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Free online PDF tool

Password protect a PDF

Add a password and choose what readers may do. Everything happens in this browser — neither the file nor the password ever leaves your device.

Drop a PDF here
One file — pick a password and the restrictions

Step by step

How to password protect a PDF

  1. Open the PDF you want to lock.
  2. Set the password that has to be typed to open it, and choose whether printing, copying and editing are allowed.
  3. Download the protected PDF.

What it does

Password protect a PDF, in full.

Set a password that has to be typed before the document will open, and decide separately what someone may do once it is open — whether they can print it, copy text out of it, or change it. The file is encrypted on your own machine, so the password itself is never sent anywhere.

  • Require a password to open the document
  • Allow or block printing, copying and editing
  • Encrypt on your machine, not on a server

This tool runs entirely inside your browser tab. The file never leaves your machine, there is nothing to sign up for, and nothing you download carries a watermark.

Questions

About this tool.

What encryption is used?
AES-256 by default. AES-128 and RC4-128 are offered as well, for older PDF readers.
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. The file is encrypted on your own machine, so the password is never transmitted and never reaches us.
Can I stop people printing or copying?
Yes, and separately from the open password. Those are permission settings; readers honour them, but they are not as strong as the password itself.
What if I lose the password?
There is nothing anyone can do. The file cannot be opened without it. Keep the original if that matters.

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