When to password-protect a PDF
Payslips and contracts go out by email, and a mistyped address shouldn't be all that stands between a private document and a stranger. Plenty of workplaces require a password on anything sensitive.
This tool makes the file ask for a password before it will open. The encryption happens inside your browser, and the password you type is never sent to a server.
How to use it
- 1Upload the PDF you want to protect.
- 2Enter the password that will be needed to open it.
- 3Type the same password again in the confirmation field.
- 4Open the downloaded file on another device to check that it really does ask.
Common questions
- What if I forget the password?
- There's no way back. The encryption runs entirely in your browser, so we never see the password either. Keep an unprotected copy of the original somewhere safe before you lock it.
- Does this also block printing and copying?
- No. This tool only controls opening the file. Once it's open, printing, copying, and editing are all allowed. To restrict those, use PDF Permissions instead.
- How should I send the password?
- Through a different channel than the file. Putting the document and its password in the same email defeats the point — send one by email and the other by text or chat.
- What makes a good password here?
- Avoid the obvious guesses: the document name, your company name, a date in the file. If nothing comes to mind, our Password Generator will make one for you.