Metadata
PDF metadata: view and remove what a PDF says about itself
By DeckleUpdated
PDF metadata is the information stored with a file rather than printed on its pages: title, author, subject, keywords, the app that made it, creation and modification dates, an XMP record, a document ID and any attached files. To see and remove it, open Remove PDF metadata, tick the items you want gone and choose Remove metadata. Deckle saves a cleaned copy in your browser and leaves the original as it was.
Three different privacy tasks
Password
Controls access
Metadata
Document properties
Redaction
Selected page content
Choose the change; inspect the saved copy
Find the right guide
| You want to | Read |
|---|---|
| Remove author, title, dates and other properties | How to remove metadata from a PDF |
| See what a PDF says about itself before you send it | How to view the metadata of a PDF |
| Take your name out of a PDF's properties | How to remove the author name from a PDF |
| Delete files embedded inside a PDF | How to remove attachments from a PDF |
| Prepare a PDF for a website or public upload | How to clean a PDF before you publish it online |
| Learn what each metadata field means | PDF metadata fields explained |
| Fix an author name that came back | Why the author name reappears in a PDF |
| Find information that remains after removal | Why PDF information is still visible after removing metadata |
| Compare metadata removal with full sanitising | Metadata removal vs PDF sanitisation |
| Decide between metadata removal and redaction | Metadata removal vs redaction |
What Remove PDF metadata finds
Deckle scans four kinds of metadata and lists every item it finds with its current value.
| Group on screen | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Document properties | The eight Info fields: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, creation date and modification date |
| XMP metadata | An XML record many editors write alongside the Info fields, often repeating the author, the app and edit history |
| Document identifier | The file ID in the PDF trailer, which can link copies of the same document |
| Embedded attachments | Files stored inside the PDF, such as a spreadsheet behind a report |
Nothing is ticked at the start. Each item shows Keep or Remove, and the summary above the list reads, for example, "3 to remove · 2 to keep".
What it does not touch
Metadata is not page content. A name in a footer, a signature block, a date in the letterhead or a comment on page 4 stays where it is. The scan also skips form field values and hidden layers, and custom properties some apps add to the document properties, such as a Company field, are not listed. The empty state says this directly: "This tool scans metadata, not page text."
For anything visible on the page, the content itself has to be removed, which is a redaction job. See metadata removal vs redaction.
What the cleaned copy contains
- One PDF named after the original with "(clean)" added.
- The ticked items are deleted, not blanked, so an empty Author field does not hint that one existed.
- Pages, page sizes, text and appearance are unchanged, and Deckle does not write its own name into the Producer field.
- Items you left unticked stay exactly as they were.
The result screen states how many items were removed. Before it appears, Deckle reopens the new file, checks that every item you ticked is gone and compares each page with the original.
Tips
- Clean last. Every app that saves a PDF can add new properties, so remove metadata after your final edit.
- Clean before you protect. A password-protected PDF has to be unlocked first, so run Remove PDF metadata, then Password protect PDF.
- Save attachments you need before removing them. Removed attachments are not in the new copy.
- Check the file name. A name such as
draft-v3-jsmith.pdfgives away as much as the Author field.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PDF uploaded to remove metadata?
No. The file is read and rewritten in your browser and is not uploaded.
Can I keep some metadata and remove the rest?
Yes. Each item has its own tickbox. Only the items you tick are removed; a public title, for example, can stay.
Why is the button disabled?
Until you tick at least one item it reads "Select at least one item to remove." If the scan finds nothing supported, it says "No supported metadata to remove."
Does removing metadata change how the PDF looks?
No. Pages are copied unchanged, and Deckle compares the rendered pages with the original after saving.
Related tools
- Remove PDF metadata to view and remove document properties, XMP, the document ID and attachments
- Password protect PDF to lock the cleaned copy
- Unlock PDF to open a protected file before cleaning it