Add password and permissions. Everything runs locally in your browser — your files are never uploaded to a server, no registration is required, and the tool is completely free.
How to Protect PDF
Upload the PDF you want to lock with a password.
Choose the password that will be required to open the document, and store it somewhere safe before you continue.
Set the permissions you want to grant: printing, copying text, editing content, and adding comments.
Click "Protect" and download the encrypted PDF — the encryption happens in your browser, so neither the file nor the password is ever sent anywhere.
Features
AES-256 Encryption: The document is encrypted with AES-256, the standard used for confidential business and government files. Without the password, the contents cannot be read at all.
Granular Permission Flags: Allow or deny printing, text copying, content editing, and commenting independently, so recipients can read a document without being able to reuse or alter it.
The Password Stays on Your Device: Encryption runs in your browser, so the password you type is used locally and then discarded. No server ever receives it, and neither do we.
Reversible With Unlock PDF: When the protection is no longer needed, run the file through the Unlock PDF tool with the same password to strip the encryption back off.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I forget the password?
The document becomes unopenable, permanently. There is no recovery, no reset link, and no backdoor — the password is never sent to us, so we cannot recover it either, and nobody else can open the file without it. Save it in a password manager before you share the PDF.
How strong is the encryption?
AES-256 is a modern, widely trusted cipher with no practical brute-force attack against a strong password. The real weak point is the password itself, so use a long, unique one rather than a short word.
Are the permissions unbreakable?
No, and it is worth being clear about this. Permissions are flags recorded inside the PDF and honoured by the application that opens it. Mainstream readers respect them, but they are a policy signal rather than cryptography, and other software can choose to ignore them. Only the open password is genuinely enforced by encryption.
Can I remove the password later?
Yes, as long as you still know it. The Unlock PDF tool decrypts a protected file when you supply the correct password and gives you back an unprotected copy.
Is my document uploaded while it is encrypted?
No. Both the document and the password stay in your browser memory for the whole operation — nothing about a file you are trying to keep private is transmitted over the network.