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Redact a PDF on Your Mac So the Text Is Really Gone

A black box drawn on a PDF often just covers the text, which can still be selected, copied or found by search. Redact PDF permanently removes what is under each box: redacted pages are flattened to images, so the hidden text no longer exists, and the file's metadata is stripped. You can drag boxes by hand or find a word and redact every match.

Get Toolbox for MacAll Docs tools

One-time purchase · macOS 15 or later

The Docs category in Toolbox for Mac, with Scan Document, Redact PDF, Fill & Flatten Forms, Make PDF Searchable, PDF to Word, Sign PDF, Merge PDFs, Split PDF, Organize PDF, Delete Pages, Extract Pages, Images to PDF, Compress PDF, Add Password, Remove Password, PDF to Images, Convert Documents, Word to PDF, PowerPoint to PDF, Excel to PDF, Web Page to PDF and Markdown to PDF.The Docs category in Toolbox for Mac, with Scan Document, Redact PDF, Fill & Flatten Forms, Make PDF Searchable, PDF to Word, Sign PDF, Merge PDFs, Split PDF, Organize PDF, Delete Pages, Extract Pages, Images to PDF, Compress PDF, Add Password, Remove Password, PDF to Images, Convert Documents, Word to PDF, PowerPoint to PDF, Excel to PDF, Web Page to PDF and Markdown to PDF.

How to use Redact PDF

  1. Open Redact PDF and drop in a PDF.

  2. Drag over anything on a page to black it out, or type a word in Find & Redact and click Redact All.

  3. Review the list of redactions and choose whether to keep the rest of the page searchable.

  4. Click Export Redacted PDF to save a new copy.

Questions about Redact PDF

How do I redact a PDF on Mac so the text is really gone?

Use a tool that removes the content, not one that draws a shape over it. Toolbox turns each redacted page into an image, so the text under the boxes is gone, and it strips the document's metadata.

Does Preview redact properly?

A rectangle drawn with Preview's Markup tools only covers the text, which can still be copied or moved. Preview also has a Redact tool, but always test the result by searching for and copying the hidden words.

Can I still search the rest of a redacted page?

Yes. With Keep the rest of the page searchable on, the text that is still visible is recognized again and added back as a text layer.

Can I redact every instance of a name at once?

Yes. Type the name in Find & Redact and click Redact All to cover every match on every page.

72 Mac tools. One app. Pay once.

From $24.99 one-time · macOS 15 Sequoia or later

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