Every PDF carries hidden metadata: author name (usually your computer username), software used, dates of creation and modification, internal file paths, edit history, sometimes even GPS coordinates from embedded photos. When you share a PDF publicly, all this metadata travels with it. Over the years, this has caused real information leaks: government documents revealing internal source code paths, law firms accidentally disclosing the partner who reviewed a draft, journalists exposing source identities through Word's revision history. PDFKits Clean Metadata removes all this hidden information in your browser. Free, no signup, no upload.
The tool shows every metadata field present in the PDF (Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate, plus XMP fields) before you commit. You can clear all fields, clear specific fields, or replace them with custom values. The visible page content is untouched — only the hidden metadata layer changes. Essential before publishing to external audiences.
Drop the file. PDFKits reads the metadata dictionary and XMP stream, displaying every field for inspection.
For each field, choose Clear (set to empty), Keep (leave as-is), or Replace (custom value). The "Clear All" button removes every field at once — appropriate when publishing externally.
Click Apply. PDFKits writes a new PDF with the chosen metadata via pdf-lib. The cleaned file downloads instantly. Open in any reader to verify — the metadata panel should show empty or your custom values.
Journalists, researchers, and writers clean metadata before publishing PDFs publicly — preventing accidental disclosure of internal collaborators, draft history, or computer identifiers.
Law firms strip the author and editor identities from filings to avoid revealing internal review workflow details to opposing counsel.
Agencies responding to FOIA requests clean metadata before release — required by law in many jurisdictions to prevent unintended personal information disclosure.
Marketing teams clean metadata before publishing PDFs externally — prevents revealing internal file paths, software versions, or pre-production identifiers.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC can edit metadata but costs $19.99/month. Online tools typically upload your file — which is exactly wrong for a privacy-focused workflow. PDFKits Clean Metadata runs in your browser via pdf-lib. Free, no signup, your file with potentially sensitive metadata never leaves your device.
Document Information Dictionary (Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate) plus XMP fields (DC namespace, PDF namespace, custom corporate fields). All are editable.
Not from the cleaned output alone. Keep a backup of the original if you might need the metadata later.
No. The page content (text, images, formatting) is identical. Only the hidden metadata changes.
Yes. PDFKits clears all incremental update history, ensuring the document is structurally fresh with no prior revision traces.
PDFKits detects EXIF GPS data in embedded images and removes it during cleaning.
Bookmarks and annotations are preserved. Only metadata about the document itself is cleaned.
Open the cleaned PDF in Adobe Reader → File → Properties → Description tab. All fields you cleared should be empty or your custom values.