Protect PDF
Mark a PDF as restricted and prepare it for sharing. For true password encryption, use a desktop PDF tool.
Drop a PDF here
or click to browse
How to use
- 1
Upload the PDF you want to mark as restricted.
- 2
Optionally note a password to share separately with the recipient.
- 3
Download your prepared file. Use a desktop PDF tool for true encryption.
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Other tools you might find useful.
Protect PDF — Free Online Restricted Tag Tool
Mark any PDF as restricted in your browser. Honest, private, no uploads. For true password encryption, pair with a desktop PDF tool.
Skycally's Protect PDF tool prepares your document for sharing by writing restricted metadata into the file using pdf-lib. The file is processed entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded, nothing is logged, and nothing is stored on our side.
Browser-based PDF password encryption is unreliable across readers and isn't supported by the standard pdf-lib library. Rather than ship a fake padlock, we mark the file honestly and recommend a trusted desktop PDF application (Adobe Acrobat, PDF Expert, Foxit, qpdf) when you need true password-based encryption that prompts on open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this add a real password to the PDF?
No. It writes restricted metadata only. For real password encryption that prompts on open, use a desktop PDF tool such as Adobe Acrobat, PDF Expert, or qpdf.
Why not encrypt in the browser?
The pdf-lib library installed in the browser doesn't support PDF password encryption. We chose to be transparent rather than pretend.
Is my file uploaded to your servers?
No. Everything happens locally in your browser.
What can I do with the prepared file?
Share it as you would any PDF, and pair it with a desktop encryption tool when sending to recipients who need a password prompt.