Scan a PDF for Hidden Metadata and Personal Data
List a PDF's metadata, form data, attachments and scripts, and find emails, phones, PAN, Aadhaar or card numbers.
Free, with no sign-up and no watermark. The file is processed in your browser and never uploaded.
Check what a PDF gives away before you share it. The scanner lists document properties (author, creator software and more), XMP metadata, form fields that may hold data, embedded files and JavaScript, and searches the text for email addresses, phone numbers, PAN numbers, Aadhaar-like numbers and card-like numbers.
Items that may be a privacy risk are highlighted. The scanner only reports — use PDF Properties or Flatten PDF to clean things up.
Step by step
- Upload the PDF: The file is read locally.
- Scan: Click Scan for Privacy Risks.
- Review the report: Highlighted rows are potential risks; others are informational.
- Fix what matters: Edit metadata, remove pages, or redact text before sharing.
Handy for
Before publishing
Make sure a public report doesn't reveal the author's name or internal software.
Job applications
Check a CV doesn't carry an old employer in its metadata.
Legal and HR
Spot personal identifiers before documents leave the organisation.
Forms
See whether a "blank" form still contains filled-in data.
Good to know
Personal-data detection uses patterns, so it can flag false positives (e.g. long reference numbers) and miss unusual formats.
Only the text layer is searched; information inside scanned images isn't detected.
Run the scan again after cleaning to confirm.
Questions
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and processed by JavaScript running in your browser tab. Nothing is sent to a server, and the result is created on your device.
What counts as a risk?
Author, Creator and Producer fields, XMP metadata, form fields, embedded files, scripts and any detected personal data.
Does it change my file?
No. It only reads the file and shows a report.
Why is Producer a risk?
It can reveal which software and version you use, which matters for some organisations.
Further reading
- How to Redact a PDF Properly, Not Just With Black Boxes — Black boxes leave text in a PDF. True redaction rebuilds the page so the content is gone; find personal data automatically and test the file before sending.
More Protect & Redact tools
- SHA Hashes for Files — Compute SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512 and SHA-1 hashes of a file and compare them against a hash you paste.
- Add a Password to a PDF — Require a password to open a PDF using AES-256 or AES-128, and optionally restrict printing or copying.
- Remove a Known PDF Password — Enter the password you know and save a copy of the PDF that opens without one, with text and links kept.
- Allow Printing & Copying in a PDF — Lift print, copy and edit restrictions from a PDF you're allowed to change, keeping its text and quality.
- Find & Redact Personal Data — Find emails, phones, PAN, Aadhaar, cards, IFSC, GSTIN and IBAN in a PDF, review each match, and redact it.
- Test a PDF for Leaky Redactions — Test whether text under black boxes or hidden on blank areas is still readable, and make a properly redacted copy.