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Metadata

How to remove metadata from a PDF

By DeckleUpdated

To remove metadata from a PDF, open Remove PDF metadata, choose your file, tick the items you want gone (or Select all) and choose Remove metadata. Deckle lists every property, XMP record, document ID and attachment it finds with its value, deletes only the ones you tick, and saves a copy with "(clean)" in its name. The original stays as it was.

Remove PDF metadata

Remove chosen fields, then compare the saved copy

Before

Record which properties are present

Selected changes

Choose the supported categories to remove

After

Inspect the actual downloaded file

Untouched fields and visible page content need separate review

Conceptual field comparison · removing selected metadata does not certify a document as private.

How to remove metadata from a PDF with Deckle

  1. Open Remove PDF metadata and choose your PDF, or drop it onto the page. Deckle scans it straight away.
  2. Read the list. Items are grouped under Document properties, XMP metadata, Document identifier and Embedded attachments, each with its current value.
  3. Tick each item you want removed. Its badge changes from Keep to Remove. To clear everything, tick Select all.
  4. Check the summary above the list, such as "4 to remove · 1 to keep".
  5. Choose Remove metadata. Until something is ticked, the button says "Select at least one item to remove."
  6. Download the cleaned copy and open its document properties to confirm the fields are gone.

The result screen states how many items were removed from the file. Before showing it, Deckle reopens the new file, checks that every item you ticked is gone and compares each rendered page with the original. The "Verified:" line ends with the count, such as "5 selected items removed".

Choose what to remove

Nothing is ticked at the start, so nothing is removed by accident. Go through the list with the reason you are sharing the file in mind.

Item Usually Why
Author Remove Often your full name or login, set by your word processor
Title Keep if it is correct Readers and search engines show it as the document name
Subject, Keywords Remove unless written for readers Often left over from a template
Creator, Producer Remove Name the apps and versions used to make the file
Creation and modification dates Remove when timing is sensitive Show when the document was drafted and last changed
XMP metadata Remove Repeats the fields above and can hold edit history
Document identifier Remove when copies should not be linked The same ID can tie a shared copy to an internal one
Embedded attachments Save first, then decide Removing them deletes the files from the copy

Example: a 9-page proposal exported from a word processor lists Author "J. Smith", Title "Proposal v7 FINAL", Creator "Microsoft Word", two dates, an XMP record and a document ID. Tick everything except the title, then fix the title in your source document next time.

Attachments need a deliberate choice

When you tick an attachment, a notice appears: "Attachments will be removed. Save any you need. The source PDF stays unchanged." Open the PDF's attachments panel in your reader and save anything you want to keep before you continue. How to remove attachments from a PDF covers this in detail.

Check the result

Open the "(clean)" copy, not the original, in any reader:

  • Adobe Acrobat. Choose Menu > Document properties on Windows or File > Document properties on a Mac, and look at the Description tab.
  • Preview on a Mac. Click the Info button in the toolbar to open the Inspector, and look at the General info inspector.
  • Deckle. Choose the cleaned copy in Remove PDF metadata again. The list shows only what is left.

Fields you removed should be empty or absent. If an Author still appears, see why the author name reappears in a PDF.

Tips

  • Remove metadata after your last edit. Saving the PDF in another app, merging it or exporting it again can add new properties.
  • Unlock first, protect last. Password-protected PDFs need unlocking before the scan; then lock the cleaned copy with Password protect PDF.
  • Use Undo and Redo while choosing. They step through your ticks, and Reset selection clears them.
  • Rename the file. The file name is not metadata, but it travels with the document.

Other ways to remove PDF metadata

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro. Edit or clear fields in Document properties, or use Sanitize document under All tools > Redact a PDF to remove metadata with other hidden information.
  • Microsoft Word on Windows. When you save as PDF, choose More Options > Options and clear Document properties. This only helps for PDFs you make yourself from Word.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove metadata without uploading the PDF?

Yes. Remove PDF metadata reads and rewrites the file in your browser. It is not uploaded.

Does it remove my name from the pages?

No. It removes the Author property only. A name typed in the text, a header or a signature block is page content and stays.

Why does Deckle say no supported metadata was found?

The file has none of the four kinds Deckle scans. The button stays disabled because there is nothing to remove. Page text, comments and form values are outside this scan.

Will removing metadata reduce the file size?

Slightly at most, unless you remove a large attachment.

Can I clean several PDFs at once?

No. Each run takes one file.

Related tools

Sources