PDF Logic

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Edit PDF Metadata

See the title, author, dates and software a PDF records about itself, then edit those properties or remove them all. The PDF is read and saved in your browser and is never uploaded.

Runs on your device: your file is not uploaded

PDFOne PDF, up to 50 MB

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What Edit PDF Metadata does

Every PDF carries a short record about itself, called metadata: a title, the author's name, the apps that made it, and when it was created and last changed. It is not on the pages, but any PDF viewer lists it under Document Properties.

People remove it before sharing because it can say more than they meant. A quote may still name the colleague who built the template, and the dates show when the work was really done.

Most PDFs also keep a second, hidden copy of their properties, called an XMP record. This tool changes both copies together, then reads the saved file back so you see what it really holds.

Is this the right tool?

Good for

  • Taking your name, your software and the dates off a PDF before it leaves the company.
  • Giving a report a real title, so browser tabs and screen readers stop announcing an old draft name.
  • Correcting the author on a document built from someone else's template.
  • Checking who made a PDF you received, and when.

Not the right tool for

  • Removing words, names or pictures from the pages. Metadata is kept apart from page content.Redact PDF
  • A PDF that asks for a password. Its properties stay locked until the password is removed.Unlock PDF
  • Stopping people from opening the file. Removing metadata hides nothing on the pages.Protect PDF

How to edit or remove PDF metadata

  1. Choose your PDF

    Select Choose a PDF, drop the file on the page, or paste a copied file: one PDF, up to 50 MB.

  2. Read what it records

    File details shows the page count, PDF version and both dates. Under Properties are the Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Created with and PDF producer fields.

  3. Edit or remove

    Keep Edit properties selected to change or empty single fields, and choose whether to Set the modified date to now. Or choose Remove all metadata to delete everything.

  4. Save and check

    Select Save changes or Remove metadata. Properties in the saved PDF marks each one as Changed, Removed, Added or Unchanged.

  5. Download

    Select Download PDF. Change properties goes back with the same file; Start over clears it.

Worked example

Sending a proposal without the template's history

Say you wrote a proposal in a file a former colleague started. The exported PDF still lists her as Author, under the title Proposal template v3.

Choose the PDF, type the real title, replace the author with your company name and select Save changes. The review shows Title and Author as Changed.

To give away nothing about how the file was made, choose Remove all metadata and select Remove metadata instead. Every row then reads Removed.

Tips for a better result

  • Check comments separately. A sticky note keeps its author's name, and removing metadata does not touch comments.
  • Clean the file last. Apps that save a PDF often write their own name and a new date into it.
  • Keep your original. The download is a new copy; the file you chose is not changed.

Edit PDF Metadata: questions and answers

What exactly does Remove all metadata take out?

The title, author, subject, keywords, both app names, both dates and any extra entries such as a company name. It also deletes the XMP record, XMP attached to pictures or pages, and unused leftovers from earlier saves.

What stays in the PDF after metadata is removed?

Everything on the pages: text, pictures, comments with their authors' names, form entries, attachments, bookmarks and hidden layers. To take words or pictures out for good, use Redact PDF.

What is an XMP record, and why does it matter?

It is a second copy of the properties, stored as text inside the PDF. If only the visible fields are cleared, the author's name can survive there. This tool rewrites it to match your edits, or deletes it when you remove everything.

Can I edit a signed PDF or a PDF/A file?

Yes, at a cost. A digital signature vouches for the exact original, so it no longer matches the edited copy. A PDF/A file loses its PDF/A label, which lives in the XMP record. You are warned before saving.

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