When sending a PDF, you sometimes need to hide some sensitive information that you don't want others to see. And if you need to do this constantly, it helps to have an easy way of going about it. If you’re on Windows, you can use a free program called PDF Redactor to redact PDFs quickly.

Here is how to download and use PDF Redactor on Windows to hide sensitive information.

How to Download and Install PDF Redactor

Downloading PDF Redactor is free, but you can’t use it for commercial purposes, and your redacted PDF will have a digital watermark in the top left corner. If you want to use it commercially and remove the watermark, you’ll have to upgrade to the paid version. But if you don’t mind these restrictions, then the free version should suffice.

To download and install the free version of PDF Redactor, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to the PDF Redactor homepage and click on Download the Free Version Now.
    downloading pdf redactor from the main website
  2. Go to the download location and double-click on the installer.
  3. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.
  4. Follow the instructions to finish installing PDF Redactor onto your Windows computer.

How to Black Out or Delete Text With PDF Redactor

To hide sensitive information with PDF Redactor, you can black out or delete the text. Blacking it out will put a black overlay over the text to hide it, and deleting it will remove the text and leave the background behind it. Either way, the reader won’t be able to tell what text was there.

To do that, follow the steps below:

  1. Launch PDF Redactor and click Open PDF in the top left.
    pdf redactor on windows, with the open pdf button highlighted
  2. In the dialog box, navigate to the folder where the PDF you want to edit is located, select it, and click Open.
  3. Click Redact or Delete in the top menu – you’ll notice that the cursor now becomes a plus sign in the text area.
  4. Click and drag to box-select an area of the PDF you want to redact – you can select more areas if you like. And if you selected an area by mistake, just click on the selection and then click Delete Selected in the right panel.
    pdf redactor on windows, with the open pdf button highlighted
  5. Click Save PDF in the top menu.
  6. Give the redacted PDF a name, choose the location where you want to save it, and click Save.
  7. You’ll be asked if you want to upgrade to the Pro version to remove the watermark. Click No.
  8. The text you selected will now be blacked out or deleted, depending on what you chose to do in step 3. In the screenshot below, you’ll see both blacked-out and deleted text.
    deleted and blacked-out text in pdf redactor on windows

Now you can access the redacted PDF in the location you saved it. As mentioned earlier, it will have a watermark, and if you’d like to remove it, please read our guide on the best free online tools for PDF watermark removal if you don't want to get the Pro version.

A Quick and Easy Way to Hide Sensitive Data in PDFs

As you can see, it’s not hard to redact PDFs so people don’t read sensitive information on them. Just download PDF Redactor onto your Windows computer and blackout or delete any text you want to hide. Once redacted, you can send the PDF to the intended reader without worrying they’ll read something they’re not supposed to.