How to Handle Confidential PDFs More Privately
By the PDFPUMA team · Published · 2 min read
Use tools that process files on your device instead of uploading them, check and remove hidden information before sharing, redact by removing content rather than covering it, and password-protect files you send by email. PDFPUMA's tools all run in your browser, so documents aren't uploaded to its servers.
1. Avoid unnecessary uploads
Every upload is a copy of your document on someone else's computer. Prefer tools that work locally — desktop software, or browser tools that process files on your device. You can verify a website's claim in the browser's developer tools (F12 → Network): a local tool sends no request containing your file while it works.
Every PDFPUMA tool — including OCR, redaction and the form generator — runs in your browser. Saved settings, workflows and client profiles store options only, never documents. Read the details in our privacy policy.
2. Know what's hidden in a PDF
- Document properties: title, author, and sometimes the software and user name that created the file.
- Comments and form-field values, which may be collapsed or hidden.
- Attachments — whole files embedded inside the PDF.
- Text under images or boxes, and text in hidden layers.
Check File → Properties and the comments and attachments panels in your PDF reader before sharing.
3. Redact by removing, not covering
A black box over text leaves the text in the file. Use a redaction tool that removes the content — see how to redact a PDF properly.
4. Protect what you send
Email attachments get forwarded and stored in many places. Protect PDF encrypts a file with AES-256 so it opens only with the password — send the password separately, for example by text message. PDFPUMA never sees the password, so keep a copy of the original.
Received a protected file you need to work with? If you know the password, Unlock PDF saves an unprotected copy. It never guesses or bypasses passwords.
5. Tidy up afterwards
- Delete copies you no longer need from Downloads.
- Don't leave sensitive PDFs in shared folders longer than necessary.
- On shared computers, close the browser tab when you're done — PDFPUMA keeps no documents after you close or reload the page.