Edit PDF Metadata
Fix or strip the title, author and hidden timestamps.
- Free
- No signup
- Nothing uploaded
- No watermark
Drop a file here
PDF file · read on your device, never uploaded
Processed entirely on your device. Nothing was uploaded.
How to Edit PDF Metadata Online
Edit PDF Metadata shows what a PDF says about itself: the title, author, subject and keywords it carries, filled in from the file the moment you drop it in. Change any of them and save, or tick one box to remove everything, including the producer, creator and the creation and modification dates. Useful before a CV, a tender or a report goes to someone who should not see who really wrote it or when.
Fixes or strips the title, author and hidden timestamps. Worth doing before sending anything externally: the author field routinely holds a real name and the producer field names your software and version, neither of which you may intend to share.
No software to install Free Works on any device
Step-by-Step Guide to Edit PDF Metadata
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1. Drop in your PDF to see the metadata it currently carries
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2. Edit the fields, or tick the box to strip everything
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3. Press Save metadata
No .pdf file to hand? Download a sample PDF file (6.3 KB) and try it.
What Does Edit PDF Metadata Do?
Fixes or strips the title, author and hidden timestamps. Worth doing before sending anything externally: the author field routinely holds a real name and the producer field names your software and version, neither of which you may intend to share.
PDF file
.PDFFix or strip the title, author and hidden timestamps.
At a glance
- Takes: One PDF
- Shows: Title, author, subject and keywords currently stored
- Edit: Type new values; keywords separated by commas
- Strip all: One checkbox clears every field plus creation and modification dates
- Gives: A copy of the PDF with the new metadata; pages untouched
- Runs: In your browser; the file stays with you
Why Edit PDF Pages Directly?
Going back to the original Word file is not always possible, and sometimes it never existed. Adding text, page numbers, a watermark, a stamp or a header straight onto the PDF finishes the job in minutes.
“The quickest fix is the one made on the file you already have.”
- No need for the source file
- Clear ownership with watermarks
- Margins for binding
- Crooked or mirrored pages fixed
- Page numbers on every sheet
- Headers and footers added
- Forms you can fill in
- Correct title and author details
Popular Uses for PDF Editing Tools
Small finishing touches are what most people come to edit a PDF for.
- Numbering a report Add page numbers to a thesis or report that was saved without them.
- Marking drafts Put a DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL watermark across pages before sharing them for review.
- Legal bundles Apply Bates numbers so every page in a case file has its own reference.
- Filling a form Type into a PDF application form instead of printing, writing and scanning it.
- Assignment borders Put the border a teacher asked for around each page of a project.
- Room for binding Widen the margins so text is not lost in the spine when printed and bound.
- Trimming white space Crop away wide empty edges so the page reads better on a phone.
- Approval stamps Stamp APPROVED, PAID or RECEIVED on invoices and letters as they are processed.
What You Can Do with Edit PDF Metadata
Understands PDF structure rather than treating the file as bytes
Additions are written into the existing page content rather than flattening it to an image
What you place stays sharp at any zoom, because it is drawn as vector rather than pasted as pixels
Why Use ToolXkit for Edit PDF Metadata?
Your files stay with you
Everything runs inside your browser. Nothing you open or type is uploaded to a server.
Free, with no catch
No signup, no watermark and no daily limit on how often you use it.
Fast
Results appear in seconds, because nothing has to travel over the internet and back.
Works on any device
Use it on a computer, tablet or phone, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
Nothing to install
No app, no extension and no desktop program. Open the page and start.
Made for real people
Plain words and clear buttons, built by one developer who wanted tools like this to exist.
PDF Editor for Different Users
Students
Number pages, add borders and put your name in the header of assignments.
Lawyers
Add Bates numbers, stamps and headers to documents going into a court bundle.
Accounts teams
Stamp invoices as paid and add a reference number in the footer.
Teachers
Put a school watermark and page numbers on worksheets before printing them.
Office administrators
Fill forms and correct document properties before files are sent onward.
Designers
Change a page background or overlay a letterhead on a plain PDF.
Best Times to Edit a PDF
Editing the PDF itself makes sense when you are:
- Missing the original Word file
- Finishing a thesis for binding
- Sending a draft for review
- Preparing papers for court
- Filling a form on screen
- Branding pages before sharing
- Fixing a page scanned upside down
- Marking invoices as paid
Tips and Good to Know
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Saving here writes the document information dictionary; an older XMP packet may still carry the previous values. Remove PDF Metadata clears both stores at once.
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Metadata is not the content. A name in a header, a signature or a comment stays; use Flatten PDF or edit the page for those.
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Bookmarks and annotations are separate from metadata and are left alone here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about this tool.
Do I need to install anything to edit PDF metadata?
No. Edit PDF Metadata runs entirely in your browser — there is nothing to download, no extension and no desktop program. It works the same on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone.
Is it safe to edit PDF metadata online?
Safer than the usual alternative, yes. Most online tools upload your file to a server you know nothing about, where it sits until someone deletes it. Here the file never leaves your device — the processing happens in the page itself, so there is no server copy to leak, retain or sell.
Can I change words that are already in the PDF?
These tools add to the page: text, numbers, stamps, borders, headers or watermarks. Rewording what is already printed on a PDF is not their job, so for heavy rewriting, edit the original document if you still have it.
Does Edit PDF Metadata leave a watermark of its own?
No. It is completely free, and the site adds no logo or mark of its own. The only marks on your pages are the ones you choose to put there.
Will Edit PDF Metadata work on a scanned PDF?
Yes. Additions such as page numbers, stamps, borders and watermarks are placed on top of each page, so they work on scans just as they do on typed documents.
Can I undo a change after downloading?
The download is a new file, and your original is left exactly as it was. If you want a different result, open the original again and repeat the steps with new settings.
Further reading
- Bates numbering (Wikipedia) Why legal teams give every page a unique number, and how the scheme works.
- Watermark (Wikipedia) Where the idea of a watermark came from and how it is used on paper and in files.
More Edit PDF Tools
Other free tools for the same kind of job.
- Edit PDF Add text, drawings, highlights, shapes and pictures to any PDF page, then download it. Open tool
- Add Border to PDF Add a neat border to PDF pages: pick a design, colour, line style and margins, then download. Open tool
- Add Header & Footer Put a title, date or reference on every page. Open tool
- Add Margins to PDF Give every page a margin — for binding, printing or notes — without shrinking the text. Open tool
- Add Page Numbers Number the pages of any PDF, your position and style. Open tool
- Add Watermark Stamp text or an image across every page. Open tool
- Bates Numbering Stamp sequential legal reference numbers across a document set. Open tool
- Crop PDF Drag a crop box, or trim the white border automatically. Open tool
- Flip PDF Pages Flip pages horizontally or vertically without re-rendering them. Open tool