Redact a PDF, permanently
Drag a box over anything sensitive and Flint strips the bytes underneath — not just paints a rectangle over them. Copy-paste, search, extraction tools won't find what was there.
- Common redactions:
- Hide names
- Mask account numbers
- Strip salary figures
- Anonymise a case study
- Then password-protect
- Then sign it
- Real redaction · bytes removed
- Browser-based · no install
- Works on scans and text PDFs
- Up to 250 MB on Pro
What you'll see
Real redaction, not a black rectangle
Most "redact" tools draw a black box on top of the text. The original is still in the file — copy it, search it, extract it, and you'll find every word. Flint strips the underlying content from the PDF itself.
A drawn black rectangle leaves the original text in the file. Flint removes it.
Redact
How it works
Right in your browser, no install
Flint PDF runs entirely in your browser. Drop a file in, do the thing, get the file out.
- 1
Open your PDF
Load a PDF into Flint's editor and switch to the Redact tool from the inspector.
- 2
Drag to mark content
Click and drag across any names, numbers, signatures, or images you want to remove. Boxes can be added or removed individually per page.
- 3
Apply redactions
When the markings look right, apply them in one pass. Flint produces a new version of the document with the underlying content removed.
- 4
Export the redacted file
Download the new version with a Pro plan when you're ready to share it.
What it's for
Built for real work
Share a contract safely
Black out salary figures, account numbers, or personal details before sending a contract to a third party.
Prepare records for FOIA or discovery
Remove privileged or personally identifiable information from documents before releasing them in legal or compliance workflows.
Anonymize a case study
Strip names, logos, and identifying numbers from a real document so it can be used as a public example.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Is the redaction actually permanent?
- Yes. Flint removes the text and image content underneath each redaction box from the PDF itself. The original content isn't recoverable by copy-paste, search, or extraction tools.
- How is this different from drawing a black rectangle?
- A drawn rectangle only covers content visually — the original text is still in the file and can be selected or extracted. Flint's redact tool removes the underlying content entirely.
- Is the redact tool free?
- You can try the redact tool free in the browser. A Pro plan is required to download or export the redacted PDF.
- Are my files private?
- Yes. Redaction happens locally in your browser, so the sensitive content never leaves your machine during processing.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. Flint runs in a modern web browser — there's no app to install or account required to try the tool.
- What's the maximum file size?
- Pro accounts support PDFs up to 250MB. Larger files depend on the memory your browser has available.
- Can I redact images as well as text?
- Yes. Drag a box over any region — text, images, signatures, or scanned content — and the underlying data is removed when you apply the redactions.
Ready to redact?
Drop your PDF in — you'll be marking redactions in seconds. Free to try; Pro only when you download the redacted file.
More from Flint PDF
More PDF tools
Built browser-side, share the same editor.
Edit
Change what's on the page.
Organize
Rearrange or combine pages and files.
Merge PDF
Combine multiple PDFs into a single document.
Split PDF
Cut a PDF into one or many smaller files.
Reorder PDF Pages
Drag pages into the order you actually want.
Rotate PDF Pages
Spin selected pages 90°, 180°, or 270° in one click.
Delete PDF Pages
Remove pages from a PDF — single pages or whole ranges.
Export
Optimize or convert for sharing.