I have a case study I want to use in business development but it names a client and includes contract numbers. Across …
Open the PDF you want to redact in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Go to the Tools panel and select Redact a PDF.
Best practiceIf you do not see 'Redact a PDF,' click 'View more' to expand the list of tools.
Use your cursor to select the text or images you want to redact.
CautionRedacted content is permanently removed after applying redactions; double-check your selections.
Click Apply to permanently remove the selected content.
NoteYou may be prompted to save a copy of the document after applying redactions.
Save the redacted PDF with a new file name.
Best practiceSaving a new copy preserves your original unredacted document.
You can preview all redaction marks before applying them to ensure nothing is missed.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
Drawing a black rectangle only covers the text, but the text is still underneath and can be copied. The Redact tool, however, permanently removes the text or image data from the document. This means the content is truly gone and cannot be recovered, which is important for security and privacy. Always use the Redact tool for sensitive information.
Sanitizing a PDF is important because redaction only removes visible content. Hidden data, like metadata, comments, or previous versions, can still be in the file. Sanitizing removes all this hidden information, making sure no sensitive data is left behind. This provides a complete clean-up of your document.
No, once you apply redaction and save the document, the changes are permanent. The redacted text or images are completely removed and cannot be recovered. This is why it is very important to always work on a copy of your original document.