# PDF Metadata Remover Canonical page: https://depost.ai/tools/pdf-metadata-remover Drop in a PDF to see what it says about itself, then download a copy without it: the author, the app that made it, the dates, the XMP packet, and any private data an app left inside. The pages are not changed. Everything happens in your browser, so the file is never uploaded. Free to use, with no account needed. ## How to remove metadata from a PDF 1. **Drop in the PDF.** Drop the file into the box, or click to choose it. It is read on your device. 2. **Read what it holds.** The table lists every field in the file: author, the app that made it, the dates, and any hidden blocks. 3. **Remove and download.** Click Remove and download. Tick Keep the title first if you want the title to stay. 4. **Use the clean copy.** The new file is saved with -clean in its name. It was read a second time to confirm that nothing is left. ## Questions people ask ### How do I remove metadata from a PDF? Drop the PDF into the tool. It lists what the file says about itself: title, author, the app that made it, the dates, and any hidden data blocks. Click Remove and download to save a copy without them. The pages look exactly the same. ### What metadata does a PDF contain? Most PDFs carry a title, an author name, the app that created the file, the app that saved it, and the dates it was created and last changed. Many also hold an XMP packet, which repeats those details and can add an edit history and a document ID. Design apps such as Illustrator and InDesign add private data of their own. ### Does this remove AI metadata from a PDF? Yes, where it is stored as metadata. A PDF made by an AI tool or exported from one usually names that tool in the Made with or Saved by field, or in the XMP packet. All of those are removed. Nothing on the pages is changed, so wording or pictures made by AI stay as they are. ### Is the PDF uploaded to a server? No. The file is read and rewritten in your browser, so it is safe for contracts, resumes, and anything else you would not hand to a website. ### Does removing metadata change how the PDF looks? No. The text, fonts, images, and layout are carried over untouched. Only the information about the file is taken out. The cleaned file is often smaller. ### Will the PDF still open in Illustrator for editing? It will open, but not as the original artwork. Illustrator keeps an editable copy of the artwork inside the PDF as private app data, and that is one of the things removed. Keep your original file, and use the cleaned one for sharing. ### What does it not remove? Anything that is part of the document itself: the visible pages, comments and notes, form fields, attached files, and hidden text or layers. It also cannot change a PDF that is locked with a password. If names appear on the pages or in comments, remove them in the app that made the file. ### Should I remove metadata before posting a PDF on LinkedIn? It is a good habit. LinkedIn lets people who can see a document post download it as a PDF, so the author name, your company’s file name, and the app you used go with it unless you take them out first. ## More free tools - [Every free tool for LinkedIn and X](https://depost.ai/tools) --- Cite as Depost AI (https://depost.ai/tools/pdf-metadata-remover). Index of every page: https://depost.ai/llms.txt. Full reference: https://depost.ai/llms-full.txt.