Protect PDF
Add a password to your PDF so only people who know it can open the file. Type a password, protect, and download the encrypted copy. Free, no signup, and files are deleted after 2 hours.
Free
no account needed
Frankfurt
stored in the EU
2 hours
then files are deleted
Your files
Add them here, we do the rest
Drag and drop your files here, or import from:
Upload files up to 100 MB in PDF
Compress and merge your document before setting a password. An encrypted PDF cannot be processed further.
How does PDF password protection work?
The tool encrypts your PDF with the password you choose, using the PDF standard's built-in encryption. Anyone opening the file, in any reader, is asked for the password first; without it the content stays unreadable.
Upload your PDF
Drop in the PDF you want to protect.
Type a password
Keep it somewhere safe: it is not stored on our servers and cannot be recovered later.
Download the protected copy
Save the encrypted copy. To take the password off again, run it through Unlock PDF with the same password.
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Frequently asked questions
Still have questions? Contact support.
What kind of password does the tool set?
An open password, also called a user password. The PDF is encrypted so it cannot be opened or previewed without entering the password in any standards-compliant reader.
Can I remove the password later?
Yes. Run the protected file through our Unlock PDF tool and enter the same password; you get back an unprotected copy.
What happens if I forget the password?
The password is baked into the file's encryption and is never stored by us, so it cannot be recovered. Keep a copy in a password manager.
Are my file and password safe?
Yes. The upload travels over HTTPS, protection is applied automatically on the server, the password is used only to encrypt your file, and both the upload and the result are deleted after 2 hours.