# Remove PDF Metadata - Free Private PDF Properties Cleaner # Remove PDF Metadata in Your Browser -- Not Our Server Delete PDF metadata, strip author names, software fingerprints, timestamps and XMP data from any PDF. Everything runs locally -- your file never leaves your device. - Free to Use - No Signup Required - No Upload - No File Size Limit Drop a PDF here, or click to select Your file is read in this browser tab. No upload, no server, no logs. Runs in your browserWebAssembly. Zero network calls for processing.0 bytes uploadedNo file ever reaches DragBin or any third party.Open file standardsISO 32000 PDF + Adobe XMP. Clean output stays valid.01 ## Strip every metadata layer Removes Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, dates and the XMP stream most cleaners miss. One pass, ten fields, no leftovers. 02 ## Local-first by design Your PDF is parsed and rewritten in your browser. Other PDF privacy cleaners upload to a server and promise to delete it later. We never receive it. 03 ## Pairs with zero-knowledge storage Once your PDF is metadata-free, drop it into DragBin's encrypted vault. We can't read its filename, size or contents - so leaks have no surface. ## What this PDF cleaner removes Every hidden PDF property most people don't know is in their file -- and exactly what we clear. FieldWhat it usually leaksRemovedTitleOriginal filename or working title from your editorAuthorYour name, your colleague, or the system usernameSubjectInternal taglines, project codenames, draft labelsKeywordsTags added by Word, Acrobat, or DMS systemsCreator (application)The software that authored the document (Word, Pages, InDesign)Producer (engine)The PDF library used to export (Acrobat Distiller, Quartz, pdf-lib)Creation dateWhen the file was first written - reveals drafting timelineModification dateWhen it was last edited - flags last-minute changesXMP metadata streamMirror copy of all of the above plus custom tags ## Why PDF metadata leaks are a real problem Metadata is invisible inside the file but readable by anyone who opens it. The leaks below are routine, not exotic. ### The contract that named the wrong lawyer Law firms regularly send PDFs whose Author field still shows the paralegal who exported the document. Opposing counsel reads it before opening the file. ### Embedded image EXIF and GPS PDFs built from scans or phone photos carry the original capture device, timestamps and sometimes GPS coordinates inside their image streams. ### Court filings that reveal internal drafts Modification dates and revision counts on legal filings have outed when a brief was actually finalised - sometimes minutes before the deadline. ## How to remove metadata from a PDF Three steps. No upload. No signup. No PDF library installs. - 1 ### Drop your PDF Click the upload area or drag a PDF in. The browser reads the file bytes locally - no network call. - 2 ### See what's hidden We surface every Author, Producer, timestamp and XMP field your PDF carries, so you know exactly what you would have shared. - 3 ### Download a clean copy Hit download and you get a stripped PDF. The original on your disk is never modified. ## Compared to other PDF metadata removers Other tools upload your PDF to clean it. DragBin is the only one that combines in-browser cleaning with zero-knowledge encrypted storage for the result. CapabilityDragBinPDF24SmallpdfPDFCandyiLovePDFProcesses in your browser (no upload)Removes XMP metadata streamFree for unlimited filesLimitedLimitedLimitedNo signup requiredEncrypted cloud storage for the cleaned fileZero-knowledge - even the vendor can't read your files Comparison based on public product pages as of 2026. "Limited" means a free-tier cap, watermark or upgrade prompt. ## Stripped the metadata? Now store it where no one can read it Cleaning metadata closes one privacy gap. The next one opens the moment you upload that PDF to a regular cloud drive: the filename, the size, the timestamps and the folder tree all become readable again - by the provider, by anyone who breaches them, and by anyone with a subpoena. DragBin encrypts your files with client-side, post-quantum cryptography ([ML-KEM + AES-256](/post-quantum-encryption/)), and the encryption extends to the metadata too. Filenames, file sizes and folder names are encrypted before they ever reach our servers. Even DragBin can't see them. That's what a real [zero-knowledge architecture](/zero-knowledge-encryption/) means. - 25GB encrypted storage free forever - Filename, size and folder tree all encrypted - Post-quantum: safe from harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks secure by design ## Try DragBin Today Pair metadata-clean PDFs with zero-knowledge, post-quantum cloud storage. 