List every term on its own line
The Words or phrases to redact box takes one term per line. A line can hold a word, a name or a phrase, and it may contain a comma. The field is required, so the job does not start while the box is empty.
No file open
Redact text in a PDF
or drop a file anywhere here
Dropbox
Google Drive
Files other than PDF are converted first. Signing in raises the size limit.
Or start from a blank IRS form
Browse all IRS forms →- You add
- One PDF
- You set
- The words or phrases to cover
- You get
- A PDF of page images with boxes
Redacting text means covering it so that a reader cannot see it. On this page you add one PDF and type the words or phrases to cover, one per line, in the Words or phrases to redact box. indox sends that list to its PDF engine with two instructions: draw a filled box over the text that matches, and convert the PDF to images. The page states the consequence before you start: text in the whole document stops being selectable. If the engine reports an error, indox fails the whole job and does not return your PDF unredacted.
What can you do when you redact text in a PDF?
Match whole words only
Tick Match whole words only when a short term, such as a surname, also appears inside longer words. The box is clear when the page opens.
Search with a regular expression
Tick Treat each term as a regular expression to describe a pattern, such as the shape of an account number. The page marks this option as Advanced, and an invalid expression fails the job.
Pick the box color
Box color opens with #000000, which is black. To use another fill, type a six-digit hex code with a leading #, such as #FFFFFF. A value in any other form fails the job after the upload.
What redaction keeps and changes
Stays the same
- The page count and the page order.
- How the pages look outside the boxes. The text you did not list is still readable as an image.
- The PDF on your device. The job works on the uploaded copy.
Changes
- Text that matches your terms is covered by a filled box, black unless you pick another color.
- Every job also converts the pages to images, so Stirling's guide says no text is left behind the boxes.
- Text in the whole document stops being selectable or searchable, including text far from any box.
- The file size changes, because the pages are now pictures.
Which options for which terms
| You want to cover | Use | Check after |
|---|---|---|
| A name or a phrase | One term per line, no options | Try to select and search for the covered words. |
| A short word that also sits inside longer words | Tick Match whole words only | Look at the neighboring words for boxes you did not want. |
| A pattern, such as an email address or a card number | Tick the regular expression option and write a pattern. Stirling's guide lists examples | Test the pattern on a sample page before you run the whole file. |
How to redact text in a PDF in 3 steps
Add the PDF to redact
Drop one PDF on the upload box, or use Choose file to pick it.
Type the terms and set the options
Enter one term per line in Words or phrases to redact. Tick Match whole words only or Treat each term as a regular expression if you need them.
Run the job and check the download
Press Run Redact Text and wait for the progress bar. Choose Download, then look at every box before you send the file to anyone.
Why redact text with indox?
The page shows every setting the job uses: a list of terms, two checkboxes and a color. The note under the terms box names the trade before you start: the result is rasterised, so text in the document stops being selectable. Redaction on indox is strict about failure. When the redaction step cannot run, the job fails, because a PDF that still shows the words you wanted covered is worse than an error message. A single redaction job runs without an account. The upload travels over HTTPS, and indox deletes free-tier files automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes.
- Terms typed one per line
- Whole-word and regular expression options
- Pages always converted to images
- A failed redaction fails the job
- One job without an account
What are the limits when you redact text?
- Size
- The free tier has a file size limit. Signing in raises it, and paid plans raise it further.
- Formats
- This tool works on PDF files. To change a file's type, use the PDF converter.
- Privacy
- Files are encrypted in transit and processed on indox infrastructure.
- Deletion
- Free-tier files are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. Signed-in output stays in your history for your plan's retention period.
Limits worth knowing
- The tool covers text that matches your terms. It cannot black out a picture, a signature or an area you would mark by hand.
- The page gives no count of matches and no preview. Search the original for each term first, then check the same places in the download.
- indox does not check whether every term was found, so a term the engine did not match can stay visible without a warning.
- Because all text stops being selectable, search and copy no longer work on the result. OCR PDF adds a searchable text layer afterward.
- The tool has no password box and no setting for document properties such as the title or author. Edit PDF Metadata is the tool that sets those.
When the redaction is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The result has no boxes at all | No term matched, and then the engine returns the document as it was | Check the spelling, then search the original for the exact text, spacing included. |
| A word is still visible | The term did not match, or the word is part of a picture | Fix the term. Text inside a scan is a picture, so run OCR PDF first and redact the searchable copy. |
| A short term covers more than you meant | Without Match whole words only, a term also matches inside longer words | Tick Match whole words only and run the original again. |
| The job fails after you press Run | The pattern is not a valid regular expression, or the box color is not a six-digit hex code | Correct the pattern or write the color as #000000. |
| You cannot select or search the result | The pages were converted to images | Run OCR PDF on the result to make it searchable again. |
What do the free and paid plans add?
Free
- All converters
- Daily credit refresh
- Email support
Basic
- Access to all features
- AI Extract
- Priority conversions
- Email support
Highest priority
Premium
- Everything in Basic
- Highest priority queue
- Larger file limits
- Priority support
Pay-As-You-Go
- No subscription
- Credits never expire
- Opt-in auto-refill
- Access to all features
What else can you do with a PDF?
Who redacts text in PDFs?
Office staff sharing records
A report or letter has to go out with a client name or a case number covered. List both, run the job and read each page of the result.
HR and finance teams
Payslips, invoices and statements repeat one account or ID number across many pages. A single line in the terms box asks for it to be covered wherever the engine matches it.
Researchers and students
Interview transcripts and survey exports name the people who took part. Cover the names before the document goes into an appendix or a shared folder.
When to redact by term, and when to pick another tool
- A name, an email address or a reference number appears throughout a document and has to be covered before you share it.
- The value to hide follows a pattern, such as an ID format, that a regular expression can describe.
- You want a copy for publication and accept that readers cannot select or search its text.
- The item to hide is an image or a handwritten note. This tool matches text only, so it does not fit.
- You only want to stop readers copying text. Change Permissions sets whether readers may print, copy or edit a PDF.
Where can I read more?
Sources
- RedactController.javaStirling-PDF source code, v2.14.2
- RedactStirling-PDF documentation
Facts checked on October 16, 2026
Do it all with indox
No tool matches that search.
Redact Text FAQs
Is the text under the box removed from the file?
Every job does two things. It draws a box over the matched text, and it converts the PDF to images, after which text in the document can no longer be selected. indox does not inspect the result for you, so try to select and search for the covered words before you share the download.
Why can I no longer select text in the result?
The job always converts the pages to images, and this page has no option to keep live text. To make the visible text searchable again, run the result through OCR PDF.
How do I redact several words at once?
Put each word or phrase on its own line. indox caps how many terms a job may carry and how long each term may be, and a list over either cap fails the job.
What does Match whole words only do?
It tells the engine to match a term as a complete word and not as part of a longer one. It is off until you tick the box.
What happens if my regular expression is wrong?
The job fails and you see an error in place of a file. Correct the pattern, add the PDF again and rerun the job.
Can I redact an image, a signature or an area?
Not on this page. It accepts text terms and has no way to mark a region, so pictures, stamps and handwriting stay visible.
Do I need an account to redact a PDF?
No. The catalog lists Redact Text as a free tool, and a single job runs without signing in.
How long does indox keep my redacted file?
The file is uploaded over HTTPS when you press Run Redact Text. On the free tier, indox deletes the upload and the result automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes.