Add password protection to PDF files
Protect PDF
Add password protection to PDF files
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Anyone opening this PDF will need this password. Choose something strong.
Please enter a password before processing.
The tool applies 128-bit RC4 encryption — the standard PDF encryption format that every viewer from Acrobat 5 onward can open. Both the user password (required to open) and the owner password (required to change permissions) are set to the same value you enter. Store the password somewhere safe before sending the file; if the recipient loses it, there’s no recovery option — the content is unreadable without the key.
Permission restrictions
Beyond requiring a password to open, you can restrict what the reader can do once the document is unlocked:
- Prevent copying — disables text and image selection for copy/paste.
- Prevent printing — blocks the print command in conforming viewers.
- Prevent editing — disables annotation tools, form filling, and page-level changes.
Important caveat about permission restrictions
Permission restrictions alone — without an open password — do not encrypt the file and can be overridden by any non-conforming tool. They are only advisory flags that well-behaved viewers honour. If your goal is preventing someone from accessing the content at all, you need an open password. Restrictions alone just prevent casual copying in compliant apps like Acrobat.