Free tool · Documents
Protect PDF with a Password
Most PDF sites that add a password receive both your file and your new password on their servers. Here, neither leaves your computer — the encryption happens in your browser and the password you type is never stored or sent. Once the tab closes, there is no copy of it anywhere.
The password is used only on your device to open the file. It is never stored and never sent anywhere.
Store it somewhere safe before you close the tab. If you forget it, the protected file cannot be opened — and we cannot recover it for you.
Reading your file…
Your protected PDF
How to protect a PDF with a password
- Drop your PDF into the box or click to browse.
- If the PDF is already password-protected, enter its current password when asked (used only on your device).
- Type the new password you want to set.
- Confirm the new password by typing it again.
- Click Protect PDF.
- Download the newly encrypted PDF.
- Remember the password — we cannot recover it for you.
Why this tool is different
Most PDF sites that add a password receive both your file and your new password on their servers, which means the two things you are trying to keep private travel together to someone else's computer. This tool works the opposite way: the encryption happens entirely inside your browser, using your own device's processing power. Your file is never uploaded, your password is never stored or sent, and once the tab closes there is no copy of either anywhere. You can check this yourself: open your browser's Network tab while you protect a file and you will see no upload of your document or password.
Good to know before you protect
A forgotten password is gone for good
There is no account, no copy of your password anywhere, and no way to open the protected file without it. We cannot recover it for you. Save the password in a safe place — a password manager is ideal — before you close the tab.
An open password, not permission controls
This version sets the password needed to open the file, using AES-256 encryption. It does not set the separate owner permissions that restrict printing or copying in some readers; those controls are a planned addition. Anyone who knows the password can open and read the document.
Your original file stays untouched
Protecting creates a new file — your original PDF is never changed. Keep the original somewhere safe: it is your only copy that opens without the password.
Examples
| Document | You set | You get |
|---|---|---|
| Tax return of 12 pages | A strong password stored in a password manager | A copy that opens only with that password |
| Signed contract of 4 pages | A password before you email it | The recipient needs the password to open it |
| ID scan of 1 page | A password nobody can guess | It stays locked even if the file is forwarded |
Three mistakes people make when protecting PDFs
Forgetting the password they just set
It happens constantly, and there is no reset link coming to save you — we never see the password, so we cannot send one. Write it down or save it in a password manager the moment you set it.
Using a guessable password
AES-256 is strong, but it cannot rescue "1234" or a birthday. Attackers try the obvious passwords first, instantly. Use a long password you do not reuse anywhere else.
Deleting the only unlocked copy
The protected file is a new copy; your original still opens freely. If you delete the original and then forget the password, the document is locked forever. Keep both until the password is safely stored.
Frequently asked questions
Does this tool send my file or password anywhere?
No. Both your PDF and the password you choose stay on your own device the entire time — nothing is uploaded to our servers or anywhere else. The password you type is used only in your browser's memory while the file is being protected, then it's gone.
I forgot the password I just set. Can you recover it?
No. There is no account, no copy of the password anywhere, and no way to open the file without it. Please save the password somewhere safe before you close the tab.
How strong is the protection?
The file is encrypted with AES-256, a widely used standard for PDF passwords. This controls who can open the file — it does not make a document unhackable, and it does not make it legally binding.
If my PDF is already password-protected, can I still use this tool?
Yes. You'll be asked to enter the current password first so the file can be opened on your device, and then you can set a new password to replace it.
Does protecting the PDF change its content?
No. The pages and text stay the same. Only the requirement for a password to open the file is added.
Privacy and important information
This tool runs entirely in your browser: your PDF, its name, its contents and every password you type are never sent to a server, stored, or shared, and no file information is passed to analytics. Protection adds standard PDF encryption (AES-256) that any modern PDF reader understands — the protected file opens in Adobe Acrobat, browsers and phone readers with the password you set.