Switch six actions on or off
The boxes are Allow printing, Allow editing, Allow copying text, Allow annotating, Allow filling forms and Allow reordering pages. A checked box grants the action and a cleared box denies it.
No file open
Change PDF permissions
or drop a file anywhere here
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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
- Six permissions and an optional owner password
- You get
- A PDF with the new permissions
PDF permissions are flags inside a file that tell PDF readers which actions to allow. Change Permissions writes a new set of those flags into a copy of your PDF. Six checkboxes cover printing, editing, copying text, annotating, filling forms and reordering pages, and each one starts checked, which means allowed. Clear a box to deny that action, type an Owner password if the settings should be hard to undo, then select Run Change Permissions and download the copy. The file still opens without a password. Permissions are a request that PDF readers honor, so they do not stop a determined person, and they do not hide the content. One file runs without an account.
What can you do when you change PDF permissions?
Guard the settings with an owner password
Type a password into the Owner password box to protect the permission settings. The note under the box says it directly: without one, anyone can lift these restrictions.
Leave the file open to every reader
Change Permissions never sets a password for opening the file. The copy opens the way it did before, and only the listed actions change. To require a password to open, use Protect PDF.
Keep bookmarks and form fields
The pages, the bookmark outline and the fillable form fields carry over into the copy. The permission flags, and the encryption layer that stores them, are the new parts.
What changing permissions keeps and changes
Stays the same
- The pages, the bookmark outline and the fillable form fields.
- The way the file opens. Nobody needs a password to read it.
- The file on your device. You download a new copy.
Changes
- The copy is saved with AES-256 encryption and an empty open password, which is how the flags are stored.
- Each cleared box switches one permission flag off. A checked box leaves its flag on.
- The flags come from the six boxes alone. Restrictions the file had before are not carried over.
- Two finer flags, faithful printing and text extraction for accessibility, have no box and stay allowed.
- Rewriting the file breaks a certificate signature or a timestamp it already carried.
Which boxes to clear for which goal
| You want to | Clear | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Stop printing but allow copying | Allow printing | Leave Allow copying text checked. |
| Make a read-only copy | Allow editing, Allow annotating and Allow reordering pages | Form filling is separate. Clear Allow filling forms as well if forms should stay locked. |
| Stop people copying text out | Allow copying text | Text extraction for accessibility has no box and stays allowed. |
| Make the restrictions hard to undo | Nothing extra, set the Owner password | Without an Owner password, anyone can lift the restrictions. |
How to change PDF permissions in 3 steps
Add the PDF
Drop one PDF on the upload box or select Choose file. The six permission checkboxes appear once the file is in.
Choose what to allow
Clear the box for every action you want to deny and leave the rest checked. Type an Owner password if the settings should be guarded.
Run the job and test the copy
Select Run Change Permissions. When the job finishes, choose Download and try the copy in the PDF reader your recipients use.
Why change PDF permissions with indox?
Protect PDF on indox ties its restrictions to an open password and switches printing and editing off together. Change Permissions is the finer tool: it leaves the file open to read and gives each of six actions its own checkbox, so you can stop printing while copying stays on, or fix the page order while form filling stays available. The page is frank about how far this goes. The note under Owner password states that readers enforce these settings and that they are not encryption. A single job runs without an account, your PDF is uploaded over HTTPS, and on the free tier both the upload and the copy with new permissions are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes.
- Six permissions, each with its own checkbox
- No open password added to the file
- Optional owner password to guard the settings
- Bookmarks and form fields carried into the copy
- One file without an account, uploaded over HTTPS
What are the limits when you change PDF permissions?
- 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
- Permissions are enforced by PDF readers, and they are not encryption that hides content. Software that ignores the flags can still print or copy, so do not use this tool to keep text confidential.
- Without an Owner password, anyone can lift the restrictions. The form does not check how strong the password is, has no confirm box, and removes spaces from its start and end.
- Leaving all six boxes checked produces a copy that allows everything. The job still runs and rewrites the file, so review the boxes before you select the run button.
- The form has no field for a current password. Unlock a PDF that needs a password to open before you bring it here.
- Change permissions as the last step. The copy is encrypted, several indox tools cannot open an encrypted PDF, and indox cannot certificate sign or timestamp it afterward.
When the permissions do not behave as you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Some app still prints or copies | Permissions are flags that readers choose to honor, and some software ignores them | Do not rely on them to keep text private. To require a password to open, use Protect PDF. |
| Anyone can lift the restrictions | No Owner password was set | Type an Owner password and run the original file again. |
| Other indox tools cannot open the result | The copy is encrypted | Make this the last step, after every other edit. |
| A signature in the file now shows as broken | Rewriting the file invalidates it | Choose between a signature and permission flags. indox cannot sign the encrypted copy afterward. |
| The page asks for a password | The form has no field for a current password | Remove it first with Unlock PDF. |
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 changes PDF permissions?
Publishers and course authors
You hand out a workbook or a paid guide and want to discourage copying its text into other documents. Clear Allow copying text and keep printing on for readers who prefer paper.
People who send out forms
Your form should be filled in but not rearranged or rewritten. Leave Allow filling forms checked and clear Allow editing and Allow reordering pages.
Reviewers sharing drafts
A draft should be read on screen and returned with comments. Clear Allow printing, keep Allow annotating checked and add an Owner password.
When to change permissions, and when to pick another tool
- A handout should stay readable by anyone while printing is discouraged.
- A form should accept answers while its questions stay fixed.
- A catalog or portfolio should not be copied out as text.
- An older PDF needs a fresh set of permissions before it is shared again.
- Only certain people should be able to open the file at all. That calls for Protect PDF, which sets an open password.
Where can I read more?
Sources
- PdfWriter.encryptpypdf documentation
- Encryption and Decryption of PDFspypdf documentation
Facts checked on October 16, 2026
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Change Permissions FAQs
Which actions can I allow or deny?
Six of them: printing, editing, copying text, annotating, filling forms and reordering pages. Every box starts checked, so the copy allows an action unless you clear its box.
Does the PDF need a password to open afterward?
No. Change Permissions leaves the open password empty, so the copy opens the same way as before.
What is the Owner password for?
It guards the permission settings themselves. If you leave it blank, the restrictions are written into the file, but anyone can lift them.
Are permissions the same as encryption?
No. indox writes the flags into an AES-256 encrypted copy, but the open password is empty, so anyone can read the content. The flags work only in PDF readers that honor them.
Can I block printing and still allow copying?
Yes. Each action has its own box, so clear Allow printing and leave Allow copying text checked.
Will my bookmarks and form fields survive?
Yes. The bookmark outline and the fillable fields are carried into the copy together with the pages.
Can I change permissions on a signed PDF?
The tool will run, but rewriting the file breaks a certificate signature that is already there. indox also cannot sign the encrypted copy afterward, so choose between a signature and permission flags.
Is an account required to change PDF permissions, and when are files deleted?
One job runs without an account, because Change Permissions has the free badge. On the free tier, your PDF and the new copy are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes.