How to use the pdf metadata viewer and editor
- Choose a PDF or drop it on the box. One PDF at a time, up to 25 MB and 500 pages.
- Read the current title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer, with the page count, the created and last modified dates and whether an extra XMP metadata block is present.
- Edit any field, or leave it blank to remove it. Tick whether to remove the XMP block and whether to set the last modified date to now.
- Press Save changes and download, or Remove all properties and download for a clean file. The original is not changed.
Worked examples
A PDF with the title Annual Report, the author Ann Lee, the subject Numbers, the keywords alpha beta, the creator Writer and the producer Printer shows exactly those values. Changing the title to Café 日本 and clearing the author saves the title with the accented letter and the Japanese characters intact and removes the author entry, and another PDF reader shows the same title.
A created date stored as D:20240315120000Z is shown as 2024-03-15 12:00:00 UTC, and D:20240315120000-05'00' as 2024-03-15 12:00:00 (-05:00). The clean option removes every property and the creation and modification dates, and removes the XMP block too.
What the properties are
Every PDF can carry descriptive fields. Viewers show the title in the window or tab, and file managers, search tools and screen readers may use the title, author and subject. Programs often fill in the creator and producer automatically, which can reveal the software or a person's name. Editing the fields lets you fix a wrong title, remove a name before you share a file or add keywords.
Some PDFs also carry an XMP block, an XML copy of the same information. Viewers may prefer it over the standard fields, so an old value in it can still show up after you edit the fields. That is why the tool offers to remove it. The page count and the dates are shown for information. The dates cannot be edited, except that the modified date can be set to now.
What this is not
This tool edits the standard properties only. It is not a redaction tool. The text and images inside the file, attachments, comments and other hidden parts stay as they are, and the tool does not claim to remove them. If you must remove sensitive content, use a proper redaction feature and check the result.
The tool saves a new copy and does not change the original. Files are processed on your device and never uploaded. Related tools include the add page numbers to PDF tool, the file type identifier, the merge PDF tool and the organize PDF pages tool.
Assumptions and limits
- Only the six standard text fields can be edited. Each value can be up to 1,000 characters.
- Dates are shown as stored and are not editable, except that the modified date can be set to the current time.
- Saving rewrites the file, so earlier incremental revisions stored inside it are not kept.
- Password protected or damaged PDFs are refused with a message.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the title of a PDF?
Open the file in this tool, change the title field and save. The new title appears in PDF viewers that show it. Also remove the XMP block if an older title still shows.
How do I remove the author name from a PDF?
Clear the author field and save, or use the option that removes all properties. Check the creator and producer fields too, and remove the XMP block if the name is stored there as well.
Does removing properties remove private information in the document?
No. Only the descriptive fields are removed. The visible text, images, attachments and comments stay in the file, so this is not a way to redact sensitive content.
Does the tool upload my PDF?
No. The file is read and rewritten in your browser, the download is made on your device, and nothing is sent to a server.