See and edit the hidden information inside a PDF

Every PDF carries a block of metadata most people never look at: who created it, with what software, and when. Documents exported from a work laptop routinely carry a full name and an internal template's title into the outside world.

This shows you everything that's in there and lets you edit or clear it before the file goes anywhere. Setting a real title is also worth doing for its own sake: it's what most PDF readers show in the window title bar and the browser tab, and an untitled document usually displays as a filename or, worse, as whatever the template was called.

The fields are the standard document properties — title, author, subject, keywords, and the creation and modification timestamps — plus whatever the producing application recorded about itself. Clearing them is a single action, and it's a sensible habit before sending anything out of an organisation.

What this does — and what it doesn't

  • Clearing the document properties doesn't remove everything identifying. Embedded images can carry their own EXIF data, and the producer software often leaves fingerprints in the file structure.

Next steps

Edit PDF Metadata — frequently asked questions

What metadata does a PDF store?
Typically the title, author, subject, keywords, the application that created it, the PDF producer library, and creation and modification timestamps. Some documents carry a lot more in an embedded XMP block.
Can I strip everything before sharing a file?
You can clear the standard document properties in one click. Be aware that images inside the document may carry their own metadata, which this doesn't touch.
Why does my PDF say it was created by someone else?
Because the author field is usually filled in automatically by whatever produced the file — often from the account name on the machine that exported it, or inherited from the template it was based on. It's one of the more common ways a document quietly carries information out of an organisation.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Every operation runs in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly — the file never leaves your device. You can verify it: load the page, disconnect from the internet, and the tool still works. There is no upload endpoint to send it to.

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