Guides · Updated August 2026
How to Remove Metadata from a PDF
Every PDF quietly records who made it, with what software, and when — in two places: the info dictionary and an XML block called XMP that most cleaning tools forget. If you're sharing a document anonymously, submitting a review, or sending a file that shouldn't advertise your toolchain, the metadata is the part you can't see and the recipient can.
Step by step
- Open the metadata tool and choose the PDF — the current fields load into a form so you can see exactly what the file reveals.
- To change the record: edit title, author, subject and keywords, and save.
- To erase it: press “Strip everything” — all info fields blank, timestamps zeroed, and the XMP stream removed.
- Download the clean copy; the original on disk is untouched.
Tips that save a retry
- Check metadata on files you RECEIVE too — the form shows it instantly without editing anything.
- Metadata inside embedded photos (EXIF) is separate; document-level scrubbing removes authorship, which is what usually matters.
- Set a proper title before publishing a PDF — it's what shows in browser tabs and search results.
Questions
What's XMP and why do other cleaners miss it?
XMP is a second, XML-based metadata block embedded in the file — richer than the info fields and easy to overlook. Stripping here removes both.
Is the file uploaded to read its metadata?
No — a privacy tool that uploaded your files would be absurd. Everything runs in your browser.