What PDF metadata does this remover delete?

It removes the trailer Info reference and catalog Metadata reference from a newly rewritten PDF, then re-scans those locations. It does not claim to remove metadata stored inside attachments, page content, annotations, or other embedded objects.

Does the PDF leave my device?

No. Reading, rewriting, and re-scanning run in a local browser worker. The tool does not send the filename, PDF bytes, metadata values, or a file hash to a processing API.

What happens to a digitally signed PDF?

Any rewrite invalidates the existing digital signature. The remover detects common signature structures conservatively, explains the consequence, and requires explicit consent. It does not validate the signer or certificate.

Can it process password-protected PDFs?

No. Encrypted and password-protected PDFs fail closed and remain unchanged. Password entry and decryption are outside this local tool's current scope.

Does removing metadata make a PDF safe?

No. Metadata removal is not PDF sanitization. Scripts, actions, forms, attachments, annotations, hidden page content, redactions, and embedded files require a separate hardening workflow.

What are the current file limits?

The tool processes one PDF at a time, up to 25 MB. Malformed PDFs, files that require structural recovery, and encrypted PDFs are rejected without creating an output.

Can this tool remove the author name from a PDF?

Yes, within a defined scope. The Author entry in the Info dictionary and the creator fields in catalog XMP are removed when the rewritten copy is created, and the re-scan confirms they are gone before you can download. What it does not touch is the visible content: a name typed into the body text, a header or footer, an annotation, or metadata inside an embedded image is part of the page content or another object, not a document property, and stays exactly as it was.

Why did the file size change after cleaning?

Because the cleaned copy is produced by a structural rewrite, not by blanking a few bytes in place. qpdf reassembles the object tree and applies its own compression when it writes the new file, so the output can be smaller or occasionally larger than the original. A size difference is a normal by-product of rewriting, not a signal that metadata remains. The re-scan result is the reference for that.

Does it work on scanned or OCR PDFs?

Yes, as long as the file has a valid PDF structure and is not encrypted. A scanned document is still a PDF whose pages happen to contain images, and OCR layers do not change that. The rewrite removes the same two things it always does: document properties and catalog XMP. The scanned page images and any recognized text layer are carried into the new copy unmodified.

Local PDF document-property cleaner

PDF metadata remover

Inspect a PDF, remove its document Info dictionary and catalog XMP from a newly rewritten copy, then re-scan the output before downloading it.

Runs in your browser
No file upload
Output re-scanned

Local PDF metadata remover

Ready for a PDFFree · no signup

Choose one PDF to review its supported metadata first. Cleaning creates a new rewritten file, removes document properties and catalog XMP, then checks the result again.

Drop one PDF here

or choose a PDF from your device

PDF onlyOne file, up to 25 MB

On-device WebAssembly

No file upload

Rewritten copy re-scanned

4 source-traceable PDF fixtures · 18 cross-browser page checks

View test evidence

Batch PDF workspace

Remove supported PDF properties in a verified batch

Remove the Info dictionary and catalog XMP from several PDFs, re-scan every output, and download one local archive.

Add batch documents

Up to 5 PDFs · 25 MB each · files stay on this device

What the PDF metadata remover changes

A structural rewrite, followed by a second scan

The cleaner removes both supported metadata references and asks qpdf to write a new PDF. It then checks the same locations again and refuses to claim success if metadata remains or the page count changes.

Document properties

Title, author, subject, keywords, creator application, producer, dates, and other supported entries from the PDF Info dictionary.

Catalog XMP

Supported Dublin Core, Adobe PDF, XMP, rights, and location fields from the catalog Metadata stream.

Verified output

The output is re-scanned for both supported metadata locations, with page count preservation and signature consequences reported explicitly.

Where the metadata in your PDF comes from

Most PDF document properties are written automatically, not typed by you. Export tools, drivers, and editors fill in the Info dictionary and catalog XMP as a side effect of saving. Understanding which software wrote each field makes it easier to decide what a rewritten copy should leave behind.

Office exports write your account name for you

When Word, Google Docs, or Pages exports a PDF, it usually copies the account display name into the Author field, records its own name and version in Creator and Producer, and stamps creation and modification dates. None of this appears on the page, so most people send the file without ever opening its document properties. If your account name differs from the name you sign with, that gap travels inside every export until a rewrite removes it.

Scanners, drivers, and typesetters leave software fingerprints

A PDF does not have to come from an office suite to carry metadata. Scanner firmware, print-to-PDF drivers, LaTeX distributions, and virtual PDF printers each identify themselves in Producer or Creator, often down to the version number. That fingerprint can reveal which hardware or toolchain produced the document, which is more than many senders intend to share with a stranger.

Edits and merges let old traces accumulate

A document that has been edited, merged, or converted several times can carry fields written at different stages. One tool sets Author, a later one updates Producer, and a merge may keep XMP from an earlier revision. The final export does not necessarily clear what earlier software wrote, so the properties you see last are not always the only ones in the file.

When removing the author from a PDF matters

Document properties rarely matter inside your own team, but they change meaning the moment a PDF crosses an organizational boundary. These are the situations where people most often want to remove the author from a PDF or strip document properties before a copy goes out.

Résumés and job applications

The Author field of a résumé often holds an account display name rather than the name printed at the top of the page, such as an old handle, a family member's laptop login, or the person who helped write it. Recruiters who open document properties can see that mismatch. Rewriting a copy without the Info dictionary and catalog XMP keeps the application to what you actually put on the page.

