pdf tool
Edit PDF metadata
Open a PDF, change or clear its title, author, subject and keywords, and save a new copy with those properties set exactly as you typed them. One button clears everything, including the software names, the dates and the hidden XMP copy, for a file that says nothing about where it came from.
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- Runs on your device, nothing is uploaded
- Free, no sign in
- No watermark, no file limit
How it works
- 1
Open the PDF
Choose the file or drop it on the box. Its current title, author, subject and keywords fill the four boxes, and the creator, producer and dates are listed underneath.
- 2
Change or clear the fields
Type new values, or empty a box to remove that property. Keywords are saved exactly as typed, commas included.
- 3
Decide on the rest
Tick Also remove the creator, producer and both dates to strip the software trail. If the file has an XMP packet, Remove the XMP packet is ticked so readers show your new values. Clear every field does all of this at once.
- 4
Save and check
Save the PDF downloads a new copy with -metadata added to its name, and lists the properties read back from that saved file.
What you can change, and what it is for
Title is the property that matters most: many readers show it in the window bar and the tab instead of the file name, and search engines can use it as the heading of a PDF result. Author, Subject and Keywords help document management systems and desktop search file the document. Creator and Producer name the app and the PDF writer, and the two dates record when the file was made and last changed. All of them are optional, and a file with none of them is still a perfectly valid PDF. Keywords are stored as one string, and this tool writes exactly what you type, so a list such as lease, signed copy stays comma separated rather than being split and rejoined with spaces.
Why the XMP packet has to go too
Most PDFs written in the last fifteen years hold a second copy of these properties in an XMP packet, and some readers prefer it. Change the Info dictionary alone and a reader that trusts XMP keeps showing the old title. That is why Remove the XMP packet is ticked whenever the file has one. Leave it unticked only if the packet carries something you need, such as a PDF/A conformance claim, which lives there and goes with it.
Removing metadata before you share a file
Files carry more than people expect. The author field is often filled from a computer account name, the creator line can name an internal tool, and the dates show when a draft was really finished. Clear every field empties the four boxes, ticks both removal options and, once you press Save, writes a copy with no document properties at all. The tool then reads that saved copy back and lists what is left, so you can see the result rather than trust it. The file is rewritten in your browser; nothing is uploaded and nothing is stored, ever.
Metadata and signing
Edit metadata before a document is signed, never after. A certificate signature covers the exact bytes of the file, and changing even the title afterwards makes it report the document as altered. OneCraft e-signature certification locks the completed PDF so it cannot be edited or annotated without breaking the signature.
Limits worth knowing
pdf-lib cannot write encrypted files, so a PDF with any security handler, even one that opens freely, is refused with a message explaining why. Saving rewrites the whole file, which drops incremental save history and invalidates signatures. Page level metadata, image EXIF and attachment properties stay as they were. Each save is a fresh download named after the original with -metadata added, so the file on your disk is never overwritten.
Limits
- An encrypted PDF cannot be edited, including one that opens without a password but restricts printing or copying; the tool says so instead of failing silently.
- Saving rewrites the file, so a digital signature on it will no longer validate.
- Metadata inside embedded photos, attachments or individual pages is not touched.
What it does not do
- It does not change the page content, the text or the fonts.
- It does not add or remove passwords.
- It does not upload the file or keep a copy.
Questions people ask
How do I change the title shown in a browser tab when a PDF opens?
Set the Title here and keep Remove the XMP packet ticked, then save. Many browsers show the document title in the tab instead of the file name when a title is set, and fall back to the name when it is empty. If a reader still shows the old title after saving, it is reading a stale XMP copy that was kept.
Does removing metadata make a PDF anonymous?
It removes the document properties, which is the part most likely to carry a name. It does not touch names written in the text, in comments, in tracked changes from the original document, in embedded photos' EXIF data, or in a digital signature. Check the visible content and any attachments as well before treating a file as anonymous.
Why can I not edit a PDF that opens without a password?
Because it is still encrypted. An owner password lets anyone open the file but asks readers to restrict printing, copying or editing, and every string inside it, including the metadata, is stored encrypted. pdf-lib cannot write such files back. Open it in a reader that knows the owner password, save an unrestricted copy, and edit that copy.
Will editing the metadata change how my PDF looks?
No. The pages, text, images and fonts are copied across untouched, and only the properties change. The file size may shift slightly, because the PDF is rewritten in a compact form and the XMP packet, if removed, takes a few kilobytes with it. Links, bookmarks and form fields stay in place.
Can I set custom metadata fields of my own?
Not here. This tool edits the four standard properties people search and file by, and removes the machine written ones. Custom keys are allowed by the PDF format, but few readers ever show them, so they rarely reach anyone. If a system needs extra data, put it in the Keywords or Subject where people will actually see it.
Write the document itself
Take what you made here into documents.
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Built with pdf-lib (MIT).
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .