Clean PDF – remove comments, links, forms, attachments and scripts

How it works

1. Drop one or more PDF files.
2. Tick the parts to remove – bookmarks are off by default, because they are usually useful.
3. Download the cleaned PDF.

Works well for

• Sending a final version: review comments, highlights and sticky notes are gone and the form values are fixed on the page.
• Safer files: embedded attachments and JavaScript actions are removed before you pass a PDF on.
• Privacy: author, software and dates in the metadata and XMP disappear in the same step.
• Batches: with a free account 5 PDFs at once, with Pro 50 – or automated through the HTTP API.

Limitations

• Nothing is removed from the page content itself – text, images and highlights that were already printed into the page stay.
• If a form cannot be flattened (missing field appearances, unusual fields), its fields are removed and their values disappear from the page.
• Password-protected (encrypted) PDFs are refused – remove the password first.
• A digital signature is no longer valid after the file has been changed.

Frequently asked questions

What can I remove with Clean PDF?

Annotations (comments, highlights, notes, stamps, drawings), links, form fields, attachments, JavaScript and automatic actions, bookmarks, metadata (document properties, XMP, document ID) and page thumbnails. Each part also has its own page with details.

What happens to filled-in form fields?

They are flattened: the values stay visible as normal page content, but the fields can no longer be edited. Only when flattening fails are the fields dropped without their values.

Does the PDF look different afterwards?

Only the removed parts disappear. Pages are not re-rendered, text stays selectable and images are not recompressed. Data that nothing uses any more is dropped, so the file is often smaller.

Is the PDF uploaded?

No. It is processed in your browser and stays on your device. Only the paid HTTP API for Pro users processes files on our server.