Protect PDF free: add a password to your PDF

How to use Protect PDF

Protect PDF encrypts a document with a password, and sets every permission the PDF format carries: printing (at full or draft quality), copying, editing, comments, form filling, page assembly and screen-reader access.

Upload the PDF.
Set a password to open the document, an owner password, or both — either one on its own is enough.
Choose what readers may do, then protect and download.

Good to know

The two passwords do different jobs. The open password is what a reader is asked for; the owner password is what lifts the restrictions. If they are the same, every reader holds the key to the restrictions, so they are advisory only.
Set only an owner password to let anyone read the file while still restricting what they can do with it — the usual choice for a published document.
Send the password through a different channel than the file: not in the same e-mail.
Leave screen-reader access on unless you have a specific reason not to; many organisations and public bodies are required to.
Removing information entirely is Redact's job, not a password's.

Guides

Questions about Protect PDF

Is Protect PDF free?: Yes. It is free with no account needed: files up to 25 MB, 40 tasks a day. Premium raises that to files up to 200 MB, 1,000 tasks a day.
Which files can I use?: PDF files (.pdf). One file at a time.
What happens to my files?: They are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on Papermint's own servers and deleted automatically: after 2 hours if you are not signed in, or 24 hours if you are. "Delete now" on the result removes them straight away. Your documents are not read, shared or sent to other services.
Do I need to install anything?: No. Protect PDF runs in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, so there is nothing to download.
Do I need an account?: No. A free account keeps your results for 24 hours instead of 2 hours, so you can download them again from any device.