Remove SSN from PDF
Remove a Social Security number from a PDF, properly.
A black box is not enough if the digits are still in the file. Draw over the number here and the download is rebuilt from page images, with the digits gone. Nothing is uploaded.
- No upload
- Digits removed from the file
- Pro finds SSNs on every page
- Free for 3 pages
PDF redaction tool
Drop a PDF to redact
The file is opened inside this page and goes nowhere else. Draw boxes over what must go. The new PDF is rebuilt from page images, so the text under the boxes is not in it.
Add another PDF (Pro)No upload. This page's security policy forbids network connections, so your file cannot leave it. See how to check that yourself.
Free: manual boxes, up to 3 pages per file. Pro ($19, once): unlimited pages, auto-find, batch redaction. How it works: each page is drawn to an image, the boxes are painted into the image, and the output PDF is built from those images alone. The original text, fonts, annotations and properties are not copied.
How it works
Open the PDF
Tax forms, leases, applications and HR files are typical.
Mark the numbers
Draw boxes, or with Pro let the SSN finder list every match to accept or reject.
Check the result
Search the new file for the digits. Nothing should be found.
What auto-find does for SSNs
The finder looks at the text of every page for three digits, two digits and four digits separated by hyphens or spaces. It does not try to decide whether the number was ever issued, because a number that looks like an SSN, or an ITIN, is something you probably want gone either way. Each match gets a box on the page and a line in the review list, where you can untick it. Everything you leave ticked is painted over.
What it will not catch
- Nine digits written without separators, such as 123456789.
- Numbers broken across two lines, or spaced out one digit at a time.
- Numbers inside pictures, including scans and screenshots pasted into a PDF. Draw boxes by hand.
- The same person's name, date of birth, address or account numbers. Those need their own boxes or custom terms.
After redacting, run the verification checks. They take two minutes and catch the mistakes that matter.
Questions
How do I remove a Social Security number from a PDF?
Open the PDF in the tool above, draw a box over each number, and download the redacted copy. The output is rebuilt from page images, so the digits under the box are not in the file. With Pro, press Find sensitive text with the SSN option ticked and the tool lists every number in the NNN-NN-NNNN format on every page for you to accept.
Why not just cover it with a black rectangle?
In many PDF programs a rectangle is a separate object on top of the page, and the digits stay in the file underneath where they can be selected, copied or searched. This tool removes them by rebuilding the page as a picture.
Which SSN formats does auto-find recognise?
Three groups of digits separated by hyphens or by spaces: 123-45-6789 and 123 45 6789. It also matches numbers starting with 9, which is how ITINs are formatted. A run of nine digits with no separators is not matched, because that pattern also matches many ordinary numbers. Search for those yourself or draw boxes.
What about the last four digits only?
Draw a box over exactly the part you want hidden. Auto-find covers the whole number.
Does it find SSNs in scanned PDFs?
No. A scan is an image with no text, and this version has no OCR. You can draw boxes on a scan by hand.
Is the SSN sent anywhere?
No. The file is processed in your browser and the page cannot make network connections. See the privacy page for how to confirm that in your developer tools.