How to View and Remove PDF Metadata Before You Share
By Tools Star Hub Editorial Team · Published
Quick answer: open PDF Metadata, add a PDF (up to 80 pages and 20 MB), and the tool lists its Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Creation date and Modification date. Press Remove metadata to build a copy with Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator and Producer cleared, then download it as yourfile-cleaned.pdf. Your original file is not changed, and nothing is uploaded.
Metadata travels with a PDF wherever it goes. It can reveal the name on the computer that made the file, the company it came from, a draft title or the software used. Checking and clearing these fields before you send a CV, a quote or a public document avoids sharing details you never meant to include.
What is PDF metadata?
Metadata is information about a document rather than in it. PDFs keep a set of standard properties, often called the document Info fields, that PDF readers show under Document Properties. They are filled in automatically by the app that created or last saved the file, and sometimes by the author.
These fields are useful for search engines and document libraries, but they are easy to forget. A file exported from a template may still carry the template author's name, or a title from a different project.
Which fields does the tool show?
After loading, the tool lists the file name, size and page count, followed by eight fields. Empty fields are shown as a dash.
| Field | What it usually contains |
|---|---|
| Title | A document title, sometimes an old file name |
| Author | The person or account that created the file |
| Subject | A short description |
| Keywords | Search terms set by the author |
| Creator | The app the document was written in |
| Producer | The software that produced the PDF |
| Creation date | When the PDF was first created |
| Modification date | When it was last changed |
Dates are shown in a standard international format in UTC, for example 2026-03-14T09:30:00.000Z, so they read the same wherever you are.
What does Remove metadata change?
Removing metadata builds a fresh PDF, copies every page into it, and sets Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator and Producer to empty. You then download that copy as the original name with -cleaned added, so report.pdf becomes report-cleaned.pdf.
Because the copy is a new document, its creation and modification dates reflect when the cleaned file was made rather than the original dates. The pages themselves, including text, images and layout, are the same as in the original.
Does removing metadata make a PDF anonymous?
No, and it is important to be clear about that. Clearing the standard Info fields removes the most common identifying details, but this is not a forensic sanitiser. Page content can still contain names in headers, footers or signatures. Annotations, comments, embedded files and images can carry their own information, and photos inside a PDF can have their own camera data.
For documents where anonymity really matters, such as whistleblowing or legal disclosures, use specialist redaction and sanitisation software and have someone review the result.
When should I check PDF metadata?
Before sending a CV or cover letter, check the Author field so it shows your name, not a previous employer or a shared computer account. Before publishing a report or white paper, make sure the Title is right, since search engines and browsers may show it as the document's name.
Before sending a quote or contract made from a template, check Title and Subject for details of a previous client. Freelancers and agencies often find old client names in these fields.
Does PDF metadata matter for search engines?
Search engines can index PDFs, and some use the Title field when showing a result. A clear, accurate title helps people recognise the document. If you want a good title in a public PDF, set it in the app that creates the file, since this tool reads and clears fields but does not edit them.
What are the limits and errors?
The tool opens PDFs with up to 80 pages and up to 20 MB. Password-protected files cannot be opened and show a message asking you to unlock them first. A file with no Info fields at all shows a note that no standard fields were found, which is common for PDFs made by some online converters.
How does this fit with other PDF steps?
Clear metadata as the last step, after merging, splitting or compressing, because other tools may write their own Producer value into the files they create. Then open the cleaned copy once more in the tool to confirm the fields are empty.
If you also need the file smaller, compress first with the PDF Compressor and clean the result. To check how many pages you are sending, the page count appears as soon as the file loads.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The fields are read in your browser tab and the cleaned copy is built there too. The PDF is not sent to Tools Star Hub.
Where does PDF metadata come from?
Most metadata is written automatically. A word processor typically puts the name from its account or licence into Author, the document's title or first heading into Title, and its own name into Creator. The software that turns the document into a PDF records itself as Producer, and both dates are stamped when the file is made or saved.
Some fields are filled in by people. Document Properties dialogs in office apps let authors type a subject and keywords, which then travel into the PDF. Templates and copied files pass these values along, which is how old names and titles end up in new documents.
