Every PDF carries hidden information beyond its visible pages: the author's name, the software that created it, when it was made, and any keywords attached to it. This is metadata. When you create a PDF with Word, Canva, Adobe Acrobat, or an AI tool, those applications write their names into the file. Sharing the PDF shares that information too.
Removing metadata strips those hidden fields before you share the file. The pages, text, and images stay exactly as they are. Only the invisible data dictionary is cleared.
Metadata removal is often done precisely because you want to protect something sensitive. The last thing you want is to upload the document to a server to do it. Everything here runs in your browser with pdf-lib, so the file and every piece of information it contains stays on your own device.
No. The text, images, and layout of every page stay exactly as they were. Only the hidden info dictionary fields are cleared.
Title, author, subject, keywords, creator application, producer, creation date, and modification date. These are the standard fields most software writes automatically.
Yes. The file is processed entirely in your browser and never sent to a server.