How to scrub all metadata from a pdf before public release
- Step 1Upload the pre-publication PDF — Drop the document into the metadata scrubber.
- Step 2Select all metadata fields — Enable all fields for removal — Author, Creator, Producer, Dates, Subject, Keywords, XMP.
- Step 3Scrub all metadata — Process the document to clear every metadata field.
- Step 4Verify before publishing — Check Document Properties in your PDF viewer to confirm all fields are blank.
Frequently asked questions
What metadata do government publications typically need to strip?+
Author, Last Modified By, Creator application, Producer, and all dates. XMP streams should also be fully cleared.
Does scrubbing affect the document's appearance?+
No — metadata is invisible to readers. Scrubbing removes only the document property fields.
Can I verify there is no remaining metadata?+
Use Adobe Acrobat's Document Properties > Custom tab and the PDF Inspect function to verify. Third-party tools like ExifTool can also audit PDF metadata.
Privacy first
All PDF processing runs locally in your browser using PDF-lib and pdf.js. No file is ever uploaded — only metadata counters are saved for signed-in dashboard stats.