Protect PDF
Add a password to a PDF and choose exactly what readers may do with it — printing, copying, editing, form filling and more. Encrypted with AES-256 inside your browser, so the file and the password never leave your device.
Drop your PDF here
or browse from your device
PDF only · up to 30 files · max 100 MB each
How to password protect a PDF
Add your PDFs
Drag in one or several files, or click to browse. Already-protected PDFs can be added too — enter the current password and the tool will replace it with the new one.
Set a password
Type the password readers will need to open the file, then confirm it. Choose something you will not lose: there is no recovery, by design.
Choose what readers may do
Allow or block printing, copying, editing, annotating, form filling and page insertion. Screen reader access is left on by default so the file stays accessible.
Protect and download
Press Protect PDF. The file is encrypted with AES-256 in your browser and downloads immediately — one PDF on its own, or several as a ZIP.
Open password or owner password?
PDF has two separate passwords and they do different jobs. Knowing which you need saves protecting a file the wrong way.
| What you want | What to set |
|---|---|
| Nobody can open it without the password | Set the open password |
| Anyone can read it, but not print or copy it | Leave the open password blank, set an owner password and turn off those permissions |
| Different passwords for reading and editing | Set both, using different values |
| Change the password on a protected file | Add it, unlock it, then set the new password |
| Stop copy and paste of the text | Turn off Copying text and images |
| Allow printing but only a low-quality copy | Keep Printing on and turn off High-resolution printing |
Frequently asked questions
What encryption does this use?
AES-256, the strongest the PDF specification defines and the only one ISO 32000-2 recommends. The older RC4 ciphers that PDF still permits are broken and are deliberately not offered here.
What is the difference between the open password and the owner password?
The open password is needed to view the document at all. The owner password is needed to change its permissions. If you set only an owner password, the file opens freely for everyone but readers are restricted from whatever you switched off.
Can you recover my password if I forget it?
No, and neither can anyone else. The password is never sent to us or stored anywhere — it exists only in your browser while the file is being encrypted. Keep a copy somewhere safe before you protect an important document.
Are permission settings actually enforced?
They are honoured by well-behaved PDF readers such as Acrobat, Preview and Chrome. They are a request rather than a lock, and a determined reader can ignore them — that is a property of the PDF format itself, not of this tool. Only the open password genuinely keeps a document closed.
Can I protect several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add up to 30 files and they all get the same password and permissions, then download together as a ZIP.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The document and the password stay in your browser from start to finish. Nothing is transmitted, which is exactly what you want from a tool you are trusting with a confidential file.