How to remove the author name and hidden data from a PDF
Before you send a CV, a complaint, a tender or an anonymous report, check what else the PDF carries. Much of it is invisible on the page.
What a PDF can reveal
- Author name and company, taken from the Word or computer account that made it
- The program used and the dates it was made and changed
- Comments, notes and tracked changes from earlier drafts
- Attached files, such as a spreadsheet with all the figures
- Photos with location: a phone photo inside a PDF can still hold the exact GPS position and the phone model
- Personal details in the text you may have missed: e-mails, phone numbers, ID numbers
See what yours reveals
- Open Privacy scan and drop the PDF.
- PatraPDF lists everything it found, grouped by type.
- Choose what to remove and download a clean copy.
The scan runs in your browser. Only the cleaning step uses the server, and the file is deleted right after.
Good habits
- Fix it at the source: in Word, use File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document before saving as PDF, and set your author name in Word's options.
- Photos: many phones let you turn off location for the camera, or remove location while sharing.
- Anonymous reports: also check the words themselves; your writing, file name and the time you send it can identify you.
- For ID copies, see How to mask your Aadhaar.
Questions
Where can I see a PDF's author name?
In most PDF readers, open File → Properties (or Document properties). The Privacy scan shows the same details and more.
Does the clean copy change the pages?
No. The pages look the same; only the hidden details you chose are removed.
Does it remove names in the visible text?
The scan lists e-mails, phone numbers and ID numbers it finds in the text. To delete visible text for real, use Redact PDF.