BlackbarHow to check if a PDF is redacted properly
Open the PDF and try three things: drag to select across a black box, search for a word you hid, and copy and paste the page. If any of them shows the hidden words, they're still in the file.
- Stays on your device
- No account
- Nothing saved
Drag over what should be hidden, download, then run the three checks on the new file.
The three checks
- Select. Drag across the black box with the text tool. If text highlights, words are under it.
- Search. Press Ctrl+F, or Command+F on a Mac, and type a word you blacked out. A match means it's still in the file.
- Copy and paste. Select all with Ctrl+A or Command+A, copy, and paste into a plain text note. Read what comes out.
These checks catch the common slip: a black shape or highlight laid over text that's still in the file. They don't look at everything a PDF can carry, such as attachments or earlier versions saved inside it.
If your file fails a check, open the original here and box the parts again. The new file holds pictures of its pages, not text. Try it on the sample letter, then run the three checks on redacted.pdf before you send it.
Questions
The black box is there but I can still copy the text
Then the box was drawn on top of the words. Redact the original again here and check the new file.
Search finds nothing in my new file at all
That's expected for a Blackbar file: its pages are pictures, not text.
Can I check a file someone else redacted?
Yes. The three checks work on any PDF.
Does checking change the file?
No. Selecting, searching and copying don't change it.