Remove PDF Metadata

Remove author, title, dates, XMP data, the document ID and embedded attachments from a PDF, choosing each item yourself.

How to remove metadata from a PDF

Choose the PDF. Deckle scans it and lists every metadata item it finds, with its current value.
Tick the items you want removed, or use Select all. Nothing is ticked at the start.
Press Remove metadata.
Wait for the check to finish, then download the cleaned copy.

Options

Document properties: The eight Info fields: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, creation date and modification date. Each one found is listed separately with its value.
XMP metadata: The XML metadata stream many editors write alongside the Info fields. It often repeats the author, the editing application and edit history.
Document identifier: The file ID in the PDF trailer. It can link copies of the same document to each other.
Embedded attachments: Files stored inside the PDF. A warning appears when you tick them, because removed attachments are not recoverable from the new copy.
Select all, Undo, Redo and Reset: Select all ticks every item found. Undo and Redo step through your ticks, and Reset selection clears them.

What you get

One PDF named after the original with "(clean)" added.
The ticked items are deleted, not blanked. An empty Author field would still show that one existed.
Pages, page sizes, text and appearance are unchanged. Deckle does not write its own name into the Producer field.
Items you left unticked stay exactly as they were.

Limits

One PDF at a time.
Password-protected PDFs need unlocking first. Use Unlock PDF, then remove metadata from the unlocked copy.
Only the four kinds of metadata listed above are scanned. Names, dates or signatures printed on the pages are page content and are not touched.
Comments, form field values and hidden layers are not part of this scan. Use Redact PDF or Flatten PDF for page content and form values.
If the scan finds nothing supported, the button stays disabled.

Check the result

Open the download in a PDF reader and look at its document properties: the fields you ticked should be gone. Check any attachments panel separately. Deckle also checks that the removed items cannot be found anywhere in the new file and that every page still looks the same.

Questions

What is PDF metadata?

Information stored with the file rather than on the pages: who wrote it, which application made it, when it was created and changed, and sometimes attached files. Readers show it under document properties.

Can I remove metadata without uploading the PDF?

Yes. The file is read and rewritten in your browser and is not uploaded.

Does this remove the author's name from the text of the document?

No. It removes the Author property only. A name typed on a page, in a header or in a signature block stays. Use Redact PDF to remove it from the page.

Why is nothing selected by default?

Some items, such as attachments, are content you may need. You choose each removal, so nothing goes without a tick.

Will removing metadata change how the PDF looks?

No. Pages are copied unchanged. After saving, Deckle compares the rendered pages with the original and checks the page count, page sizes and text.

Can I keep some metadata and remove the rest?

Yes. Each item is listed on its own, marked Keep or Remove. Only the items you tick are removed.

Is the original file changed?

No. Deckle saves a new copy. The original stays as it was.