Protect PDF
Password-protect sensitive PDFs before you send them, and decide whether people can print, copy or change them.
- Files never leave your device
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- No watermark
- Works offline after first load
or drag & drop PDFs here — several at once
How to password-protect a PDF
- Select or drop one or more PDFs.
- Type the password needed to open them (or tap Suggest a strong password), and choose whether printing, changes and copying are allowed.
- Click Protect PDF and download the protected files, one by one or as a .zip.
About Protect PDF
Lock a PDF so only people with the password can open it — and decide what they may do once it’s open. Choose whether printing is allowed (or low quality only), whether the document can be changed (or only commented on, filled in or rearranged), and whether text and images can be copied. A separate permissions password keeps those settings in place.
Files are encrypted with AES 256-bit by default, with AES-128 and RC4 available for older readers. The document itself isn’t touched, so text, links, bookmarks and forms stay exactly as they were. Protect many files at once, check your password with the strength meter or let the tool suggest one — all in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
Good for
- Sending payslips, statements or medical records by email
- Sharing contracts that only the recipient should open
- Stopping a document from being printed, copied or edited
Tip: Keep the password somewhere safe — it can’t be recovered from the protected file.
Frequently asked questions
How secure is the protection?
By default the PDF is encrypted with AES 256-bit — the strongest standard PDF encryption, used by Adobe Acrobat and PDF 2.0. Without the password the contents can’t be read. Use a long password: the strength meter shows how good it is, and the tool can suggest a strong one.
Will my PDF still look the same?
Yes. The file is encrypted, not converted — text stays selectable and searchable, and images, fonts, links, bookmarks and form fields are kept exactly as they were.
Can I stop people printing, copying or editing?
Yes. Choose whether printing is allowed (or low quality only), whether changes are allowed (or only comments, form filling or page changes), and whether text and images can be copied. A separate permissions password protects these settings.
Can I restrict a PDF without an open password?
Yes. Untick “Require a password to open” — the file then opens normally for everyone, but printing, copying or editing are limited as you chose.
Can I protect several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like; they all get the same password and permissions, and you can download them one by one or as a ZIP.
What if I forget the password?
It can’t be recovered from the protected file, so keep it somewhere safe — or keep an unprotected copy of the original.
Is my PDF or password uploaded?
No. Encryption happens entirely in your browser with a built-in PDF engine — neither the file nor the password ever leaves your device.