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Add password protection and permission controls to your PDF files. AES-256 encryption applied locally — no server upload.
Password-protect your PDF
PDF files only · up to 100 MB
Add password protection and AES-256 encryption to PDF files online for free. Set an owner password, restrict printing, copying, and editing, and choose your encryption strength — all processing runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded to any server.
Upload the PDF you want to secure — drag and drop or click Choose PDF File.
Set a password and confirm it in the sidebar. Use a strong combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
Configure permission controls to allow or restrict printing, copying, annotations, and editing.
Click Protect PDF to encrypt locally in your browser, then download the secured document.
AES-256 or RC4-128 encryption — processed entirely in your browser without any server upload
Fine-grained permission controls: independently restrict printing, copying, annotations, and editing
Protected PDFs open in any standard viewer — Adobe Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, and Edge
Ideal for contracts, confidential reports, HR documents, financial records, and legal files
Password-protect confidential contracts before emailing
Restrict printing on a PDF certificate or template
Lock down HR or payroll documents before sharing
Prevent copying of proprietary content in a report
Secure legal or medical documents with encryption
Protect exam papers or answer sheets before distribution
Your privacy is protected
Encryption runs entirely in your browser using @pdfsmaller/pdf-encrypt. Your PDF and password are never transmitted to any server. When you close the tab, all data is gone.
Our security framework applies industry standard 128-bit AES encryption protocols directly to the output binary stream, restricting permissions for viewing, printing, or copying text elements globally.
No. Password protection secures the file container by encrypting its internal dictionary structure, leaving your layout, vector artwork, and embedded text layers completely unchanged.
Yes. You can configure custom user permission flags to prevent unauthorized text extraction and printing, while leaving the document accessible for viewing without a password.
No. The encryption process runs locally inside your browser session using WebAssembly scripts. Your password never leaves your device and is never stored on an external server.
Yes. If you have the current owner password, you can load the file, decrypt the stream, and apply completely new permission settings.
Yes. The encryption uses standard PDF specification protocols, ensuring it is recognized correctly across apps like Adobe Reader, Apple Preview, and browsers.
A User Password restricts access to opening and viewing the file, while an Owner Password secures permissions like printing and editing.
No. Because our toolkit is serverless and never uploads or stores your passwords, we cannot recover or trace forgotten keys.
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