Topic guide · Cluster C
Secure and protect PDF files — without uploading them
Tools to clean metadata, watermark, stamp, flatten forms, remove annotations, run a PDF/A conformance check, scan for embedded JavaScript, and re-render as a scan. All run locally in your browser.
PDFs leak more information than they look like they do. Author name, organization, software producer, the date the document was created, the operating system it was made on, all of that sits in the metadata and travels with the file. A few PDFs also carry more than the visible page content: form fields that can still be edited, annotations and comments left by reviewers, scripts that run when the document is opened, and a producer string that tells the recipient which tool generated the file. None of that is hidden, but most people never think to look. The secure and protect toolkit on this page covers the operations that come up before you publish, share or archive a document: cleaning and editing metadata, flattening completed forms so recipients cannot edit them, watermarking draft or confidential copies, stamping a document with a date and a label, stripping all annotations, scanning for embedded JavaScript and risky actions, rendering the document as a scan to obscure the original digital fingerprints, and producing a PDF/A conformance report for long-term archival. Each tool runs in the browser and produces a new file; the original is not modified, so you can review the cleaned copy before distributing it. If you are preparing a document for external sharing, the order of operations matters: first clean the metadata and remove annotations, then apply a watermark or stamp if needed, then flatten the form fields, then convert to PDF/A if you are archiving. The section below covers each tool in depth.
Clean PDF Metadata
How to remove PDF metadata
Author name, subject, title, keywords, creator and producer strings, the date the file was created — all of that lives in the PDF metadata and travels with the file when you share it. The metadata cleanup tool strips the most common identifying fields and produces a sanitized copy. Useful for reports, templates, client deliverables, and any document where the editing history is not your business to share. Does not redact visible page content.
Try Clean PDF Metadata →Edit PDF Metadata
How to edit PDF metadata
The companion to metadata cleanup: when you repurpose a document or apply a standard schema across many files, the metadata editor lets you set a meaningful title, author, subject and keywords. Use it together with the cleanup tool — clean first, then assign the values you actually want. Other metadata fields are preserved, so the document keeps its existing structure.
Try Edit PDF Metadata →Flatten PDF Forms
How to flatten a PDF form
When a PDF form has been filled in and is ready to be shared or archived, the field values still look editable in many viewers. Flattening bakes the visible values into the page content, so the form looks the same but the fields are no longer interactive. Useful for signed records, completed applications, and finalised questionnaires. Keep the original editable source until you have confirmed the flattened copy is correct.
Try Flatten PDF Forms →Watermark PDF
How to add a watermark to a PDF
Place a diagonal text watermark across every page — DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, INTERNAL, APPROVED — with adjustable opacity. Useful for marking a document's status before sharing, discouraging casual reuse, and signalling that a copy is a draft. Not a substitute for encryption or access controls when a file is highly sensitive. The watermark is added in the browser, so the source PDF is not uploaded.
Try Watermark PDF →Stamp PDF
How to stamp a PDF with a date, time or page number
Unlike a watermark, a stamp is meant to be legible and informative — a corner label that says RECEIVED, APPROVED or CONFIDENTIAL alongside a date, time, or page number. The stamp tool supports custom text, dynamic dates (YYYY-MM-DD, DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY), sequential numbering from any starting value, and a position on the page. Useful for date-stamped invoices, page-numbered exhibits, and labelled review copies.
Try Stamp PDF →Remove PDF Annotations
How to remove all annotations from a PDF
Annotations (links, highlights, sticky notes, stamps) are useful while reviewing a document but should usually be cleaned before publication. The annotation removal tool strips every annotation on every page and produces a clean copy that keeps the rest of the document intact. Unlike the full sanitize operation, it does not touch metadata, form fields or other structural elements. Use it for light cleanup before sharing a reviewed draft.
Try Remove PDF Annotations →Show PDF JavaScript
How to scan a PDF for JavaScript and risky actions
PDFs can carry JavaScript, OpenAction entries, Additional Actions and scriptable annotations that run when the document is opened or interacted with. These are useful for interactive forms but also a common vector for malicious documents. The scan tool produces a plain-text report listing every script and risky action it finds. It does not modify the PDF, so it is a safe first step before sharing, sanitizing or rejecting an unfamiliar file.
Try Show PDF JavaScript →Scanner Effect
How to re-render a PDF as a scan
Render every page of a PDF in grayscale with a light contrast boost, producing a scan-like copy. Useful for visually obscuring the original digital fingerprints of a document (so the recipient cannot tell which software made it), reducing screenshot quality, and matching an existing print archive that is all scans. Because pages are rasterized, selectable text and interactive elements are flattened — keep the original PDF when searchability matters.
Try Scanner Effect →Check PDF/A
How to check PDF/A conformance
PDF/A is the archival PDF standard used by libraries, courts and long-term storage. True validation needs a server-side tool like veraPDF, but this client-side check produces a best-effort report listing the PDF version, producer, creator and title so you know what you have before sending the file to a real validator. Useful as a first check when a document must be archived for years.
Try Check PDF/A →Frequently asked questions
- 01How do I make a PDF secure before sharing it?
- There is no single switch. Start by cleaning the metadata so author and producer strings do not travel with the file. Remove annotations left by reviewers. If the document contains a form you have already filled in, flatten it so the fields stop being editable. If the document is a draft, add a watermark or stamp. Run the JavaScript scan to confirm there is nothing embedded that runs on open.
- 02Can I password-protect a PDF?
- The toolkit on this page focuses on what runs in the browser without uploading the file. Password protection typically needs the original password derivation, which most online tools do in the cloud. If you need a strong password, generate the PDF without one in PdfWiseAI, then encrypt it locally with a desktop tool that you trust to handle the password material.
- 03Will removing metadata delete the visible text?
- No. The metadata cleanup tool removes descriptive fields like author, subject, title and keywords. It does not redact, alter or remove any text or image visible on the page. The page content stays byte-for-byte identical; only the document-level metadata is changed.
- 04What is the difference between a watermark and a stamp?
- A watermark is diagonal, semi-transparent and covers the page — meant to signal status at a glance without getting in the way of reading. A stamp is opaque, placed at a corner, and usually carries a date, time or page number — meant to be informative. Use a watermark for DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL on a long document; use a stamp for RECEIVED with a date on an invoice.
- 05Does flattening a form change the page text?
- No. Flattening moves the field values from the form layer into the page content stream, so the page looks the same to a reader but the form fields are no longer interactive. Page text and images are not modified. Keep the original editable source until you have confirmed the flattened copy is correct.
- 06Is PDF/A the same as a secure PDF?
- No. PDF/A is an archival standard, not a security standard. It guarantees that a document can be rendered identically years into the future — embedded fonts, no external references, restricted encryption. For short-term security (redaction, metadata cleanup, sanitization) use the other tools on this page; for long-term archival integrity, run the PDF/A check and follow up with a real validator.