Protect PDF

Choose one PDF to open the editor flow. The first page is rendered beside the password panel, and the document name, page count, and file size appear in the workspace. Add two or more files when the same task needs a batch.

The original file is not overwritten. A successful output keeps the source base name and adds -protected.pdf. For example, contract.pdf becomes contract-protected.pdf.

An input that already has an open password is handled by the shared PDF gate first. Enter the existing password to unlock it in the browser, then set the new password in Protect PDF.

Type the password in the first field and repeat it in the second. The Protect PDF action stays disabled until both entries are present and match. A mismatch produces the message The two passwords do not match.

Both fields are masked. Select Show beside either field when you need to check spelling, capitalization, symbols, or keyboard layout. The browser marks the inputs as new-password fields and does not use them as ordinary page text.

The open password is the key needed to read the encrypted content. Anyone who receives the protected copy must enter that value before a PDF reader can display the pages.

The tool calls qpdf in the browser with 256-bit encryption. The open password becomes the user password required to read the document. A separate owner password is used only when optional permissions are configured.

A runtime check created a protected PDF that rejected an incorrect password and opened with the chosen one. Its encryption dictionary reported a 256-bit length. The output remained a normal PDF that a compatible reader could open after the correct password was supplied.

Encryption does not send the password anywhere. qpdf runs as WebAssembly on the device, writes the protected bytes in memory, and hands the resulting file to the browser download.

Open Restrict printing and copying to reveal the advanced controls. Enter a permissions password that is different from the open password, then select either or both reader requests.

Ask readers not to print the file writes a no-print permission. Ask readers not to copy text out of it writes a no-extract permission. The same permissions password controls both settings.

The interface warns when the permissions password matches the open password. In that case, anyone who can open the file also has the password that grants full rights, so the restrictions do not create a useful second boundary.

PDF permissions ask compatible readers to disable printing or text extraction. They do not encrypt the visible page again, and they do not stop screenshots. A program may also ignore the flags or remove them.

Use an open password when the pages must stay unreadable to anyone without the key. Use permission flags when an authorised reader may view the file but should receive a clear no-print or no-copy instruction in software that honours it.

The permissions password belongs to the person who may change those settings later. It is optional and separate from the password used by ordinary readers to open the document.

The result card says Your PDF is protected, displays the new filename, and offers Download again. The initial download starts when encryption finishes.

The verified sample changed from sample-contract.pdf to sample-contract-protected.pdf. An incorrect password could not open it, while the password entered in the form opened both pages.

The original PDF remains unchanged. Keep that source until the protected copy has been opened in the reader you expect recipients to use and the password has been recorded safely.

Add two or more PDFs to open batch mode. The default form uses one shared open password for the set and asks you to repeat it. Enable Use a different password for each file when the files are intended for different recipients.

The optional permissions password and printing or copying choices apply across the batch. Each file is encrypted on the device, one after another. A failed item is reported on its own row rather than changing any source file.

Completed rows show the output name, size, and a note that the file opens only with the password you set. Select Download for one result or Download all as ZIP to save frisqoo_protected.zip.

Normal encryption wraps the existing PDF content instead of turning every page into a picture. Page size, order, visible text, and images remain available after the correct open password is entered. Selectable text remained selectable in the verified sample.

Review features that matter to the document before sending it. Open several pages, test links, forms, bookmarks, and signatures when present, and confirm any permissions in the target reader. PDF producers and readers do not all handle every extra in the same way.

The downloaded copy gains encryption and any requested permission flags. The unprotected original on your device does not change.

Send the protected PDF and its open password through different channels when the document is sensitive. For example, email the file and send the password through a trusted messaging app or a phone call. A password placed in the same message as the attachment offers little help if that message is exposed.

Tell the recipient which password opens the file and which application to try if their current viewer does not ask for it correctly. The protected output is a PDF, so it should not need a format conversion before opening.

When printing or copying permissions are included, describe them as reader rules rather than a guarantee. The recipient can still view the pages after entering the open password, and some software may ignore optional permissions.

Before sending, close the completed editor and open the downloaded copy in a separate reader. Enter the password from your saved record instead of memory. Check several pages and the features that matter, then send the tested output. Keep that tested copy separate from drafts so the wrong version is not attached later.

If qpdf refuses a readable file, the tool performs one structural rebuild with pdf-lib and tries encryption again. The rebuild rewrites PDF objects rather than rasterising the pages, so it is different from printing the document to images.

A rebuild may affect interactive extras even when the visible pages survive. Keep the source and verify forms, links, bookmarks, attachments, or signatures that matter. If the second encryption attempt also fails, the tool reports the refusal and points to Repair PDF.

No success message appears unless an encrypted output is produced. A damaged file is not labelled protected merely because its pages could be previewed.

Protection is private here because the PDF and passwords remain in the browser. The file is not uploaded with the key that will protect it, and no account is needed to receive the output.

Local work reduces exposure for contracts, statements, tax records, identification scans, and internal reports. The recipient still needs the password through a suitable separate channel. Sending the PDF and its password in the same message removes much of the access benefit.

Use a password manager or another secure record for the key. Closing the page removes the only working copy held by the tool, so there is no server-side reset later.

Use a long, unique password that is not reused for email, banking, or another document. Avoid names, birth dates, short PINs, and common words when the PDF contains private material.

Keep the original unprotected PDF until the protected copy has been tested. Record the new password before sending the file, and share it through a different channel when practical. Use a clear filename or folder so the protected output is not confused with an earlier draft.

If the password is lost, Recover PDF Password may test weak or supported document patterns, but it cannot guarantee access to a strong unknown password. Unlock PDF removes protection only when the open password is known.