25GB free, forever. [Get DragBin Free (opens in new tab)](https://app.dragbin.com/signup) ## Who should remove PDF metadata before sharing? ### Lawyers & legal teams Strip Author and revision history from briefs, contracts and discovery PDFs before sending to opposing counsel. ### Consultants & freelancers Remove your laptop's system username, the original template author and any client info baked into earlier exports. ### Journalists & researchers Protect sources by removing creation timestamps and software fingerprints that could identify where a document came from. ### Anyone publishing online Resumes, leaked-internal-doc PDFs, and public reports all carry metadata. Clean them before they hit the web. ## Frequently Asked Questions Everything about removing PDF metadata privately - and what DragBin does after. 1 ### What is PDF metadata and why should I remove it? PDF metadata includes hidden fields like author name, software used, creation date and modification history. This data is embedded by Word, Acrobat and other tools and travels with every PDF you share. Removing it protects your privacy and prevents accidental disclosure of internal authors, system usernames or revision timelines.2 ### Is this PDF metadata remover free? Yes. DragBin's PDF metadata remover is completely free with no signup, no watermark and no file size limit.3 ### Is my PDF uploaded to a server? No. The tool processes your PDF directly in your browser. The file never leaves your device and is not sent to any server, unlike PDF24, iLovePDF and Smallpdf which require server upload.4 ### What metadata fields does this tool remove? It clears Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator (the application that made the PDF), Producer (the PDF library used), Creation Date, Modification Date and the XMP metadata stream that many tools embed alongside the standard Info dictionary.5 ### Will removing metadata change the PDF content? No. The visible content - text, images, layout, pages and forms - is unchanged. Only the hidden metadata fields are cleared.6 ### Can this strip PDF author names and producer info? Yes. Author, Creator and Producer fields are common metadata leaks - they identify the person who saved the PDF and the software they used. This tool clears all three.7 ### Does it remove XMP metadata as well as the info dictionary? Yes. Most PDFs contain two metadata stores - the legacy Info dictionary and a newer XMP metadata stream. Many cleaners only touch the first. This tool clears both so nothing slips through.8 ### Is this safe for confidential or legal PDFs? Because processing happens locally and the file is never uploaded, this is safer than freemium PDF suites that require you to send the file to their servers. For long-term storage and sharing of confidential PDFs, pair this tool with DragBin's zero-knowledge encrypted storage.9 ### Does this work as a PDF privacy cleaner for batch files? Yes. You can process multiple PDFs one after another with no daily cap and no signup. Each file is cleaned independently in your browser.10 ### Does this permanently delete PDF metadata or just hide it? It permanently deletes PDF metadata. The download you get is a freshly written PDF without the Info dictionary entries, XMP stream or PDF properties that were in the original. There is nothing to recover with a forensic tool.11 ### Can I remove PDF properties like custom application fields? Yes. Beyond the standard fields, many editors (Word, InDesign, DMS systems) write custom PDF properties into the XMP stream. Since this tool removes the entire XMP block, those custom PDF properties are removed too.12 ### How does DragBin protect metadata after I store the file? DragBin uses client-side, post-quantum encryption (ML-KEM + AES-256). Filenames, file sizes and folder structure are all encrypted, so even DragBin cannot see what you store. This pairs perfectly with stripping metadata before upload. ## More privacy tools and reading [ ### Strong Password Generator Generate uncrackable, browser-side passwords. ](/tools/strong-password-generator/)[ ### Zero-knowledge encryption How DragBin makes filenames unreadable, even to us. ](/zero-knowledge-encryption/)[ ### Post-quantum encryption Why ML-KEM matters in 2026 and beyond. ](/post-quantum-encryption/)[ ### Client-side encryption The architectural reason metadata leaks stop at your device. ](/client-side-encryption/)[ ### Harvest now, decrypt later The threat model your encrypted PDFs need to survive. ](/harvest-now-decrypt-later/)[ ### DragBin security overview How encrypted storage and metadata cleanup fit together. ](/security/) --- Canonical: https://www.dragbin.com/tools/pdf-metadata-remover