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To redact text in Adobe Acrobat Pro, open All tools > Redact a PDF, mark the text or images to remove, select Apply, then save the sanitized document. Applying a redaction removes the marked visible content; sanitizing is a separate step for hidden data such as metadata and comments.
Redact text and save a safe copy
Adobe’s current desktop instructions describe this workflow for Acrobat Pro. Redaction is permanent once applied and saved, so keep an untouched copy if you may need the original later. Adobe’s guide, updated August 31, 2026, provides the current steps: Redact sensitive content in PDFs in Acrobat Pro.
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- Open the tool: Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro and choose All tools > Redact a PDF.
- Choose what to mark: In the left pane, select Redact text and images.
- Mark sensitive content: Drag over each text passage or image to mark it for redaction. Review the marks before continuing.
- Apply the redactions: Select Apply. In the dialog, decide whether to remove hidden information too, then select Continue.
- Save the result: In Save Sanitized Document, choose a filename and location, then select Save. Open the saved file and check the pages before sharing it.
Do not substitute a black rectangle, highlight, or other drawing shape for this process. A shape can cover text visually without removing the underlying content. Use Acrobat’s redaction tool and apply the marks.
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If the same name, number, or phrase appears many times, Acrobat Pro’s Find text and redact workflow can locate occurrences before you mark them. Adobe’s instructions, updated November 5, 2025, cover searches for one or multiple words or phrases and patterns: Search and redact text in PDFs with Acrobat Pro.
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- In the redaction tool, choose Find text and redact.
- Enter the word, phrase, multiple terms, or pattern to search for, and choose the location to search if prompted.
- Review the results. Select individual occurrences or the relevant set, and choose whether to mark whole words or partial matches.
- Mark the selected results, then apply the redactions and save the document using the main workflow above.
Search results are candidates to review, not a substitute for checking the document. Confirm that each match should be removed and look for sensitive content the search cannot detect.
Check scanned pages and text rendered as images
Find Text does not search text embedded in images or line art. This matters for scanned pages, screenshots, and text converted into graphics: a search for a person’s name or an account number can miss it. Inspect those pages visually and redact the visible image content separately. Adobe’s instructions for redacting images in PDFs describe double-clicking the image, applying the redaction, optionally sanitizing, and saving.
Redaction and sanitization remove different things
Redaction removes marked visible text or images, replacing the area with a colored box. Sanitization removes hidden information that may remain elsewhere in the file, such as metadata, embedded content, scripts, comments, and hidden layers. If you need both visible content and hidden data removed, apply the redactions and include the sanitize option in the apply dialog. Adobe explains the distinction in Redact and sanitize PDFs in Acrobat Pro and its guide to sanitizing PDFs and removing hidden content.
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To remove hidden information separately, go to All tools > Redact a PDF > Sanitize document > Remove all, then save. For selective cleanup, choose Selectively remove, select items in the Hidden Information panel, choose Remove, and save. Sanitizing does not replace marking and applying redactions to visible sensitive text.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Customize how redactions look
Before applying marks, Acrobat Pro lets you set the fill color and whether to show overlay text. You can also customize the overlay wording, font, size, and alignment. These options control the appearance of the redacted area; they do not remove content unless you apply the redaction. See Adobe’s redaction appearance settings.
Final check before sharing
- Open the saved output, not just the original document with unapplied marks.
- Check every page for visible sensitive text, including scans, screenshots, and graphics that Find Text cannot search.
- Confirm that repeated matches were reviewed and marked as intended.
- If hidden information matters, confirm that sanitization was included or run separately.
These are document-handling steps, not jurisdiction-specific legal or compliance advice. Adobe’s overview of removing sensitive information from PDFs is available at How to remove sensitive information from PDFs.
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