How to change a PDF's title, author and metadata
Every PDF carries a hidden label: title, author, the app that made it, sometimes the company that licensed it. Recipients see it in their reader's title bar and properties panel — and 'Microsoft Word - draft_final_v3' is not a good look on a contract.
Drag and drop here, or choose from your device.
Up to 50 MB per file. Files are processed in your browser.
Full options and FAQs on the PDF Metadata Editor page.
What your PDF says about you
- Title — often the original filename or document heading.
- Author — pulled from the account name of whoever created it.
- Creator and producer — the software and version used.
- Dates — when the file was created and last modified.
Why it is worth two minutes
Search engines index PDF titles, so a document on your website with a proper title ranks for its real subject. Shared documents with a colleague's name or a previous client's name in the author field raise questions you would rather not answer. And some compliance frameworks require accurate metadata on published files.
Editing versus scrubbing
Editing sets the fields to what you want shown. If the goal is privacy — a document going outside your organisation — clear the fields entirely rather than renaming them, because blank metadata reveals nothing, including the software trail. The tool below shows you everything currently embedded before you change it, so there are no surprises.
Step by step
- 1Add your PDF to the metadata tool below.
- 2Review the current title, author and other fields it shows.
- 3Edit the fields — or clear them for maximum privacy.
- 4Save and download the updated PDF.
- 5Reopen it and check the properties read as intended.
Frequently asked questions
- Does metadata affect the visible content?
- No — it is information about the file, stored separately from the pages. Editing it changes nothing the reader sees on the page.
- Will changing metadata break a signed PDF?
- Any modification invalidates a digital signature, metadata edits included. Update metadata before signing, not after.