How to Remove PDF Metadata Free — Sanitize Hidden Data

What Hidden Data Lives in Your PDFs?

Every PDF carries metadata you probably never see: author name, software used to create it, creation date, modification history, company name, and sometimes even GPS coordinates from scanned documents. When you share a PDF externally, this metadata goes with it. In legal, business, and privacy contexts, this can be a serious problem.

How to Sanitize PDF Metadata

1. Open the PDF Metadata Sanitizer
2. Upload your PDF
3. Review the metadata found (author, creator, dates, custom properties)
4. Choose which metadata to strip (or strip all)
5. Download the sanitized PDF

Your PDF never leaves your browser. For sensitive documents, this privacy guarantee matters.

Why Metadata Removal Matters

• Legal document production — metadata can reveal attorney names, draft dates, and software tools you don't want disclosed
• Whistleblower protection — leaked documents can be traced back to specific authors via metadata
• GDPR and privacy compliance — personal data in metadata falls under data protection regulations
• Competitive intelligence — metadata reveals what software, templates, and workflows your company uses
• Security — metadata can contain internal file paths, network names, and usernames

What Gets Removed

• Author and creator — who created or last modified the document
• Software info — which application generated the PDF (Adobe, Word, etc.)
• Dates — creation date, modification date
• Custom properties — any key-value metadata added by software or users
• XMP data — extended metadata in XML format embedded in the PDF