Remove PDF Metadata: Author, Producer, XMP and Document IDs

A PDF names the person who made it, the software that made it, when it was made and when it was last touched, in two places. StripShot removes both layers in your browser, writes fresh document IDs and leaves the pages exactly as they render today.

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Last updated September 2026

Quick answer

Drop the PDF below. StripShot reads the Info dictionary and XMP stream, shows you the Author, Creator, Producer, dates and IDs, then rewrites the file without them. Content streams, fonts, images and links are carried over unchanged.

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The two layers of PDF metadata

WhereWhat it holdsRemoved
Info dictionaryTitle, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDateYes, every key and the object itself
XMP stream on the catalogThe same fields in XML plus xmp:CreatorTool, edit history, DocumentID and InstanceIDYes
XMP streams on pagesPer-page metadata some exporters attachYes
Orphaned /Type /Metadata streamsLeft behind by earlier tools that unlinked but did not deleteYes
Trailer /ID pairTwo hashes that tie every saved version of a file togetherReplaced with fresh random values
Annotations (/Annots)Comments and highlights, each with an author nameReported, kept
Form fields (/AcroForm)Fillable fields and their valuesReported, kept
Content streams, fonts, imagesThe pages themselvesKept byte for byte

Who writes what

The Producer field is the quiet one. Word, Google Docs, Canva, Acrobat, macOS Quartz, LibreOffice and every PDF library write their own name and version there, and many write the operating system too. A PDF generated by a script usually announces the library that built it. If the goal is a file that says nothing about its origin, the Producer has to go along with the Author.

Honest limits

Comments and annotations keep their author names. Embedded images keep their own EXIF. File attachments inside the PDF are untouched. A digital signature will no longer validate after the rewrite, because nothing may change in a signed file. Encrypted PDFs need to be unlocked first.

How the rewrite works

How to remove metadata from a PDF

  1. 1

    Drop the PDF

    Drag the file into the tool above. It is parsed in your browser and the properties are listed.

  2. 2

    Read the scan

    You will see the Author, Creator application, Producer, dates, any XMP packets, the document ID pair and whether annotations or form fields are present.

  3. 3

    Strip

    Click Strip. Every Info key is deleted, the XMP streams on the catalog and the pages are unlinked and removed, and fresh random document IDs are written.

  4. 4

    Download

    The output is re-scanned so you can see what is left. Download the clean PDF.

Frequently asked questions

What metadata does a PDF contain?

Two layers. The Info dictionary holds Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator (the app that made the content), Producer (the library that wrote the PDF) and the creation and modification dates. The XMP metadata stream repeats those in XML and adds the creator tool, edit history and a DocumentID and InstanceID pair. The trailer also carries an /ID pair that links every saved version of the same file.

Does removing PDF metadata change the pages?

No. StripShot deletes the metadata objects and rewrites the file structure. Content streams, fonts, images, links and form fields are carried over as they are. The file is re-serialized, not re-rendered, so text stays selectable and vector graphics stay vector.

Why did the file size change a little?

The PDF is written out fresh with the metadata objects gone and any dead objects from earlier saves dropped. Depending on how the original was packed, the result can be slightly smaller or slightly larger. The content is the same.

Is this better than exiftool -all= on a PDF?

exiftool edits a PDF by appending an update, which means the old metadata is still inside the file and can be recovered until the file is rewritten. StripShot writes a new file with the metadata objects removed, so there is nothing left to recover.

Does it remove the author names on comments and annotations?

Not yet. Annotations are reported in the scan so you know they are there, but the author field on each comment is kept. Remove the comments in your PDF editor first if that matters.

Will a digitally signed PDF still validate?

No. Any change to a signed PDF, including removing metadata, invalidates the signature. Strip before signing, not after.

Does it work on password-protected PDFs?

Open and save the file without the password first. Encrypted PDFs cannot be rewritten without the key.

Is the PDF uploaded to a server?

No. The file is parsed and rewritten inside your browser. StripShot has no server route that receives file bytes.

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