How strong should my password be?

For sensitive content, at least 12 characters with mixed case, numbers, and symbols. Short passwords (4–6 chars) are guessable in minutes. Use a password manager to generate one.

Can I block printing or copying?

Yes — use the "Allow printing" / "Allow copy" dropdowns. Note that PDF permissions are honoured by mainstream viewers (Acrobat, browsers, macOS Preview) but are NOT cryptographic protection: anyone with the password can theoretically re-export with the restrictions stripped. For truly leak-proof documents, the right tool is DRM, not PDF permissions.

What modification levels can I pick?

Four options: Full (any edit), Annotate-only (comments and highlights, no content changes), Fill forms only, or None (read-only). The chosen level is enforced by mainstream viewers when the recipient opens the file with the user password you set.

Are my files stored anywhere?

No. Files and the password you supply are processed and deleted immediately after you download — nothing is kept.

Can I re-protect a PDF that already has a password?

Not directly — you have to unlock first. Use Unlock PDF (you'll need the existing password), then Protect PDF here with the new password. We refuse to silently chain encrypted-input → re-encrypt because the AES key derivation depends on the source PDF being unencrypted.

What's the file-size limit?

50 MB. Larger files are rejected before the upload starts — split them with Split PDF and protect each part separately.

How strong should my password be?

For sensitive content, at least 12 characters with mixed case, numbers, and symbols. Short passwords (4–6 chars) are guessable in minutes. Use a password manager to generate one.

Can I block printing or copying?

Yes — use the "Allow printing" / "Allow copy" dropdowns. Note that PDF permissions are honoured by mainstream viewers (Acrobat, browsers, macOS Preview) but are NOT cryptographic protection: anyone with the password can theoretically re-export with the restrictions stripped. For truly leak-proof documents, the right tool is DRM, not PDF permissions.

What modification levels can I pick?

Four options: Full (any edit), Annotate-only (comments and highlights, no content changes), Fill forms only, or None (read-only). The chosen level is enforced by mainstream viewers when the recipient opens the file with the user password you set.

Are my files stored anywhere?

No. Files and the password you supply are processed and deleted immediately after you download — nothing is kept.

Can I re-protect a PDF that already has a password?

Not directly — you have to unlock first. Use Unlock PDF (you'll need the existing password), then Protect PDF here with the new password. We refuse to silently chain encrypted-input → re-encrypt because the AES key derivation depends on the source PDF being unencrypted.

What's the file-size limit?

50 MB. Larger files are rejected before the upload starts — split them with Split PDF and protect each part separately.

Protect PDF (Add Password)

Add a password to a PDF so only people with the password can open it — strong AES-256 encryption.

1. Upload your file

Native PDFs convert in 10–60 seconds. Scanned PDFs use OCR and can take up to 3 minutes per 10 pages.

Drop a PDF file here

or click to browse

How does the Protect PDF (Add Password) work?

Add a password to a PDF so only people who know it can open the file. Drop your PDF, choose a password (minimum 4 characters; longer is much stronger), and click Protect. Your password-protected PDF downloads. The encryption used is AES-256 — the same industry-standard strength used by banks and Adobe Acrobat for high-security documents. Important: anyone with the password can read, copy, print, and screenshot the content. Encryption protects the file from people who DON'T have the password — for truly sensitive documents, also send the password through a separate channel (text the password, email the file, or vice versa). There is no password recovery if you forget it, so save it somewhere safe before sharing. Files larger than 50 MB are rejected up front — use Split PDF first to break them into manageable pieces. If your PDF is already password-protected, run Unlock PDF first to remove the existing password, then come back here to set a new one.

🔒 Security & Privacy

Files are encrypted in transit and processed on a secure server. Your file is automatically deleted right after you download — we never store your documents.

📱 Use it on any device

Works in any modern browser — Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android, and tablets. No installation, no app to download. Just open the page and start.

⚡ Quick & easy

Drag, drop, click. Most files process in seconds, not minutes. No watermarks added to your output, no per-day limits, and the tool always shows the result before asking you to download.

🎁 Always free, no signup

Free to use, every time. No account creation, no email required, no “trial” that converts to a paid plan. We make money from ads so you don’t have to pay.

Frequently asked

There is no recovery. AES-256 with a strong password cannot be cracked in any reasonable time. Save the password in a password manager when you set it.