When this is useful
Use secure redaction before publishing documents when a simple black rectangle is unsafe. Content covered visually can often still be selected, copied or extracted from the original PDF.
PDF · LOCAL BROWSER TOOL
Securely redact sensitive data in a PDF
Draw a box over names, document numbers, addresses or other sensitive areas. Affected pages are rebuilt so the original text underneath is not retained in the PDF.
🔒 Local processingNo sign-upFree core tool
Open this tool →The file is processed on your device. OCR/password modules are loaded from gotovo.tools when needed.
How the tool works
Draw rectangles directly on page previews. GOTOVO rasterizes only pages containing redaction boxes, paints the selected black or white areas and rebuilds the PDF. Unaffected pages remain normal PDF pages.
Three steps
Open the matching PDF Workshop mode.
Add the PDF and choose the operation settings.
Review the result and download the new copy.
Limitations and important details
On affected pages, selectable text and interactive elements are lost because the page becomes an image. Always review the resulting document visually before publication.
Local processing and result checks
GOTOVO processes the selected PDF directly in your browser, so the source document does not need to be uploaded to our server. The original file is never overwritten; the result is created as a separate copy, making it easy to compare or retry with different settings. Performance depends on PDF size, page count and available device memory, especially for OCR, strong compression and secure redaction. After any operation, open the downloaded file and review the required pages, orientation, readability and important interactive elements before sending it to another person or uploading it to an official service. For documents containing personal or business-sensitive information, local processing also reduces unnecessary transfer of the source file to third parties.
Frequently asked questions
Is this just a black rectangle over the text?
No. Affected pages are rasterized so the original PDF text under the box is not retained.
Are all pages rasterized?
No. Only pages containing at least one redaction box.
Can I use white redaction boxes?
Yes. Choose black or white.