Add a password to a PDF

Type a password and save a copy of the PDF that asks for it before it opens. Pages, bookmarks and form fields stay as they are, and confidential files never go to an outside server.

or drop it here

Files are processed on your device and never sent to an outside server.

How to use

  1. Click “Choose file” or drop your PDF onto the box.
  2. Type the password twice. Keep a note of it: without it the PDF cannot be opened.
  3. Press “Add password and save” and download the PDF, which now asks for the password. Everything happens on your device.

Frequently asked questions

Is my password or PDF sent anywhere?

No. The PDF is encrypted in your browser, and neither the PDF nor the password is sent to a server. The password is not recorded in analytics, in the address of the page or in the browser’s storage, and it is cleared once the PDF is saved.

What if I forget the password?

Then the PDF cannot be opened, not even on this site: there is no way to recover it. Keep a note of the password, and send it to the recipient separately from the PDF. Unlock PDF on this site removes a password only when you know it.

How is the PDF encrypted, and will it open everywhere?

With AES-256, the strongest encryption PDFs have. Adobe Acrobat and Reader 9 or later, browsers such as Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and the readers built into macOS, iPhone and Android open it with the password. Some very old PDF readers cannot. A PDF/A file is no longer PDF/A once encrypted.

Can I only block printing or copying instead?

This tool does not offer that. Such restrictions are only a request to the reader app: many apps ignore them, and anyone who can open the PDF can still read it. The password asked when opening the PDF is what keeps it from people who do not know the password.

Are my files uploaded to an outside server?

No. Everything runs in your browser, so your files never leave your device. The page only downloads the tool's own code when you add the first file.

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