Encrypt PDF
Protect your PDF with a password
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About Encrypt PDF
Encrypt applies password protection to a PDF using the AES standard built into the PDF specification. Anyone opening the file will be asked for the password before a single page renders, and the encryption is applied by any compliant reader, not just this one.
Both the document and the password stay in the browser tab. Nothing is transmitted, logged or retained, so there is no service that has ever held an unencrypted copy.
How to use Encrypt PDF
- Load the PDF you want to protect.
- Set the password you will share with the recipients. Longer passphrases are dramatically stronger than short complicated ones.
- Optionally set a separate owner password to control printing and copying independently of opening.
- Encrypt and download, then send the password by a different channel from the file itself.
On a production
Crew lists carry home addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth. Insurance schedules carry serial numbers and replacement values. Both get emailed constantly, and both are worth a password when the recipient list is longer than a handful of people.
Frequently asked questions
- What happens if I lose the password?
- The file cannot be opened. There is no recovery path and no reset — that is the point of encryption. Keep the passphrase in a password manager before you send the document anywhere.
- What is the difference between a user and an owner password?
- The user password is required to open the document at all. The owner password governs permissions — printing, copying, editing — for people who can already open it. Setting only an owner password leaves the file readable by anyone.
- Is the encryption done on a server?
- No, and that matters here more than on most tools. The password never travels anywhere, because the encryption is computed in your browser. A server-side encryptor necessarily sees both your document and your password in the clear.