Looking at past budget shares, where have access rules either been too tight (blocking necessary reviews) or too loose…
Open the PDF file you want to restrict in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Select File from the top menu, then choose Properties.
In the Document Properties window, click the Security tab.
From the Security Method dropdown, select Password Security.
In the Password Security Settings dialog, check the option to restrict editing and printing of the document.
Set a permissions password when prompted.
CautionIf you forget this password, you cannot change or remove the restrictions later.
Choose the specific restrictions you want to apply (e.g., disallow printing, disallow editing, disallow copying).
Click OK to confirm your settings and close the dialog.
Click OK again in the Document Properties window.
Save the PDF to apply the new permissions.
Best practiceTest your restricted PDF in a different PDF reader or with a different user account to confirm the permissions are enforced.
You can review or change these restrictions later by reopening the Document Properties and returning to the Security tab.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
The 'Changes Allowed' options control what types of edits can be made to your PDF. For example, you can choose to allow only form filling, or prevent any changes like inserting, deleting, or rotating pages. This helps you protect specific parts of your document while still allowing others to interact with it in limited ways. It's important to pick the right level of restriction for your document's purpose.
Restricting editing does not automatically stop copying. You need to specifically set a restriction for 'copying' within the document's security settings. Make sure to check the option that prevents copying text, images, and other content if you want to fully protect your information from being extracted.
An owner password is like a master key. It is needed to change or remove the restrictions you set on a PDF. Without it, no one, not even you, can alter the security settings. This ensures that once you apply permissions, they stay in place until someone with the owner password decides to change them, providing strong document control.
No, you cannot remove PDF protection using an API without the owner password. The API requires the owner password to be included in the request body. This is a security measure to ensure that only authorized individuals can remove document protections.