PDF Security and Privacy
Password-protect, encrypt, strip metadata, and inspect what an existing PDF is silently telling the world about you.
A PDF can carry a surprising amount of metadata — author name, document title, modification history, the software that produced it, and sometimes the original draft comments that were never meant to leave the building. Combine that with image EXIF (when the PDF contains embedded scans) and you have a file that quietly reveals things the sender didn’t intend.
This hub collects the tools for looking at what a PDF carries, what’s risky about it, and how to strip it.
Tasks covered
- Strip Image Metadata — remove EXIF/XMP/IPTC from any image-bearing file (including PDFs via round-trip)
- EXIF Extractor — inspect every metadata field, including hidden ones
- PDF Compress — strips document-level metadata as a side effect
- PDF Split — extract only the pages you intend to share
- PDF Keep Color Pages — selectively preserve vs grayscale printing
- SSL / JWT Decoders — for the occasional signed document inspection
Article coverage
The hub also features two articles worth your time:
- How to Strip Metadata from a PDF Before Uploading — the practical workflow
- Browser-Side vs Server-Side PDF Conversion — the architecture behind the privacy
The C2PA angle
Modern PDFs occasionally carry C2PA content credentials (the same standard that signs AI-generated images). The metadata stripper removes those too. For a deeper primer, see the C2PA Content Credentials glossary entry.
Versus your PDF editor
Adobe Acrobat Pro offers full metadata management. It’s the gold standard. ToolConvoy covers the most common metadata exposure scenarios for free, in the browser, no upload. For unusually rich metadata (XMP packet trees, custom schema fields), you still want a desktop tool.
PDF Compress — Reduce PDF File Size in Your Browser
Compress PDF files by re-encoding their embedded images. Three quality levels, runs entirely in your browser. No uploads, no accounts, no limits.
PDF Split — Split PDF Files into Separate Documents
Split PDF files by page ranges, every N pages, or by bookmarks. Runs entirely in your browser — no upload, no signup.
Strip Image Metadata — Remove EXIF, GPS, Camera Info
Remove all metadata from photos. EXIF, GPS location, camera model, timestamps — all gone. Browser-side, no upload.
EXIF Viewer — Extract Photo Metadata Online Free
Extract EXIF metadata from JPEG photos — camera make/model, GPS coordinates, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, flash, and raw tags. 100% private.
PDF Attach Image — Add Image to a PDF Page
Place an image onto a chosen PDF page at a chosen position and width. PNG and JPEG supported. Browser-only via pdf-lib.
PDF Page Add — Append or Insert Pages to a PDF
Add blank pages or text-bearing pages to a PDF in your browser. Choose to append at the end or insert at the start. Page size matches the source. No upload.
SSL Certificate Decoder — Decode PEM SSL Certificates in Your Browser
Decode PEM-encoded SSL/TLS certificates. View issuer, subject, validity period, SANs, public key details, and fingerprints — no upload, no server.
JWT Decoder — Decode JWT Tokens to View Header and Payload
Decode JWT tokens to view header and payload claims. Base64-decode only, no signature verification — runs in your browser, your token never leaves your device.
C2PA Metadata Stripper — Remove Content Credentials from PNG and JPEG
Detect and remove C2PA Content Credentials from PNG and JPEG images. Targets OpenAI DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, Google Gemini, Microsoft Designer. Files stay on your device.
Your files never leave your device. Every conversion happens in your browser. No uploads, no servers, no file size limits.