Does your resume PDF say who wrote it and which app made it? Many PDFs carry hidden fields such as author, title, and software name. The PDF Metadata Remover clears the document info fields and the XMP block, and shows what each one held before.
It processes the file in your browser with the pdf-lib library, and the code shows no upload. It does not wipe every hidden detail, so read the limits below before you share a sensitive file.
Table of Contents
- What the Tool Does
- How to Use It, Step by Step
- How It Works
- Walkthrough With a Resume File
- How to Read the Results
- What Stays in the File
- Limitations and Assumptions
- FAQs About the PDF Metadata Remover
What the Tool Does
The page has a drop area, four small cards, a button, and a results table.
- Drag & drop PDF to strip metadata: a drop area that also opens a file picker on a click.
- Attribute, Original Value, Sanitized Value: the table columns. Rows cover Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate, any custom keys, and the XMP metadata stream.
- Download Sanitized PDF: saves the cleaned file under its original name plus "_sanitized".
- Cards for Fields Left (Checked), Fields Cleared, Status, and Sanitized File.
How to Use It, Step by Step
- Drop a PDF on the drop area, or click it and choose a file.
- Wait a moment. The tool starts working at once, with no extra button.
- Read the table. It lists each field and its old value.
- Check the cards. Status should read "Sanitized", and Fields Left (Checked) should read 0.
- Press Download Sanitized PDF to save the file.
After the download starts, a line reads "Done. Your download has started." The button is active from the start. Before a file is processed, it shows "Please upload a PDF file first." A file name that does not end in .pdf, in any letter case, shows "Please upload a PDF file."
How It Works
The tool opens the file and reads every document info field. It deletes each one, plus the XMP stream. Then it saves the file again and re-opens the copy to count what is left.
Upload PDF→Read All Info Fields→Delete Info Keys and XMP→Download Sanitized PDF
The table shows the values it read before clearing. The right column says "[REMOVED / CLEARED]" only where a value existed. Empty rows say "(already empty)".
Walkthrough With a Resume File
Aisha Khan wrote her resume in Word and saved it as a PDF. She wants to share it without her name in the file properties. She drops the file in and the table fills in. The values below are examples.
| Attribute | Original Value | Sanitized Value |
|---|
| Title | Resume_final_v3 | [REMOVED / CLEARED] |
| Author | Aisha Khan | [REMOVED / CLEARED] |
| Subject | (empty) | (already empty) |
| Keywords | (empty) | (already empty) |
| Creator | Microsoft Word | [REMOVED / CLEARED] |
| Producer | Microsoft Word | [REMOVED / CLEARED] |
| CreationDate | D:20260914101500 | [REMOVED / CLEARED] |
| ModDate | D:20260914101500 | [REMOVED / CLEARED] |
| XMP metadata stream | Present | [REMOVED / CLEARED] |
Fields Cleared shows 7, Fields Left (Checked) shows 0, and Status shows "Sanitized". Aisha presses the download button. Her file resume.pdf is saved as resume_sanitized.pdf.
How to Read the Results
Fields Cleared counts the rows that held a value, including dates, custom keys, and the XMP stream. The Producer row shows the real original value.
Fields Left (Checked) shows a dash until a file loads. Then the tool re-opens the saved copy and counts the info keys and XMP block still there. Sanitized File shows the new size in KB.
What Stays in the File
The tool changes document-level metadata only. A note under the table lists what is not covered. It names metadata inside images or attachments, the document ID in the file trailer, and page-level metadata streams. Page content, images, and embedded files stay as they are.
Comments and hidden layers are also outside this tool. To see what a file holds first, use the PDF Metadata Viewer or the PDF File Information Viewer. To set new values on purpose, try the PDF Metadata Editor.
For other cleanup, see the PDF Attachment Remover and the PDF Annotation Remover. To hide text in the pages themselves, use Redact PDF. The PDF tools hub lists more.
Limitations and Assumptions
- The tool is not a compliance or legal redaction tool. Text in the pages stays visible.
- The type check uses the file name only, so a renamed non-PDF fails at load.
- A password-protected or damaged file shows "This PDF could not be processed. It may be encrypted, password-protected, or corrupted. Nothing was changed."
- Processing starts as soon as you choose a file, and it handles one file at a time.
- The tool keeps no copy of your file. Load it again after a page reload.
- Always open the saved file and check its properties in your PDF viewer.
FAQs About the PDF Metadata Remover
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The code reads the file in your browser and builds the cleaned copy there. The page loads the pdf-lib library from a public code host, but your file is not sent anywhere.
Does it remove creation and modification dates?
Yes. Dates are info fields, so they are deleted with the rest. Custom keys that your software added go too.
Does it change the pages of my document?
No. Only metadata is touched. The words and pictures on each page look the same.
Why is Fields Cleared higher than I expected?
It counts every row that held a value. A single file can have dates, a custom key, and an XMP block.
Does Fields Left (Checked) prove the file is private?
No. It only counts info keys and the XMP block in the saved copy. The items in the not-covered note are not counted.
Can I clean several PDFs at once?
No. The tool handles one file at a time. Drop each file in turn and download each result.
This tool runs in your web browser and may not handle every PDF file, font, or browser the same way. Keep a backup of your original file. Reviewed for general accuracy by Prof. Dr. Khalil Mudassar, PhD.