changed.
  • Free, no sign-upNo account and no daily limit.

What happens to your file

Everything below happens inside your browser, on your own device. The PDF is not uploaded, so nobody else, including us, can see it.

  1. Your browser opens the PDF with pdf-lib and lists every place where hidden information is kept: the document details (title, author, subject, keywords, program, dates and any extra fields), XMP metadata, and private data left by the program that made the file.
  2. It also looks deeper: XMP inside pictures, the names and dates on comments, camera details and GPS locations inside photos, and earlier versions that were saved on top of each other.
  3. “Remove all hidden information” deletes every one of these. Photos are cleaned by cutting out only their hidden-information blocks, so the picture data stays exactly the same.
  4. The file is then written again from scratch, keeping only the parts the document actually uses. Earlier saved versions and leftover parts are left behind, so old values can’t be dug out of the file.
  5. The document ID, which can link copies of a file together, is replaced with a new random one.
  6. Finally the new file is opened again and read from the start. The result screen shows what that second reading found, so you see what is really left.
  7. A PDF/A label is kept, because removing it would make the file no longer PDF/A. It says nothing about you.
In short
  1. Choose a PDF
  2. See what it contains
  3. Remove all, or edit the fields
  4. Download the new PDF

How to remove or edit PDF metadata

  1. Choose a PDF or drop it on the box. pdfMB reads it and lists everything it found, including photos with a location and names on comments.
  2. To clean the file, press “Remove all hidden information”.
  3. To change the details instead, press “Edit fields instead”. Every field shows its current value. Change what you want, empty a field to remove it, then press “Save changes”.
  4. Download the new PDF. The result screen lists what is left in it, read again from the saved file.

Where PDFs hide information

Document details

Title, author, subject, keywords, the program that made the file and the PDF producer, plus the created and modified dates. Some programs add more, such as a company name.

XMP metadata

A second copy of the details, written in XML, that can hold much more: editing history, document IDs, the original file name. It often keeps an old author name after the details were changed.

Photos

Photos from phones and cameras can carry the GPS location where they were taken, the camera model and the date. These stay inside the PDF when the photo is added.

Comments

Every comment and highlight carries the name of the person who added it, and when.

Earlier versions

Many programs save changes by adding them to the end of the file. The old values are still there, readable by anyone who opens the file in a text editor.

When people use it

Before sending a document

Remove your name, your company and the program you used before you send a CV, a quote or a report to someone outside.

Sharing photos in a PDF

Make sure the photos in a PDF don’t reveal where they were taken.

Fixing a wrong title or author

Give a document a proper title and author, so the right name shows in PDF readers, search results and libraries.

Publishing files online

Clean PDFs before putting them on a website, so they don’t give away internal names, dates or old versions.

What it can’t do

  • Text you can see on the pages, such as a name in a footer, is not metadata. Use Redact PDF to remove it.
  • Files attached inside the PDF are kept as they are. Check them yourself.
  • Digital signatures stop being valid after any change. Sign again after cleaning.
  • Password-protected PDFs need the password removed first.
  • Pictures in formats other than JPEG are not checked for hidden details. They rarely carry any.
  • Form field names, bookmarks and the structure used by screen readers are kept, and can contain names that someone typed.

Questions about PDF metadata

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. pdfMB reads and cleans the file inside your browser, and it never leaves your device. You can check this in your browser’s network tools.

What is PDF metadata?

Hidden information stored with the document: title, author, subject, keywords, the program that made it, the dates it was created and changed, and often more in XMP format.

Does removing metadata change how the PDF looks?

No. The pages, text, pictures, links and form fields stay the same. Only the hidden information is removed.

Why are earlier versions a problem?

When a PDF is saved by adding changes to the end, the old author name and dates are still in the file. pdfMB writes the file again from scratch, so they are gone.

Can I change the author or title instead of removing them?

Yes. Press “Edit fields instead”, type the new values and save. The XMP metadata is rewritten to match, so PDF readers show the same thing.

Will a PDF/A file stay PDF/A?

pdfMB keeps the PDF/A label and writes matching details. If your archive requires it, check the result with a PDF/A validator.

Does it remove GPS from photos?

Yes. If photos in the PDF carry a GPS location or camera details, they are removed without compressing the pictures again.