Remove metadata from a PDF — see it, edit it, strip it
See what the file says about you, then edit it — or strip everything.
Free: 3 jobs per UTC day, 25 MB per file. PDF exports include a visible Made with Bindery watermark. Pro exports clean PDFs.
Prefer the full studio? Open Remove PDF Metadata in the app →
Every PDF quietly carries information about its origin: a title, an author name, the application that created it. Before you share a document, Bindery shows you exactly what is recorded, lets you correct it, or removes all of it in one click — title, author, subject, keywords, and the creator/producer traces.
Metadata cleaning is the kind of job that should never involve uploading the very document you are trying to anonymize. Bindery runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded, so there is nothing to delete from a server afterwards.
How it works
- Drop your PDF and open Clean metadata
- Review and edit the recorded fields — or hit “Strip everything”
- Download the cleaned copy
What a PDF says about you
Every PDF carries document properties: a title, an author, a subject, keywords, the application that created the content and the one that produced the file, and creation and modification dates. They are filled in automatically — the author is often the name on the computer’s user account, the title is often a draft filename, and the producer names the software and version. None of it is visible on the page, and all of it travels with the file. Bindery shows the standard fields, lets you correct any of them, or strips everything in one click. Pages, text and images are untouched.
- Anonymous submissions: peer review, competitions, bids, whistleblowing.
- Templates from someone else: a contract built on a colleague’s file still names them as author.
- Correct data: set a proper title and language — viewers and search engines display the title, and accessibility checks require both.
Metadata is only one leak
Stripping properties does not remove what is on the pages. A name in the header, a hidden text layer under a black box, comments, form data and revision history are separate problems with their own tools: Redact for content, Flatten for comments and fields. The security checklist before sending covers all of them in order.
Cleaning in the browser versus uploading
| Remove metadata | Bindery | Upload-based tools |
|---|---|---|
| Where the file is processed | In your browser tab, on your device | Uploaded to the service’s servers |
| The document | Read and rewritten on the device | Uploaded — to anonymise it |
| Editing | View, edit or strip each standard field | Usually strip only |
| What exists afterwards | The original and the new file, both on your device | A server copy until the retention window ends |
| Works offline | Yes, once the app has loaded | No |
Questions people ask
What metadata does a PDF contain?
Typically a title, author, subject, keywords, and the names of the applications that created and produced the file — plus timestamps. Bindery shows all the standard fields before you change anything.
Does stripping metadata change how the PDF looks?
No. Pages, text and images are untouched — only the document information changes.
Is my document uploaded?
No. Reading, editing and stripping all happen in your browser.
Does stripping metadata change the file size or look?
No visible change; the file may shrink slightly. Pages, text, images and form fields are exactly as before.
Should I set a title rather than strip it?
Often yes. A clear title shows in browser tabs and viewer windows and is required for accessible and archival PDFs. Strip the author and producer if they should not travel with the file, and set the title to something meaningful.
Does this remove tracked changes or comments?
No — those are annotations and revisions, not properties. Use Flatten to remove annotations, and Redact for content that must disappear.