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Protect PDF with a Password

Add a password to a PDF with AES-256 encryption. The file cannot be opened, printed or copied from without the password.

Select PDF file

or drop it here

  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Up to 100 MB
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About this tool

About Protect PDF with a Password

Protect PDF adds a password to a PDF so only people who know it can open the file. Upload a PDF of up to 100 MB, type a password, and our server encrypts the document with AES-256, the strongest encryption the PDF format supports, using PyMuPDF. The same password is required to open the file and to change its security settings. Once protected, the PDF cannot be read at all without the password: its content is encrypted, not just hidden behind a prompt. That makes it a sensible step before emailing payslips, contracts, medical reports, tax documents or anything else you would not want read by the wrong person if a message is forwarded or an attachment is left on a shared computer. Choose a strong password and share it through a different channel from the file, for example by phone or text message rather than in the same email. The file is sent over HTTPS, encrypted, returned to your browser and deleted from the server straight away.

Protect PDF with a Password tool

When to password-protect a PDF

Keep sensitive documents private

Payslips and tax documents

Send salary and tax information safely by email.

ExampleAn employer encrypts each payslip before emailing it, and shares the password in person.

Contracts and agreements

Share drafts only with the people meant to read them.

ExampleA confidential agreement is protected before being sent to the other party.

Medical reports

Protect health information sent to family or specialists.

ExampleA test report is protected before being emailed to a relative abroad.

ID documents

Protect scans of passports and ID cards sent for verification.

ExampleA passport scan is encrypted before being emailed to a travel agent.

Business reports

Keep financial or strategy documents private.

ExampleA board report is protected before being shared with directors.

Stored backups

Add a layer of protection to documents kept in cloud storage.

ExampleScanned tax returns are protected before being uploaded to a shared drive.

Tips for secure PDF passwords

Protection is only as strong as the password

Use a long, random password

Short or common passwords can be guessed by software. Generate a strong one instead.

Open Password Generator

Send the password separately

Never put the password in the same email as the file. Use a phone call, text message or a different app.

Do not lose the password

Without it, the PDF cannot be opened, by you or anyone else. Store it in a password manager.

Remove sensitive text first

If some details should never be seen, redact them before protecting the file.

Open Redact PDF

Compress before protecting

Compress large files first; encrypted files cannot be compressed further by most tools.

Open Compress PDF

Need to remove it later?

If you know the password, you can remove protection again with Unlock PDF.

Open Unlock PDF

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