Sanitize a PDF
Strip JavaScript, auto-run actions, and embedded files. Runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
Drop a PDF here, or click to browse
Files never leave your device
Output
The result appears here as you type.
How to use Sanitize a PDF
- 1. Add the PDF to sanitize. Drop a .pdf file into the workspace, especially one from an untrusted source. Sanitize a PDF loads its pages so you can confirm the document before cleaning it.
- 2. Run the sanitization pass. The tool strips embedded JavaScript, auto-run actions that trigger on open, and any embedded files or attachments hidden inside the document, leaving the visible page content untouched.
- 3. Download the sanitized PDF. Save the cleaned file once sanitization completes. The pages look and read the same, but the hidden scripts, actions and attachments that could run or launch on open are gone.
When to use Sanitize a PDF
Sanitize a PDF is for stripping potentially unsafe active content out of a PDF before opening or forwarding it. PDFs can carry embedded JavaScript, auto-launch actions and hidden file attachments, features rarely needed by ordinary documents but sometimes abused. Sanitizing removes them while keeping the visible content.
- Cleaning a PDF from an unknown sender. An unsolicited PDF arrives as an email attachment from an unfamiliar sender, and sanitizing it strips any embedded scripts or auto-run actions before you open it more freely.
- Preparing a downloaded form for reuse. A PDF form downloaded from a third-party site includes embedded JavaScript for validation that isn't needed once you extract the layout, so sanitizing it removes the unnecessary active content.
- Vetting a PDF before internal distribution. IT policy requires scanning externally sourced PDFs before they're shared company-wide, and sanitizing strips any embedded attachments or scripts that shouldn't be circulating internally.
- Removing leftover embedded files. A PDF built from a template still carries an embedded spreadsheet attachment nobody needs anymore, and sanitizing removes it along with any other hidden actions before the file goes out.
About the Sanitize a PDF tool
Sanitize a PDF runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Strip JavaScript, auto-run actions, and embedded files. Whatever you put in stays on your device from start to finish.
The tool is part of EditSafely's PDF Tools section, 92 single-purpose utilities built around the same idea: open the page, get the result, keep your data to yourself.
There is nothing to configure. Provide the input and the result appears on its own. The finished file is put together in browser memory and saved with the Download button, so it never touches a server on the way to your disk.
That local-first design has practical benefits beyond privacy. The tool keeps working on a flaky connection once the page has loaded, results are instant because nothing round-trips to a server, and it is safe to use with confidential material.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sanitize a PDF free to use?
Yes, it is completely free. All 2,658 tools on EditSafely work without an account, a subscription or usage limits.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
Everything happens locally. Your browser downloads the tool's code once, then does all the processing itself; nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or logged. You can even go offline after the page loads and it will still work.
Which files does Sanitize a PDF accept?
It accepts PDF documents. There is no file size cap imposed by a server; very large files are limited only by your device's memory.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. The tool works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. There is no account to create, no extension to add and no software to install.
How do I save the output?
Click the Download button once the result is ready. The file is built in your browser's memory and handed straight to your downloads folder, without passing through a server.