Edit PDF Metadata
View and modify PDF document metadata including title, author, subject, creator, and keywords. Update or remove creation and modification dates. Or completely scrub all metadata for privacy before sharing documents publicly. The metadata editor gives you full control over the hidden information stored in your PDF files.
What does this tool do?
The Metadata tool provides read and write access to PDF document information dictionaries. You can view current metadata fields, edit values to correct or update information, or completely strip all metadata for privacy. The tool handles standard metadata fields (title, author, subject, creator, producer, keywords) and also shows technical information like PDF version and encryption status that cannot be modified.
How it works
Using MuPDF's document information functions, the tool reads the PDF's Info dictionary and XMP metadata streams. Editable fields are presented in a form for modification. When you save, the tool writes updated values back to the Info dictionary, creating a new PDF with corrected metadata. The Scrub All option creates a document with empty metadata fields, removing potentially sensitive information like original author names, creation software, editing timestamps, and document paths.
Features
- Edit title, author, subject, creator, and keywords
- View producer, PDF version, and encryption state (read-only)
- Scrub-all option removes every metadata field
- Shows creation and modification dates
- Saves as a new PDF — original untouched
- Preserves all document content while modifying metadata
- Handles both standard Info dictionary and XMP metadata
How to use
- 1
Upload your PDF
Drag the document whose metadata you want to inspect or change onto the drop zone. The tool displays all current metadata fields.
- 2
Review current metadata
Examine the displayed metadata fields. The read-only section shows PDF version, producer software, and encryption status. The editable section shows fields you can modify.
- 3
Edit metadata fields
Update title, author, subject, creator, or keywords as needed. Clear fields you want to remove entirely. These values help with document organization and searchability.
- 4
Or scrub all metadata
For privacy protection, enable Scrub All Metadata to remove every metadata field from the document, creating a clean file with no identifying information.
- 5
Save the updated PDF
Click Save. The PDF downloads with your metadata changes applied. The original file remains unchanged on your system.
Common use cases
Privacy protection before sharing
Strip metadata containing author names, company information, original file paths, and editing software before distributing documents publicly or to external parties.
Correct document properties
Fix incorrect titles, add missing author attribution, or update subject descriptions to improve document organization and search indexing.
Professional document preparation
Set proper metadata for official documents, ensuring recipients see correct document titles and authorship information in their PDF viewers.
Archive standardization
Standardize metadata across document collections before archiving, making documents easier to search and catalog in document management systems.
Tips & best practices
- Metadata scrubbing removes only the document properties — for complete privacy also consider removing hidden comments, annotations, and previous versions
- Adding descriptive keywords improves searchability in document management systems and operating system search
- Some metadata (producer, PDF version) is determined by the creating software and cannot be changed through standard editing
- Scrubbed documents are often slightly smaller due to removed metadata structures, but the size reduction is typically minimal