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Remove Metadata From a PDF
Drop a PDF and see everything it carries: author name, company, the tool that made it, Word or InDesign, and when it was created and last edited. Clean it and imgi blanks that metadata in place; the document's actual content is never re-saved. This is how to remove metadata from a PDF without touching a single page of what's inside it.
As a PDF metadata remover, imgi works differently from tools that just say the file is "cleaned." A PDF keeps its metadata in two places: the Info dictionary (Title, Author, Subject, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate) and, often, a duplicate XMP packet stored right alongside it. Cleaning overwrites every value in both, including older ones left behind by a previous save that most tools miss entirely, with same-length padding. The file's structure stays exactly as it was; nothing is re-serialised, so the byte offsets that hold the actual pages stay valid.
Before you clean anything, imgi doubles as a straightforward pdf metadata viewer: drop a file and every Info and XMP field shows up in the report, searchable like any other format here. Some PDFs, usually ones saved by newer generation tools, store that Info dictionary inside a compressed object stream rather than plain text. When that happens the tool says so and shows the fields as view only instead of pretending to offer a clean button it can't safely deliver. Encrypted PDFs get the same honest treatment: imgi refuses to open them rather than guessing at a password or silently failing partway through.
Want to change the metadata instead of blanking it? PDF editing is coming; for now the tool reads and cleans PDF metadata. The same engine handles photos too, with full editing already live: see the EXIF and metadata viewer for cameras and GPS, or remove metadata from a photo if it's an image rather than a PDF you need to clean.
What metadata a PDF actually carries
Two places hold it, and the report reads both. Here's what each field in the Info dictionary usually means.
| Field | What it usually shows |
|---|---|
| Title / Subject / Keywords | Whatever was typed into the document properties, if anything. |
| Author | The name or account the authoring app had signed in, not necessarily who wrote it. |
| Creator | The app that made the original document, like Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign. |
| Producer | The app or library that wrote the final PDF bytes, often a PDF export or print driver. |
| CreationDate / ModDate | When the file was made and when it was last saved. |
Why your own name shows up as the author
Open a PDF you didn't write and find your name, or a colleague's, sitting in the Author field, and it's usually Microsoft Word or a similar app filling it in automatically from the account or profile signed into the machine that created the file, not anyone deliberately labelling it. The same goes for a company name showing up from a Windows or Office licence. It's a metadata field like any other here: viewable, and removable with one click.
A PDF that stores its Info dictionary inside a compressed object stream can't be safely blanked byte for byte without decompressing and rebuilding that stream, which this tool won't do quietly. When that's the case, the report says so and switches to view only rather than shipping a "clean" file that only looks clean.
Encrypted PDFs
A PDF protected with a password, whether it's just to open it or to restrict editing, is refused rather than guessed at. There's no attempt to brute force a password or to partially process a file that can't be fully read, because a half-clean PDF is worse than an honest refusal. Remove the password in whatever tool set it, or export a fresh unprotected copy, then bring that back here.
Common questions
01What metadata does a PDF contain?+
Mainly what’s in its Info dictionary: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, the Creator app that made the original document (Word, InDesign, and so on), the Producer that wrote the final PDF bytes, and CreationDate and ModDate. Many PDFs also carry a duplicate XMP packet holding the same details in XML. Drop a PDF into the tool and every one of these shows up in the report, searchable like any other field here.
02Does removing metadata change the document?+
No. Cleaning overwrites the Info and XMP values with same-length padding; it doesn’t touch a single page, image or line of text in the document itself. Open the cleaned file and it renders exactly as before, just without the identifying fields.
03Why does my PDF show my name as the author?+
Usually because Microsoft Word or a similar app filled the Author field in automatically from the account or profile signed into the machine that created the file, not because anyone deliberately labelled it. The same goes for a company name showing up from an Office or Windows licence. It’s a metadata field like any other here: viewable, and removable with one click.
04Is my PDF uploaded to check or clean its metadata?+
No. Reading and cleaning both happen in your browser with JavaScript, so the file never leaves your device to be inspected or blanked. You can confirm it yourself by watching the network tab while you use the tool.
05What about encrypted PDFs?+
They’re refused, honestly. A PDF protected with a password, whether just to open it or to restrict editing, isn’t guessed at or partially processed, because a half-clean PDF is worse than a clear refusal. Remove the password in whatever tool set it, or export a fresh unprotected copy, then bring that back here.
06Can I edit PDF metadata instead of removing it?+
Not yet. Right now PDFs can be viewed and cleaned; editing values is on the way and will work the same honest way, without touching or re-saving the document content. Photos already have full editing: open the EXIF editor to change dates, GPS and other fields.