How do I confirm the cleaning worked?
Load the downloaded -cleaned.pdf back into the tool. Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator and Producer should now show as dashes, while the page count matches the original. The dates will show the time the cleaned copy was created. Opening Document Properties in your usual PDF reader is a second check, since it reads the same fields.
Can I clean several PDFs at once?
The tool works on one file at a time. For a handful of files, load each one, remove metadata and download the cleaned copy before moving to the next. Reset clears the current file so you can start fresh. If you are merging the files anyway, merge first and clean the single merged PDF once.
How to view and remove PDF metadata
- Add a PDF. Choose a file of up to 80 pages and 20 MB. Its fields appear straight away.
- Review the fields. Check Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer and the two dates.
- Remove metadata. Press Remove metadata to build a copy with the text fields cleared.
- Download and check. Download yourfile-cleaned.pdf, then load it again to confirm the fields are empty.
Example
A CV with the wrong author
A CV made on a work laptop shows the company's IT account as Author. The cleaned copy has no Author, so the employer's name is no longer attached to the file.
A quote made from a template
The Title field still reads “Proposal for Previous Client Ltd”. Removing metadata clears it before the quote goes to a new client.
A public report
Before publishing, the team checks that Producer and Creator show nothing internal, then uploads the cleaned file.
Tips and limitations
View and clear only
Fields can be read and cleared, not edited.
New dates
The cleaned copy carries dates from when it was made.
Not anonymous
Page content, annotations and embedded files are not cleaned.
Original unchanged
A separate -cleaned.pdf copy is downloaded.
FAQ
- What metadata does a PDF contain?
- Standard Info fields such as Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Creation date and Modification date.
- Which fields does Remove metadata clear?
- Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator and Producer are set to empty in the downloaded copy.
- Why does the cleaned PDF have new dates?
- The copy is built as a new document, so its dates show when the cleaned file was made.
- Can I edit the title or author instead of clearing them?
- No. The tool reads and clears fields. Set a new title in the app that creates the PDF.
- Does it change the pages?
- No. Every page is copied as it is, with the same text, images and layout.
- Will this make my PDF completely anonymous?
- No. Names in the page content, annotations, embedded files and images are not removed. It is not a forensic sanitiser.
- What is the cleaned file called?
- Your original name with -cleaned added, for example report-cleaned.pdf.
- Why are the dates shown with a Z at the end?
- Dates are shown in UTC in a standard international format. The Z means UTC.
- Can I check a password-protected PDF?
- No. Protected files cannot be opened. Unlock a file you own first.
- Is my document uploaded to read its metadata?
- No. Everything happens in your browser and the file stays on your device.
- Can removed metadata be recovered later?
- A cleaned download should omit the cleared fields; keep the original if you still need them.
- Do embedded file attachments count as metadata?
- Attachments are separate payloads—removing document info fields may not strip embedded files.
- Will XMP packets always clear with basic cleanup?
- Many cleaners target common info dictionaries; stubborn XMP may need a stricter tool.
- Should legal exhibits keep author fields?
- Follow counsel guidance—some filings want identifiable authorship, others prefer minimal properties.
- Does cleaning metadata flatten form fields?
- Info cleanup should not flatten forms; page content stays unless you run other tools.
- Can phone-scan apps add hidden GPS tags?
- Images inside PDFs may carry EXIF; document properties and image EXIF are different layers.
- Why might Preview and Acrobat show different fields?
- Viewers surface different property panels; compare Producer, Creator, and custom keys carefully.
- Is batch cleaning many PDFs supported?
- This flow is one file at a time; script a desktop tool when you need hundreds of cleans.
- Do digital signatures conflict with metadata edits?
- Changing the file after signing usually invalidates the signature—clean before signing.
- Should invoices keep title metadata for search?
- Helpful titles improve desktop search; strip only sensitive custom fields you do not need.
Check your file with the free PDF Metadata tool.
Shrink the file first with the PDF Compressor.
Count pages with the PDF Page Counter.