PDF Redaction Helper

Cover sensitive areas with black boxes during PDF rendering output

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.

Example Results

2 examples

JSON-based Multi-field Redaction

Masks name and ID regions across multiple pages and shows white labels on black bars

pdf-redaction-helper-example1.pdf View File
View input parameters
{ "sourceFile": "/Users/quyue/www/elysia-tools/public/samples/pdf/pdf-2026-02-19-source-4pages.pdf", "redactionRects": "[{\"page\":1,\"x\":92,\"y\":600,\"width\":220,\"height\":22,\"label\":\"FULL NAME\"},{\"page\":2,\"x\":100,\"y\":520,\"width\":260,\"height\":20,\"label\":\"ID NUMBER\"}]", "showLabel": true, "labelFontSize": 8 }

CSV Quick Redaction Without Labels

Uses line-based CSV coordinates for fast masking of email and phone fields

pdf-redaction-helper-example2.pdf View File
View input parameters
{ "sourceFile": "/Users/quyue/www/elysia-tools/public/samples/pdf/pdf-2026-02-19-source-4pages.pdf", "redactionRects": "1,80,560,300,24,EMAIL\n3,110,470,240,20,PHONE", "showLabel": false, "labelFontSize": 8 }

Click to upload file or drag and drop file here

Maximum file size: 300MB Supported formats: application/pdf

Key Facts

Category
Documents & PDF
Input Types
file, textarea, checkbox, number
Output Type
file
Sample Coverage
4
API Ready
Yes

Overview

The PDF Redaction Helper allows you to securely mask sensitive information in your documents by drawing opaque black rectangles over specific areas. By defining precise coordinates, you can permanently obscure names, ID numbers, or contact details before sharing your files.

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.

Examples

1. Multi-field Privacy Masking

Background
A legal assistant needs to share a 4-page contract but must hide the client's full name on page 1 and their ID number on page 2.
Problem
Manually editing the PDF is prone to error and time-consuming.
How to Use
Upload the PDF and input the coordinates for the name and ID fields in the Redaction Rectangles field using JSON format.
Example Config
[{"page":1,"x":92,"y":600,"width":220,"height":22,"label":"FULL NAME"},{"page":2,"x":100,"y":520,"width":260,"height":20,"label":"ID NUMBER"}]
Outcome
A new PDF is generated with black bars covering the sensitive data, clearly labeled for reference.

2. Bulk CSV Redaction

Background
A HR manager needs to remove contact information from a batch of employee records.
Problem
The manager has a list of coordinates and needs a fast way to apply them without complex configuration.
How to Use
Use the CSV input format to define the redaction zones for email and phone fields across multiple pages.
Example Config
1,80,560,300,24,EMAIL
3,110,470,240,20,PHONE
Outcome
The tool quickly processes the coordinates and outputs a clean, redacted PDF without labels.

Try with Samples

pdf, file
PDF Samples
Generated PDF samples from tools dated 2026-02-01 to 2026-02-10
title token pdf
pdf
Markdown Slide Deck Samples
Remark/Marp style Markdown slide decks for testing PDF export layouts
preferred input family pdf
pdf
Text with Sensitive Data Samples
Text containing various types of sensitive data for testing data masking (phones, emails, ID cards, bank cards)
task process
sample
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
matched family file
file

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FAQ

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.

API Documentation

Request Endpoint

POST /en/api/tools/pdf-redaction-helper

Request Parameters

Parameter Name Type Required Description
sourceFile file (Upload required) Yes -
redactionRects textarea Yes -
showLabel checkbox No -
labelFontSize number No -

File type parameters need to be uploaded first via POST /upload/pdf-redaction-helper to get filePath, then pass filePath to the corresponding file field.

Response Format

{
  "filePath": "/public/processing/randomid.ext",
  "fileName": "output.ext",
  "contentType": "application/octet-stream",
  "size": 1024,
  "metadata": {
    "key": "value"
  },
  "error": "Error message (optional)",
  "message": "Notification message (optional)"
}
File: File

AI MCP Documentation

Add this tool to your MCP server configuration: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elysiatools-pdf-redaction-helper": {
      "name": "pdf-redaction-helper",
      "description": "Cover sensitive areas with black boxes during PDF rendering output",
      "baseUrl": "https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=pdf-redaction-helper",
      "command": "",
      "args": [],
      "env": {},
      "isActive": true,
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

You can chain multiple tools, e.g.: `https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=png-to-webp,jpg-to-webp,gif-to-webp`, max 20 tools.

Supports URL file links or Base64 encoding for file parameters.

If you encounter any issues, please contact us at [email protected]