Remove PDF Metadata
BeforeShare makes a clean copy of your PDF without its hidden properties: author, title, creator app, producer, keywords, dates and any custom fields, plus the XMP metadata that often repeats them. The pages themselves are not changed, and the PDF is processed in your browser, not uploaded.
What PDF metadata is removed?
- The complete PDF Info dictionary, including Author, Title, Subject, Creator, Producer, Keywords, CreationDate, and ModDate
- Readable custom Info properties stored alongside standard document fields
- XMP Metadata entries attached to the document catalog or individual pages, plus their referenced metadata streams
What stays in the cleaned PDF?
- Visible page text, images, page dimensions, and page count are not targeted by metadata removal
- Annotations, attachments, forms, and other non-metadata structures are outside this cleaner’s removal scope and may remain
- Visible names, signatures, and private details remain and require separate redaction
Important PDF limits
- Saving a new PDF changes its bytes and can invalidate a digital signature; BeforeShare does not validate signatures
- Encrypted or password-protected PDFs may not open or clean reliably; use an unlocked copy only when you are authorized to do so
- Keep the original, review the downloaded pages, and use a dedicated redaction or PDF security tool for high-stakes files
Hidden properties are only part of what a document can reveal. Before you send it, the file privacy checklist covers the visible checks for PDF and Word files.
How to remove metadata from a PDF
- Choose the PDF — Select the PDF you want to inspect. Its content stays in your browser.
- Review the detected properties — Check standard and readable custom Info fields before cleaning.
- Download and review the cleaned copy — Create a new PDF, check the post-clean receipt, then inspect the downloaded pages before sharing.
BeforeShare practical guide · TuliAI
A PDF author field and a name on the page are separate data
Illustrative example: a one-page proposal has an Author property, an XMP description, a visible signature line and a reviewer annotation. Clearing the document properties addresses the hidden author field; it cannot make every reference to the person disappear.
| Data | What it means | What to do or expect |
|---|---|---|
| Info /Author and custom Info keys | Document properties | Removed by the PDF cleaner |
| XMP /Metadata streams | Structured document or object metadata | Removed from supported reachable objects |
| Name typed on the page | Visible page content | Still present |
| Annotations and attachments | Other PDF content | May remain; inspect them separately |
BeforeShare rewrites the PDF rather than simply appending an empty author field to the original. The cleaner also drops unreferenced objects it parsed and targets supported metadata in embedded JPEGs. This is not a complete PDF sanitization or redaction service. Encryption, unusual PDF structures and digital signatures require special care; saving a modified copy can invalidate a signature.
How to compress a PDF and remove metadata before sharing
- Keep the original. If you need a smaller PDF, compress a separate copy in your PDF editor before metadata cleanup. Check that text and images are still readable.
- Review visible names, annotations and attachments. Use a dedicated PDF editor to redact or remove sensitive content that is outside this cleaner’s scope.
- Choose that finished PDF in BeforeShare, review the detected properties, remove supported metadata and save the clean copy. Each file must be 25 MiB or smaller.
- Reopen and inspect the final file you will send. Read its cleanup receipt and check its pages; later edits or exports can add metadata again. Send only the checked copy with a neutral filename.
BeforeShare does not compress PDFs or redact visible content. A smaller file is not evidence that metadata was removed. A verified receipt covers supported removable fields, not annotations, attachments, every embedded object or signatures. Do not modify a signed PDF if its signature must remain valid.
When Acrobat’s hidden-information review is the better next step
For a document that needs redaction, attachment review or a signed workflow, use a PDF editor’s dedicated inspection and redaction features. Adobe distinguishes visible redaction from hidden-information removal. Check both categories, save a separate output, and open that output before distribution. Our downloadable test below deliberately keeps a visible name and an annotation to demonstrate the boundary.
See test files, results and limits →
Sources and scope
- Adobe: redaction and removing hidden information
- pdf-lib: document loading and saving API used by this cleaner
- Adobe: PDF compression settings
Reviewed on . Examples explain the supported cleaner behavior; measured results are in the linked experiment. To report an error, contact us.
PDF metadata removal FAQ
How do I remove the author name from a PDF?
Choose the PDF above, review its detected properties, and create a cleaned copy. The PDF Info dictionary, including the Author field, is removed.
Does it remove custom PDF metadata and XMP?
It removes the complete Info dictionary, including readable custom Info properties, and removes XMP Metadata references from the catalog and individual pages.
Does PDF metadata removal delete visible names or annotations?
No. Visible page content is not redacted, and annotations or attachments are outside the metadata-removal scope and may remain.
Can I clean a signed or encrypted PDF?
A new saved copy can invalidate digital signatures, which BeforeShare does not validate. Encrypted PDFs may fail to open or clean; use an unlocked copy only with authorization and keep the original.
How do I remove metadata from a PDF with a free PDF metadata remover?
Choose the PDF in the tool above. BeforeShare is a free PDF metadata remover that runs in your browser: it lists the document properties it finds — author, creator, producer, title, subject, keywords, dates, and XMP references — and then builds a copy without the supported fields. The file is not sent to our server, and the original on your device is left unchanged. Visible page text, annotations, and attachments are not touched. To read the properties without cleaning anything, open the file in the metadata viewer first.