How to Password Protect a PDF (Free, AES-256 Encryption)

Payslips, contracts, medical records, ID scans — some PDFs simply shouldn't travel unprotected. Email is not a secure channel, and an attachment can be forwarded anywhere. A password-protected PDF means only someone with the password can open the file, no matter where it ends up.

Protect a PDF in 3 steps

1. Open the free Protect PDF tool.
2. Drop in your PDF and choose a password (4+ characters; longer is stronger).
3. Download the encrypted file.

The protection is genuine AES-256 encryption — the same standard banks use — not a flimsy "please don't open this" flag. Without the password, the contents are mathematically unreadable.

Doing it right

• Send the password separately. Email the PDF, text the password. Never put both in the same message.
• Use a strong password. Our free Password Generator makes uncrackable ones in one click.
• Strip hidden info first. PDFs quietly carry author names and editing history — clean them with Remove PDF Metadata before encrypting.

Locked out of your own PDF?

It happens constantly — an old statement, a password nobody remembers being shared. If you legitimately own the document and know the password, Unlock PDF removes the protection so you don't have to type the password every time.

Frequently asked

Can the password be recovered if I forget it? No — that's the point of real encryption. Store the password somewhere safe.

Do you keep my file or password? Neither. Files are deleted after 24 hours; the password is used once to encrypt and never stored.