Remove PDF Metadata
Remove common document metadata and download a cleaned copy. Processing stays in your browser.
How to remove metadata from a PDF
Open your PDF
Drag and drop or browse for your file. Processing happens locally in your browser.
Select Remove tab
Switch to Remove to create a copy with common document metadata stripped.
Download cleaned PDF
Click Clean & Download. Lyonite rewrites the PDF and downloads the cleaned copy.
Why remove PDF metadata?
PDF metadata can reveal names, timestamps, software used to create the document, custom organization properties, and document identifiers that are not obvious from the visible pages.
Cleaning common document metadata before sharing a PDF can reduce accidental disclosure, especially when the file is leaving your team or organization.
What Lyonite targets
- Document Info: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, dates, Trapped, and custom Info fields.
- XMP References: Document-level and page-level XMP metadata references handled by the PDF structure.
- Application Data: Document-level and page-level PieceInfo references and page LastModified entries.
- Document ID: The PDF trailer ID is removed from the cleaned copy.
- Page Thumbnails: Optional page thumbnail references are removed.
Who may find this useful?
Legal & business teams
Remove author names, timestamps, software identifiers, and custom document properties before external distribution when those details are unnecessary.
Journalists & researchers
Reduce metadata-based disclosure of creator names, tools, timestamps, and document identifiers before sharing files.
Anyone sharing sensitive files
Use metadata cleaning as one privacy step before sending proposals, reports, forms, or other documents outside your organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What metadata gets removed?
Lyonite removes the complete PDF Document Information dictionary, including standard and custom Info properties. It also removes document-level and page-level XMP and PieceInfo references, the trailer document ID, page LastModified entries, and optional page thumbnail references.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The metadata remover runs in your browser. Your PDF is processed locally on your device rather than uploaded to Lyonite for processing.
Will my PDF content change?
The tool is designed to preserve visible page content and layout while rewriting the metadata structures it targets. Because a new PDF file is serialized, you should verify complex documents after cleaning, and any existing digital signature will no longer validate.
What if my PDF has a digital signature?
Saving a cleaned copy rewrites the PDF, so an existing digital signature will no longer validate. A signature field may still be present in the rewritten document, but it cannot remain a valid signature of the original bytes.
If you need to preserve a valid digital signature, do not edit or clean that signed file. Work from an unsigned copy instead.
Does this remove every possible identifying trace?
No. PDFs can contain identifying information in visible page content, annotations, comments, form values, attachments, embedded files, images, or other application-specific objects. Lyonite removes common document metadata; it is not a forensic-anonymization guarantee.
Can I clean an encrypted or password-protected PDF?
Not in the current metadata workflow. Lyonite blocks encrypted PDFs because the PDF engine used for editing does not decrypt them safely. Remove the password or encryption from a file you are authorized to access, then clean the decrypted copy.
Legal & Ethical Use
This tool is designed for legitimate privacy protection. Please review our Terms of Service. Do not use it for illegal purposes. Removing document metadata does not erase visible content or guarantee anonymity against forensic analysis.