About the Handiwork PDF Metadata Viewer & Cleaner
PDF Metadata Viewer & Cleaner reads six common document properties—Title, Author, Subject, Creator, Producer, and page count—then lets you download a copy with the five editable text fields cleared. It is a focused convenience tool, not a forensic anonymizer: PDFs can contain other metadata, attachments, comments, scripts, hidden layers, form values, or identifying page content.
How to use the Handiwork PDF Metadata Viewer & Cleaner
- Choose one PDF and review the displayed common metadata fields.
- Use Download cleaned PDF to clear Title, Author, Subject, Creator, and Producer in a new copy.
- Reopen the result in a metadata inspector and manually review content, attachments, annotations, forms, and signatures before sharing.
Fields this viewer displays
The viewer reads the document title, author, subject, creator application, producer application, and page count through pdf-lib. A dash means that the library did not return a value for that common field; it does not prove that the file contains no other metadata.
What the cleaner changes
The downloaded copy sets Title, Author, Subject, Creator, and Producer to empty strings and re-saves the document. Page count is factual structure and is not removed. The operation does not inspect every possible XMP packet, custom key, annotation, embedded file, or visible identifier.
Metadata removal is not document anonymization
Names and identifiers may appear in page text, comments, form fields, filenames, images, revision artifacts, attachments, digital signatures, or external links. For sensitive disclosure, use an approved redaction and sanitization workflow and verify the final file independently.
How this page was reviewed
The implementation was checked against the exact getters and setters it uses. The wording intentionally names the five cleared fields and avoids claiming that every trace of metadata or identity is removed.
Assumptions and limitations
- Only Title, Author, Subject, Creator, and Producer are deliberately cleared.
- XMP, custom metadata, comments, form values, attachments, scripts, hidden layers, filenames, and visible content may still identify a person or organization.
- Re-saving can invalidate digital signatures or alter document-level behavior.
- This tool is not a substitute for a regulated redaction, legal-discovery, or forensic sanitization process.
Sources and standards
These authoritative references were used to verify the method and guidance on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Which metadata fields are cleared?
Title, Author, Subject, Creator, and Producer are set to empty values in the downloaded copy.
Does a blank result mean the PDF is anonymous?
No. Other metadata, attachments, comments, forms, signatures, filenames, images, or visible page content may still identify someone.
Does the cleaner remove comments and form values?
No. It only targets the five named document-information fields.
Can cleaning affect a digital signature?
Yes. Treat the output as a modified new file and verify any signature requirements against the original.
Is the document uploaded?
No. Reading, clearing, and saving occur locally in browser memory.