Remove the author from a PDF
The author field is one of the first things a PDF carries — usually an account name, an email address or an internal username. Docfy shows it, removes it, and verifies the clean copy, all in this tab.
- 100% in-browser
- Up to 100 MB
- XMP included
- No account
Clean the author out of your PDF
Author fields and XMP · one PDF at a time · processed locally
One PDF at a time · inspected and cleaned locally · no upload
Where the author hides in a PDF
A PDF is not just pages. It is a small database with a property dictionary, often an XMP packet, and sometimes attachments. The author name usually sits in two places: the /Author entry in the document information dictionary and the dc:creator field in XMP. Some editors also write a username into comments, attachment descriptions or custom properties.
Most PDF readers show none of this. The page looks clean while the file still tells the recipient who made it, which machine was used and when it was edited.
Information dictionary
The classic /Author, /Title, /Creator and /Producer entries. Easy to read and easy to copy into a new file.
XMP packet
A second metadata format with creator, dates and tool details. Some cleaners clear the dictionary but leave XMP behind.
Comments and attachments
Review comments, attachment descriptions and custom properties can contain a name even when /Author is empty.
Software fingerprints
The producer and creator fields reveal the app, template or export pipeline behind the document.
Why the author field matters
An offer letter sent to a candidate can carry the recruiter's account name. A contract sent to a client can reveal the author's email address and the internal template used to create it. A résumé exported from Word often contains the account name of the person who made it — sometimes a full name, sometimes a corporate username.
Redacting the visible page does not touch any of this. Neither does converting to another format or uploading to a portal: the metadata usually travels with the file. Cleaning the document before it leaves your computer is the reliable step.
What actually changes
Docfy rebuilds the PDF with only its pages, then sets an empty property set. The visible document stays the same; the author and the rest of the document-level metadata do not.
| Field | Original file | After cleaning |
|---|---|---|
| Author | j.smith@acme.test | absent |
| XMP creator | J. Smith | absent |
| Title / subject | Offer — draft 4 | absent |
| Creator / producer | Word 16.0 | absent |
| Created / modified | 2026-10-21 · 2026-10-23 | absent |
Remove the author in three steps
Inspect first
Drop the PDF and Docfy lists every property it finds, including the author and whether XMP is present. Nothing is changed yet.
Clean in the browser
The document is rebuilt with an empty property dictionary and no XMP packet. Pages, text and images stay the same.
Verify before download
The output is parsed again. If the author or any other field survived, the tool reports a failure instead of handing over the file.
Questions people ask
Does this remove only the author from a PDF?
No. The author field is included, but the remover rebuilds the document with an empty property set, so title, subject, keywords, creator, producer, dates, XMP and document-level attachments go as well. Keep the original if you need those fields.
Where is the author stored inside a PDF?
Usually in two places: the document information dictionary /Author entry, and the XMP packet (dc:creator). Some generators also put a name in comments, attachment descriptions or custom properties. Docfy removes the property dictionary and the XMP packet, then verifies the output.
Is the PDF uploaded?
No. Reading, cleaning and downloading happen in this tab. Open DevTools → Network and clean a file: there is no request carrying the PDF. The page does not load third-party scripts.
Will the layout or text change?
Pages, text, images and links stay the same. Bookmarks, form fields and document-level attachments are not preserved in the rebuilt file — that is the trade-off for removing document-level metadata.
How do I verify the author is gone?
Re-open the clean file with the PDF metadata viewer, or upload it again on this page. The property list should show zero fields and no XMP packet. The tool also parses the output before download and refuses to hand over a file whose author survived.
Does it work with password-protected PDFs?
No. The PDF must be unlocked first; an encrypted document cannot be rebuilt without its password.
Other Docfy tools
Send the document, not your account name.
Author and XMP fields are removed in the browser — with a verification pass before download.