What this PDF Metadata Editor actually does
This is a free PDF metadata editor, also called a PDF properties editor, that reads and rewrites a PDF's Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords, the four standard Document Information fields. Whether you need to edit PDF metadata, change a PDF's title, or clean up an author field before sharing a file, it works the same way: upload the PDF, its current values load automatically, edit what you need, and save.
These fields sit separately from the visible pages, so editing them never touches your document's text, images, or layout, only the properties a viewer or search index sees.
How to edit PDF metadata
- 1
Upload your PDF
Add the PDF whose properties you want to check. Its current Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords fill the form as soon as it is read, and a password-locked file is turned away at this point.
- 2
Edit the fields
Change Title, Author, Subject, or Keywords, or use Clear All Fields to blank them out.
- 3
Save the PDF
A new file is written with your changes and an updated modification date.
- 4
Download the result
Save the updated file, named with "-metadata" added automatically.
pdf-lib reads the Document Information fields and writes the new values back inside this browser tab. The names, titles and keywords you are inspecting are never sent to a server just to be looked at.
How to edit PDF metadata without Adobe or extra software
You do not need Adobe Acrobat, or any desktop software at all, to edit PDF properties. This free PDF metadata editor runs entirely inside your browser tab: choose your file, edit the fields, download the result. There is no signup, no trial period, and no limit on how many PDFs you edit for free.
Which fields can this actually change?
Being precise about this matters: this tool reads and edits Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords only. It does not show or let you edit the Creator field (the application that originally made the PDF), the Producer field (the software that generated the file), or the creation date; those stay exactly as the original file set them. The modification date is the one field updated automatically, on every save, since the file genuinely has changed.
Can it remove metadata entirely, for PDF privacy?
Partially. The Clear All Fields button blanks Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords in the form, and saving after that writes them as empty in the file, which is enough to remove a name or title you do not want attached to a document you are sharing. It is not a full metadata strip: Creator, Producer, and the creation date are left untouched, and metadata embedded inside images within the PDF is not affected either. If a document needs every trace of its origin scrubbed, treat this as a partial cleanup, not a guarantee. Photos are a common leak: strip camera and location details from them with the EXIF Remover before turning them into a PDF with JPG to PDF.
PDF Metadata Editor terms explained
Metadata, document properties and file info are used loosely in viewers and operating systems. This table marks which of those fields the form on this page reads, which it writes, and which it leaves alone.
| Term | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Document metadata | The Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords stored in a PDF's Document Information, separate from its visible pages |
| Title | The document title field, often shown as the window or tab title in a PDF viewer |
| Author | The name attached to a PDF as its creator, editable here |
| Subject | A short description field, useful for categorizing a document |
| Keywords | A comma-separated list of search terms stored in the PDF, editable here |
| Creator | The application that originally produced the PDF; not shown or editable in this tool |
| Producer | The software that generated the PDF file itself; not shown or editable in this tool |
| Creation date | The timestamp a PDF records for when it was made; not shown or editable in this tool |
| Modification date | The timestamp for the last change; this tool updates it automatically on every save |
| Document properties | The umbrella term for all of the above, as most PDF viewers label the panel that shows them |
| Metadata removal | Blanking a metadata field; here, limited to Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords |
| PDF privacy | Reducing what a shared PDF reveals about its origin; partially addressed by clearing the four editable fields |
Editing on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android
On Windows and Mac these fields are usually tucked inside a PDF viewer's Document Properties panel, and changing them there often needs a paid editor. On an iPhone or Android phone the built-in file previews rarely show them at all. Loading the file here shows the four fields on any of those devices, and saving writes a copy with -metadata added to its name.
Is it free, and is my file safe?
Editing properties on The Tools Kit is free, and the saved PDF has the same pages as before, with nothing stamped on them.
Because the edit happens on your own device, your PDF is never uploaded to a server. That matters here more than most places, since the whole point is often to remove a name before the file goes public.
