Set rules to archive employment agreements older than seven years: configure archival for employment agreement folder …
Open the PDF file you want to restrict in Adobe Acrobat.
Select Tools from the main menu.
Choose Protect from the list of available tools.
Click Restrict Editing under the Permissions section.
When prompted, set a permissions password to prevent others from changing these restrictions.
In the permissions dialog, uncheck options for printing, editing, and copying as desired to make the PDF read-only.
Click OK to apply the restrictions.
Save the PDF file to ensure the new permissions are in effect.
Best practiceIf you want to prevent users from removing these restrictions, choose a strong, unique permissions password and do not share it.
After applying restrictions, test the PDF by reopening it to confirm that editing and printing are disabled.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Changes Allowed | This setting controls if users can insert, delete, rotate pages, or fill out forms. It stops people from altering the content. |
| Printing Allowed | This setting controls if users can print the document and at what quality (None, Low, High). It manages how copies can be made. |
The owner password is very important because it is the only way to remove the restrictions you set on a PDF. Without it, you cannot change the printing or editing permissions later. It acts as your key to manage the document's security settings.
Yes, you can do this using the 'Changes Allowed' setting. When you set up the restrictions, you can choose an option that permits 'filling in form fields and signing existing signature fields'. This allows users to interact with forms without changing the document's structure or other content. This is useful for surveys or application forms.
'Restrict Privileged Access' refers to limiting who can perform high-level actions on a document. For example, it can stop unauthorized users from changing security settings or extracting pages. This helps protect sensitive information by making sure only specific, trusted individuals can perform critical operations.