# PDF Secure Redaction Sanitizer

Permanently remove PDF text and hidden page objects by rebuilding an image-only PDF.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-secure-redaction-sanitizer

- **Category:** PDF Tools

- **Keywords:** pdf, secure redaction, permanent redaction, privacy, data sanitization, rasterized pdf

## Overview

Rasterizes every page with annotations hidden, burns in redaction rectangles, and creates a new non-searchable PDF. Boundary-crossing rectangles are rejected.

## Inputs

- **Source PDF File** (file): Upload one PDF
- **Redaction Rectangles** (textarea): \[{"page":1,"x":60,"y":680,"width":300,"height":32,"label":"REDACTED"}\]
- **Render DPI** (number): Higher DPI improves visual fidelity but increases CPU and output size.
- **Include Redaction Label** (checkbox)
- **Redaction Color** (color)

## When to use

- Remove names, identifiers, or other sensitive regions before sharing a PDF.
- Create a flattened PDF where covered content cannot be selected or searched.
- Sanitize documents that may contain annotations or hidden page objects.

## How it works

- Upload one PDF file.
- Enter redaction rectangles with the page number, coordinates, dimensions, and optional label.
- Choose the render DPI, redaction color, and whether to include labels.
- The tool rasterizes each page, burns the redactions into the pixels, and returns a new image-only PDF.

## Use cases

- Cover personal names, identification numbers, and other confidential fields before distribution.
- Prepare non-searchable PDF copies for privacy-sensitive document sharing.
- Remove visible content while excluding annotations and other original page objects from the rebuilt file.

## Frequently asked questions

### What input does the tool accept?

It accepts one PDF file and redaction rectangle data.

### Is the redacted PDF searchable?

No. The rebuilt PDF is image-only and does not support text search.

### Are redactions permanent?

Yes. Redaction blocks are burned into the rendered page images.

### Can I add a redaction label?

Yes. Enable Include Redaction Label to place the supplied label on a redaction rectangle.

### What happens if a rectangle exceeds the page boundary?

The rectangle is rejected.

## Related tools

- [PDF Denoise](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-denoise): Remove visual noise from scanned PDF pages — salt-and-pepper speckle, random grain, and faint background haze — using real image-processing algorithms. Text pages are preserved as searchable vector content.
- [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).
- [PDF AcroForm Filler](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-acroform-filler): Fill standard PDF forms programmatically (text, checkbox, radio, dropdown/list) using JSON data injection
- [PDF Clean (PDF清理工具)](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-clean): Remove metadata, annotations, bookmarks, and form fields from PDF files
- [PDF Header/Footer Noise Remover](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-header-footer-noise-remover): Compare extraction with and without repeated page furniture to spot header/footer noise before using PDF text in RAG, summarization, or editing workflows
- [PDF Text Extractor](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-text-extractor): Extract text content from PDF documents with support for page selection, formatting options, and multi-language processing
- [PDF to PowerPoint](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-to-powerpoint): Extract text content from PDF files and convert to PowerPoint presentation slides
- [PDF Add Signature Online](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pdf-add-signature-online): Add a visible typed or image signature block to selected PDF pages and download the signed copy

## 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
- [WebRTC Real-Time Communication Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/webrtc-samples): Comprehensive WebRTC samples for peer-to-peer audio/video communication, data channels, screen sharing, and signaling server implementation
- [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 Signing, Stamping, and Distribution Tracing](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/pdf-signing-stamping-and-distribution-tracing): Send PDFs you can prove are yours — redact sensitive content permanently before sealing, add a visible signature block and a PAdES certificate signature, stamp the document status, embed invisible per-recipient tracking IDs, and audit incoming signatures down the certificate chain.