How to redact a PDF in your browser
To redact a PDF in your browser, open the file, review each detected or manually added selection, choose Redact for the sensitive data that should not return, then download and inspect the protected copy. Personal use and trial evaluation are free; ongoing commercial use requires a license.
What happens to the PDF?
The workspace reads every page in this browser tab and marks the personal details it finds, including names, dates, chart and account numbers, phone numbers, and addresses, laid out beside the page preview so you can see exactly what will be covered. You keep, mask, or redact each one, and add anything specific to your work. There is no list to type and no rectangle to drag for the fortieth identifier on page three. The source file is untouched.
When you download the result, PHI Mask builds a fresh, raster-only PDF from the reviewed pages. Redacted areas are burned into those page images; the source PDF's selectable text objects and metadata are not copied into the protected file. Reopen the download and inspect every page. Review before sharing.
What makes redaction permanent?
Permanent redaction takes the value out of the file you send, instead of hiding it behind a shape. A black rectangle drawn over a name in a PDF viewer usually leaves that name in the file, so the confidential information comes back the moment the recipient selects or copies the text underneath it.
PHI Mask permanently removes redacted content from the copy you download. That copy is rebuilt from page images, so a redacted document carries no selectable text layer and no covered value to lift back out. Open the download and try to select a covered area yourself.
Redact a PDF in five review steps
- Choose or drag the PDF into the workspace above.
- Wait for the pages to finish reading, then look over what was found.
- Add anything specific to your work and choose Redact for content that should not return.
- Give stamps, handwriting, and anything unusual a second look.
- Download the protected copy, reopen it, and review it as the recipient will see it.
The normal document lane accepts PDFs up to 20 MB and 100 pages in one run, which covers most referral packages and discharge summaries in a single pass. A longer document gets a bounded-page path so you always know which pages were covered.
Should you redact or mask the selected text?
| Treatment | Use it when | Protected copy |
|---|---|---|
| Redact | The selected value should not return in this copy. | An opaque cover is burned into the raster-only PDF. |
| Mask | You need a placeholder now and may restore the value later. | The placeholder is drawn over the covered area; recovery uses the separate in-tab mapping. |
Masking is what makes a covered PDF still useful: send it out or paste it into an assistant, then restore the real values in one step when the answer returns. The recovery mapping stays in this tab and is never written into the protected PDF. See the full masking versus redaction guide when the receiving copy has a longer life or a wider audience.
What changes for scanned PDFs?
A scanned PDF is a set of page images, which is where most redaction tools stop and where marking by hand gets slowest. PHI Mask reads the pages themselves and follows the layout it finds, so column breaks, lab tables, and chart banners come back with their identifiers marked in place. Handwriting is not read, so add covers for handwritten names, dates, initials, or notes.
Zoom into the protected page and compare it with what you intended before it goes out. For an image-only source, the same workflow runs on the screenshot redaction route.
What does browser-local processing mean here?
PHI Mask is HIPAA-compatible. Your file is masked in your browser and never sent to us, so there is no BAA to sign, and without a signed BAA we cannot claim HIPAA compliance.
In practice that means you can securely redact sensitive information by opening a link, instead of installing software, filing a ticket, or standing up a server with a GPU. This statement covers PHI Mask's own processing path, not the person or service that receives your protected copy.
Common questions
Is this a free PDF redaction tool?
Personal use and trial evaluation are free. Ongoing commercial use requires a license. You can open the PDF and evaluate the review and export workflow before making that decision.
Does PHI Mask send my PDF to a server?
No. The PDF processing path runs in the active browser tab. Product issue reports never attach the source PDF. When a reviewed protected result is available, the report includes that result by default; you can turn the attachment off before sending.
Can it redact a scanned PDF?
Yes. Scanned pages are read in the browser and the identifiers on them come back marked, including across multi-column layouts and tables. Handwriting is not read, so check handwritten notes yourself.
What PDF limits apply?
A PDF can be up to 20 MB and 100 pages in one run. Split a larger file or use the bounded-page option shown by the workspace.
Does PHI Mask permanently remove redacted text from the PDF?
Yes, in the copy you download. That file is rebuilt from page images, so a redacted value is not left sitting under the cover as selectable text. Your source PDF is untouched.
Is PDF redaction the same as masking?
No. Redaction burns selected content out of the protected copy. Masking writes a placeholder over the selected area and keeps a separate recovery mapping in the active tab.