# PDF Redaction Helper Cover sensitive areas with black boxes during PDF rendering output > Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-redaction-helper - **Category:** PDF Tools - **Keywords:** pdf, redaction, mask, privacy, sensitive, black box ## Overview Mask sensitive information by drawing opaque redaction rectangles. **Input format:** - JSON array: `[{"page":1,"x":100,"y":120,"width":180,"height":20,"label":"Name"}]` - Or CSV lines: `page,x,y,width,height,label` Coordinates are in PDF points with bottom-left origin. ## Inputs - **Source PDF File** (file): Upload one PDF - **Redaction Rectangles** (textarea): \[{"page":1,"x":100,"y":120,"width":180,"height":20,"label":"Name"}\] - **Show Redaction Label** (checkbox) - **Label Font Size** (number) ## When to use - When preparing legal or financial documents that require the removal of personally identifiable information (PII). - When you need to share redacted versions of reports while keeping the original document structure intact. - When automating the masking of repetitive sensitive fields across multiple pages of a PDF document. ## How it works - Upload your source PDF file to the tool. - Define the areas to be redacted using either a JSON array or CSV format, specifying the page number and coordinate dimensions. - Adjust optional settings like label visibility and font size to identify the redacted fields. - Generate and download your new, redacted PDF file. ## Use cases - Masking client names and addresses in invoices or contracts. - Redacting sensitive ID numbers or account details from internal audit reports. - Removing email addresses and phone numbers from public-facing documents. ## Frequently asked questions ### What coordinate system does the tool use? The tool uses PDF points with the origin (0,0) located at the bottom-left corner of the page. ### Can I redact multiple areas at once? Yes, you can provide a list of multiple rectangles in either JSON or CSV format to redact several fields in one operation. ### Is the redaction permanent? Yes, the tool renders a new PDF with opaque black boxes placed over the specified coordinates, effectively masking the underlying content. ### What is the purpose of the 'Show Redaction Label' option? It allows you to display a text label (e.g., 'NAME' or 'ID') inside the black redaction box to help identify what information was removed. ### Are there limits on file size? The tool supports PDF files up to 300MB. ## Related tools - [PDF Form Fill Batch](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-form-fill-batch): Fill one PDF form template with an array of records and output one filled PDF per record (ZIP) or a merged PDF - [PDF Secure Redaction Sanitizer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-secure-redaction-sanitizer): Permanently remove PDF text and hidden page objects by rebuilding an image-only PDF. - [PDF Anonymizer Report](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-anonymizer-report): Automatically redact names, emails, and phone numbers, then export anonymized PDF - [PDF Merge Documents](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-merge-documents): Merge multiple PDF files with optional table of contents and separator pages - [PDF PAdES Certificate Signer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-pades-certificate-signer): Sign PDFs with a PKCS#12 certificate using an ETSI CAdES detached signature. - [PDF Reorder Pages](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-reorder-pages): Reorder PDF pages with custom sequence, with optional append of remaining pages - [PDF Batch Split](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-batch-split): Split multiple PDF files by page ranges or single-page mode, packaged as ZIP - [PDF Deskew](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-deskew): Automatically detect and correct skewed (tilted) PDF pages. Preserves text pages as searchable vector content and only rasterizes image pages (e.g. scans). ## Samples - [PDF Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/pdf-samples): Generated PDF samples from tools dated 2026-02-01 to 2026-02-10 - [Markdown Slide Deck Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/md-slide-deck-to-pdf): Remark/Marp style Markdown slide decks for testing PDF export layouts - [Time Zone Workflow Scheduler ICS Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/time-zone-workflow-scheduler-ics-samples): ICS files generated in the same structure returned by the Time Zone Workflow Scheduler, with multiple VEVENT meeting candidates exported from overlap windows - [Log Files with Sensitive Data](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/log-with-sensitive-data): Sample log files containing various types of PII (Personally Identifiable Information) for testing PII detection and log redaction tools ## Related content - [PDF Redaction and Anonymization Review Workflows](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/pdf-redaction-anonymization-workflows): Identify likely sensitive information in PDFs, confirm findings page by page, apply human-approved redactions, and record a reviewable external-sharing decision. - [PII Detection and Log Redaction Review](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/pii-log-redaction): Find likely personal data in logs, text, and PDFs, redact review copies, validate identifier patterns, and require human approval before sharing. - [PDF Utility Workflow for Assembly, Layout, Redaction, and Protection](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/pdf-utility): Prepare existing PDFs for delivery by reviewing typography, assembling pages, applying overlays, checking sensitive content, and adding access protection.