Emailing a payslip or medical result
Set an opening password, send the PDF by email, and share the password through a separate channel such as a phone call or text message.
PDF Password Protection
Encrypt a PDF with an opening password directly in your browser. Keep the password safe: PDF Flourish cannot recover it.
- Files never leave your device
- No signup, no watermarks
- Works offline once loaded
Drag and drop here, or choose from your device.
Up to 50 MB per file. Files are processed in your browser.
How to pDF Password Protection
- 1Choose a PDF.
- 2Enter an opening password and optional owner password.
- 3Protect the file.
- 4Download the encrypted PDF.
What you get
- Real PDF encryption
- Opening-password protection
- No server processing
Tips for better results
- Use a passphrase of several unrelated words rather than a short complex password — easier to pass on by phone, much harder to guess.
- Never send the password in the same message as the file.
- There is no recovery. If the password is lost, the document cannot be reopened by us or by anyone else.
Examples
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of protection is applied?
- The PDF is encrypted with a real opening password, so the file cannot be read at all without it. This is the same mechanism desktop PDF software uses.
- Can you recover a lost password?
- No. Encryption happens on your device and we never see the file or the password, so nobody can restore access.
- Can I also stop printing or copying?
- An optional owner password controls permissions such as printing. Note that permission settings are respected by most viewers but are weaker than the opening password itself.