Common uses
- Fixing an incorrect author name before distributing a report
- Adding keywords to improve how a document surfaces in a document management system
- Clearing a template's placeholder title and author before sharing a final PDF
- Standardizing Title and Subject fields across a batch of files before archiving them
- Removing a personal name from the Author field before sending a document externally
- Giving a bundle built with Merge PDF one title that describes the whole set
- Labelling each part produced by Split PDF with its own Subject line
Editing PDF metadata for the USA, Canada, and UK
Cleaning up a document's properties before it reaches an institution or the public comes up in a few common places:
- USA: setting a clear Title and Author before submitting a report to a US institution, or clearing a previous employee's name from a US company's template PDFs.
- Canada: correcting the Author field on a document before it goes to a Canadian employer or government office, where the previous editor's name should not be attached.
- UK: tidying Title and Keywords on a document before it is filed with a UK organization, or clearing metadata left over from a shared UK company template.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. It is a free PDF metadata editor with no signup, no watermark, and no daily limit, so you can use it as an online PDF properties editor as often as you need.
Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords, the four standard Document Information fields most PDF viewers and operating systems display in file properties. Creator, Producer, and the creation date are not shown or editable here.
Upload the PDF, and its current Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords load into the form automatically. Change whichever fields you need and save; a new file downloads with the update applied.
Upload the file, clear the Author field, and save. The new file no longer carries that name in its Author field. This does not touch metadata inside embedded images or the Creator/Producer fields.
Not entirely. Clear All Fields blanks the Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords fields, and saving writes those as empty. It does not touch the Creator or Producer fields or the creation date, which stay as the original file set them, so this clears the four editable fields rather than stripping every metadata field a PDF can carry.
Upload the file, edit the Title field to whatever you want it to read, and save. Many PDF viewers use this field as the tab or window title instead of the filename.
No, not in this tool. Creator and Producer, which record the software that made the PDF, are not read or shown here; only Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords are editable.
No. Metadata edits only touch the Document Information fields, not the visible pages, text, images, or formatting inside the PDF.
Yes. Every save updates the modification date to the current time automatically, since the file itself has genuinely changed.
Yes. Uploading the file shows its current Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords right away; you can look without changing anything and simply not save.
Yes. There is nothing to install and no account to create. Everything runs online in your browser, so you can edit PDF properties without Adobe Acrobat, a desktop PDF editor, or any other software.
No. A password-protected PDF is detected on upload and rejected with a message, since its metadata cannot be read or edited until the password is removed.
No. pdf-lib reads and rewrites the metadata fields entirely inside your browser, so your PDF stays on your device and is never sent to a server.
Yes. Open the page in a phone browser on iPhone or Android, pick the PDF from Files or Downloads, and the stored Author and Title appear in the form without saving anything. The same works in a desktop browser on Windows, Mac or Linux, where file properties are otherwise hidden behind a menu.
Need to remove more than metadata from a PDF, like personal images? Check our Extract Images from PDF tool to review everything embedded in the file. Hidden text can matter too: PDF to Text lists every word in the file's text layer, including small print that is easy to miss on screen, and Delete PDF Pages removes a page you would rather not share. Other document tools are collected on the PDF tools hub.
Reviewed by Raja Jahangir · Last reviewed: September 2026
What does a PDF metadata editor change?
A PDF metadata editor changes the document information fields stored inside the file: Title, Author, Subject and Keywords. These are what Adobe Reader shows under Document Properties and what search engines and file managers index. Editing rewrites only those fields and updates the modification date; the pages, text and images are left untouched.
How do you remove the author name from a PDF?
Open the PDF in a metadata editor, clear the Author field (or every field with Clear All Fields), and save. The new file no longer carries the author name in its document properties. Password-protected PDFs cannot be edited this way until the password is removed, and metadata inside embedded images is not affected.
Runs in your browser. Your files and text never leave your device - nothing is uploaded.