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Protect PDF

Password-protect a PDF

Secure your PDF with a password and AES encryption so only the right people can open it.

Password-protect a PDF online

PDF Vision password-protects your PDF with AES-128 or AES-256 encryption written into the file itself, so any reader asks for the password before opening it. Five permission switches control printing, editing, copying, annotating and form filling independently. You can stamp a watermark carrying your account name, your email address and the date on every page, plus any extra text you add such as "Confidential"; note an expiry date in the document properties; or skip passwords entirely and seal the file with a cryptographic signature instead. Free with a free account.

How to password-protect a PDF

  1. Upload your PDF

    Sign in to your free PDF Vision account and drop the document you want to secure onto the Protect page.

  2. Set the password and rules

    Type your password twice, pick AES-128 or AES-256, then untick printing, copying, editing, annotating or form filling as needed.

  3. Download the protected file

    Apply protection, review the summary of encryption, watermark and expiry applied, then download the PDF that now demands your password.

Why use it

Five separate permissions

Printing, editing, copying, annotating and form filling are independent switches, so you can let a client read and print a quote while blocking copy-paste of your pricing.

AES-256 by default

The encryption is written into the PDF itself, not added by a viewer, so Acrobat, Preview, Chrome and phone readers all demand the password before showing a single page.

Signature instead of password

A second mode seals the file with a cryptographic signature rather than locking it: recipients open it freely, but Adobe Reader flags the document if a single byte changes afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

Is Protect PDF free?
Yes — free with a free PDF Vision account. Sign up in a minute, then password-protect documents at no cost. Files up to 100 MB with a free account.
What encryption does PDF Vision use to protect a PDF?
AES-128 or AES-256, chosen before you apply protection. AES-256 is selected by default and is the strength expected of modern PDFs; the encryption travels with the file wherever it is copied.
Can I let people print a PDF but not copy the text?
Yes. Leave Printing ticked and untick "Copying text and images". Readers that honour PDF permissions will then print normally while refusing copy-paste; the same applies to editing, comments and form filling.
What happens if I forget the password I set?
There is no recovery. PDF Vision does not keep your password and the encryption is real, so an unopenable file stays unopenable. Always keep the original unprotected copy somewhere safe.
Does the expiry date stop people opening the PDF afterwards?
No. It is recorded in the document properties as a reference; the PDF format has no universal way to enforce it and most readers ignore it. For a deadline that actually bites, share the file as a public link from My Documents.
Can I password-protect and digitally sign the same PDF?
No — the two can't be combined. Pick password/encryption or digital signature for a given file; asking for both is rejected, and pushing an already-encrypted PDF back through signature mode fails at load. The signature mode produces a real cryptographic seal; unless your administrator supplies a certificate from a recognised authority, Adobe Reader shows it as signed with an unknown issuer.

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