Bids, quotes, and client proposals

In a proposal or bid, Producer and date fields can tell a careful reader more than you planned: a template exported years ago and reused, a quote assembled at 2 a.m. the night before the deadline, or software registered to a different company name. Removing document properties from the outgoing copy keeps the negotiation focused on the offer instead of the file's production history.

Anonymous peer review and blind submissions

Double-blind review depends on the manuscript not identifying its authors, yet the Author field frequently does exactly that, filled in by the word processor or LaTeX toolchain at export time. Reviewers and editors can open document properties in one click. Submitting a rewritten copy with the Info dictionary and XMP removed closes an avoidable channel that could undermine the anonymity the venue requires.

Public reports, whitepapers, and press releases

Anything published under an organization's name should carry the organization's story, not a staff member's login or the draft's revision timeline. Many communications teams already treat clearing document properties as one line on the release checklist, next to proofreading and link checks. A verified rewrite gives that step evidence: the new copy is re-scanned, and download is only offered after the supported fields are confirmed gone.

Exact capability boundary

Removing PDF metadata is not the same as hardening a PDF

This tool has a deliberately narrow, testable promise. It handles standard document properties and catalog XMP only. A security hardening workflow would need separate rules, previews, and evidence.

Included here

Inspect the PDF trailer Info dictionary.
Inspect the catalog-level XMP metadata stream.
Remove both references, rewrite, and re-scan a new copy.
Run the file workflow locally in a browser Web Worker.

Not included

No claim of PDF sanitization or security hardening.
No removal of scripts, actions, attachments, forms, or annotations.
No search for hidden text, redactions, layers, or metadata inside embedded files.
No processing of encrypted or password-protected PDFs.

A visible local workflow

Inspect first, then rewrite and verify

No cleaning starts until you can see what was detected and accept any digital-signature consequence.

01
Inspect
Read supported document properties, XMP, page count, and signature markers before changing anything.
02
Rewrite
Remove the supported metadata references and use qpdf WebAssembly to create a new PDF.
03
Re-scan
Check the new PDF again and only enable download after metadata absence and page count are verified.

Verify the cleaned copy for yourself

Do not take a cleaner's word for it, including this one. The rewritten copy is a new file you can check independently, and there are three easy ways to confirm what the rewrite actually removed.

Open the properties panel in a PDF reader

Open the downloaded copy in Acrobat Reader or your browser's built-in viewer and look at the document properties dialog. Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, and the application entries should now be empty. Because this check uses ordinary software you already have, it is a quick first confirmation that the rewrite did what it reported.

exiftool file.pdf

Cross-check with ExifTool on the command line

If you want an independent second opinion, run exiftool file.pdf against the cleaned copy. ExifTool reads the same Info dictionary and XMP locations with a completely separate implementation, so agreement between its output and this tool's re-scan is meaningful evidence rather than a tool grading its own homework. It will still list structural entries such as page count and PDF version, which are not personal metadata.

Know what the built-in re-scan covers

The re-scan that gates the download button checks exactly two locations: the trailer Info dictionary and the catalog XMP stream, plus page count preservation. It is deliberately narrow so that a pass means something specific. It does not inspect annotations, attachments, or embedded files, so treat it as confirmation of scope, not a general audit.

PDF metadata questions

Clear answers before you inspect or remove

The important part is knowing what the tool can prove, what rewriting changes, and where a separate security workflow is still required.

What PDF metadata does this remover delete?: It removes the trailer Info reference and catalog Metadata reference from a newly rewritten PDF, then re-scans those locations. It does not claim to remove metadata stored inside attachments, page content, annotations, or other embedded objects.
Does the PDF leave my device?: No. Reading, rewriting, and re-scanning run in a local browser worker. The tool does not send the filename, PDF bytes, metadata values, or a file hash to a processing API.
What happens to a digitally signed PDF?: Any rewrite invalidates the existing digital signature. The remover detects common signature structures conservatively, explains the consequence, and requires explicit consent. It does not validate the signer or certificate.
Can it process password-protected PDFs?: No. Encrypted and password-protected PDFs fail closed and remain unchanged. Password entry and decryption are outside this local tool's current scope.
Does removing metadata make a PDF safe?: No. Metadata removal is not PDF sanitization. Scripts, actions, forms, attachments, annotations, hidden page content, redactions, and embedded files require a separate hardening workflow.
What are the current file limits?: The tool processes one PDF at a time, up to 25 MB. Malformed PDFs, files that require structural recovery, and encrypted PDFs are rejected without creating an output.
Can this tool remove the author name from a PDF?: Yes, within a defined scope. The Author entry in the Info dictionary and the creator fields in catalog XMP are removed when the rewritten copy is created, and the re-scan confirms they are gone before you can download. What it does not touch is the visible content: a name typed into the body text, a header or footer, an annotation, or metadata inside an embedded image is part of the page content or another object, not a document property, and stays exactly as it was.
Why did the file size change after cleaning?: Because the cleaned copy is produced by a structural rewrite, not by blanking a few bytes in place. qpdf reassembles the object tree and applies its own compression when it writes the new file, so the output can be smaller or occasionally larger than the original. A size difference is a normal by-product of rewriting, not a signal that metadata remains. The re-scan result is the reference for that.
Does it work on scanned or OCR PDFs?: Yes, as long as the file has a valid PDF structure and is not encrypted. A scanned document is still a PDF whose pages happen to contain images, and OCR layers do not change that. The rewrite removes the same two things it always does: document properties and catalog XMP. The scanned page images and any recognized text layer are carried into the new copy unmodified.

Want to inspect without rewriting?

Open PDF Metadata Viewer for a read-only look at document properties and catalog XMP.

Open PDF Metadata Viewer