PDF Metadata Tools
Inspect hidden document properties, edit the fields you want to keep, or remove common metadata before sharing a PDF.
PDF Metadata Viewer
Inspect document properties, common XMP fields, PDF version, security flags, signature structures, fonts, image objects, and PDF/A declarations.
Edit PDF Metadata
Change Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, timestamps, and supported custom Info fields.
Remove PDF Metadata
Remove common document metadata, custom Info fields, XMP and PieceInfo references, document IDs, and page-thumbnail references before sharing.
Which tool should I use?
Start with the viewer when you are not sure what is inside the file.
Understand what the fields actually mean
Practical explanations based on PDF specifications, industry documentation, and the same structures Lyonite inspects in the browser.
What is PDF metadata?
The fields every PDF carries — title, author, dates, the software that made it — and which of them travel with a file you share.
Read guideCreator vs Producer
Two fields that look interchangeable and are not. Creator names the program you wrote in; Producer names the one that wrote the PDF.
Read guideCan a PDF reveal its author?
What a document actually gives away about who made it, why it is weaker evidence than people assume, and how to strip it before sharing.
Read guideA free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Sanitize
What a browser tool measurably removes, set against what Adobe documents Sanitize Document as doing — and the four things Acrobat does that it does not attempt.
Read guideUnderstanding PDF metadata
A PDF can contain descriptive metadata in its Document Information dictionary, an XMP metadata stream, or both. It can also contain structural information such as the PDF version, page count, forms, fonts, image objects, signature fields, and security settings.
Document Information
Common properties such as Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, and creation or modification dates.
XMP & identifiers
XML-based metadata that may contain overlapping descriptive fields, document IDs, instance IDs, language information, metadata dates, and PDF/A declarations.
Metadata is useful evidence about a file, but most metadata fields are editable. Treat values such as Author, Creator, Producer, and timestamps as context rather than proof of authorship, authenticity, or chronology.
Why local processing matters
Lyonite's metadata tools run the document operation in your browser, so the PDF does not need to be uploaded to Lyonite for metadata inspection, editing, or cleaning.
Server-based workflow
A server-based tool has to receive the document before it can process the file remotely. Privacy then depends on that provider's transmission, retention, and security practices.
Lyonite metadata workflow
- PDF processing happens locally in your browser.
- No PDF upload is required for the metadata operation.
- Related Inspect, Edit, and Clean modes share one loaded-file workflow.
PDF metadata questions
Does Lyonite upload my PDF for metadata processing?
No. These metadata workflows process the PDF locally in your browser instead of uploading the document to Lyonite for processing.
Should I view metadata before editing or removing it?
Usually, yes. Inspecting first shows what information is present and helps you decide whether to keep, change, or remove specific fields.
Does removing metadata make a PDF anonymous?
No. Metadata cleaning is one privacy step. Visible text, annotations, form values, attachments, embedded files, images, and other content can still identify a person or organization.