About Protect PDF with a password
Add a password to a PDF before you email or share it, so only people who know the password can open it. Contracts, invoices, ID scans, medical letters and payslips are good examples.
The file is encrypted with 256-bit AES, the strongest encryption the PDF format offers, and every common PDF reader asks for the password. You can also block printing, copying and editing. It runs in your browser, so your file and password are never uploaded.
How to use it
- Choose or drop one or more PDFs.
- Type a password twice.
- Choose whether to also block printing, copying and editing.
- Press Protect PDF and download the locked file.
Good to know
- Keep the password somewhere safe. Nobody, including us, can open the file without it.
- Send the password separately from the file, for example by text message instead of in the same email.
- Blocking printing and copying is respected by most readers, but it is a request, not a guarantee. The password itself is the real protection.
- To remove the password later, use Unlock PDF with the same password.
Questions
How do I put a password on a PDF?
Add the PDF, type the password twice and press Protect PDF. Anyone opening the downloaded file will be asked for that password.
How strong is the protection?
The PDF is encrypted with 256-bit AES. A long password that is hard to guess, mixing words, numbers and symbols, makes it very hard to open without the password.
What if I forget the password?
The file cannot be opened without it, and there is no way to recover it. Keep your original unprotected file or write the password down somewhere safe.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The encryption runs in this page on your own device.