How to remove author metadata from a pdf document
- Step 1Check where the name actually lives first — Open the PDF in Acrobat or your browser viewer and look at File → Properties → Description. If the personal name is in Author or Creator, this tool removes it. If it is a comment/sticky-note author or a tracked-change name baked into annotations, this tool will not touch it — use pdf-annotation-remover instead.
- Step 2Drop the PDF onto the scrubber — Add the file in the tool above. It loads in your browser with pdf-lib — the bytes are read locally into a
Uint8Arrayand never uploaded. The page count and current Title appear once it loads. - Step 3Let it run automatically — The metadata scrubber is a no-options tool, so it runs as soon as the file is added — there is no Author-only toggle and no Run button to configure. All eight document-info fields are cleared in one pass.
- Step 4Download the scrubbed PDF — Use the download button to save the cleaned copy. The original on your disk is untouched; the download is a fresh re-save with empty Author/Creator and reset dates.
- Step 5Verify the Author field is blank — Re-open the downloaded file in Acrobat (File → Properties → Description) or run
exiftool yourfile.pdfand confirmAuthor,Creatorare empty. The viewer may now show no name at all where it used to show one. - Step 6Handle any residual names separately — If the name reappears in an XMP
dc:creatorpacket on a sophisticated viewer, re-save through pdf-compress-lossless, which also cleans metadata. For names inside comments or markup, use pdf-annotation-remover; for names printed in the visible text, use pdf-pii-redactor.
What the scrubber does to each metadata field
The tool clears all eight document-information dictionary fields in a single unconditional pass. There is no per-field selection — every field below is processed every time.
| Field (Acrobat label) | Typical source of an author name | After scrubbing |
|---|---|---|
Author (/Author) | Word's registered user name; macOS account; LibreOffice 'First/Last name' in Tools → Options | Empty string |
Creator (/Creator) | Authoring app sometimes writes the user or template owner here (e.g. 'Acrobat PDFMaker for Word') | Empty string |
Title (/Title) | Often the original filename or a working draft title that names a person/team | Empty string |
Subject (/Subject) | Description field; occasionally pasted from an internal brief | Empty string |
Keywords (/Keywords) | Tags added in the authoring app | Empty (cleared to no keywords) |
Producer (/Producer) | The PDF library/printer, not usually a person | Empty string |
Creation Date (/CreationDate) | When the file was first written | Reset to 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z (Unix epoch) |
Modification Date (/ModDate) | Last save time | Reset to 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z (Unix epoch) |
Where author names hide — and the right tool for each
A PDF can carry a person's name in several places. This scrubber only handles the document-information dictionary. Use the matching sibling tool for the others.
| Location of the name | Handled by this tool? | Correct tool |
|---|---|---|
| Document Properties → Author / Creator | Yes | This tool (pdf-metadata-scrubber) |
XMP packet dc:creator (advanced metadata) | No — XMP is not rewritten | Re-save via pdf-compress-lossless which cleans metadata on rebuild |
| Comment / sticky-note / markup author | No | pdf-annotation-remover |
| Name printed in the visible page text | No | pdf-pii-redactor |
| Name inside a form field value | No | pdf-flatten (flatten then scrub) |
Cookbook
Real before/after document-information snapshots. Read the field on the left in Acrobat's Description tab; the right column is what the scrubber writes.
Word export with the registered user in Author
A contract drafted in Word carries the law-firm associate's name in Author and the firm's PDFMaker string in Creator. The client should not see either. The scrubber clears both.
Before (Acrobat → Properties → Description): Author: Jane Associate Creator: Acrobat PDFMaker 24 for Word Producer: Adobe PDF Library 24.1 Title: Draft-NDA-v3 Created: 2026-05-14 09:42 After scrubbing: Author: (empty) Creator: (empty) Producer: (empty) Title: (empty) Created: 1970-01-01 00:00 UTC
macOS Preview puts the account name in Author
Exporting from Preview on a Mac stamps the logged-in macOS account into Author. On a shared or personal machine that is your full name. One drop on the scrubber removes it.
Before: Author: johndoe (John Doe) Creator: (none) Producer: Mac OS X 14.5 Quartz PDFContext After: Author: (empty) Producer: (empty)
The name is in a comment, not the metadata
After scrubbing, the Author field is blank but a reviewer's name still shows on every sticky note. That name lives in the annotation, not the document-info dictionary — the scrubber cannot reach it.
Author field: (empty after scrub) ✓ Sticky note: 'J. Reviewer: tighten this clause' ✗ still present Fix: run pdf-annotation-remover on the file: /pdf-tools/pdf-annotation-remover
Verifying with ExifTool after download
ExifTool reads both the document-info dictionary and the XMP packet. After this tool, the info-dictionary Author is gone; if an XMP dc:creator persists, you will see it here and know to re-save through the lossless compressor.
$ exiftool scrubbed.pdf | grep -i author Author: (blank) # If XMP still carries a name you'd also see: # Creator (XMP-dc): Jane Associate # -> re-save via pdf-compress-lossless to drop it
Batch: free tier is one file at a time
The metadata scrubber is a single-file tool. To clean a folder of contracts on Free, you process them one by one. Pro raises the picture but this tool still runs per file in the browser.
Free tier: drop file -> auto-scrub -> download -> repeat
(1 file per job, 2 MB max, 50 pages max)
Need a queue across many files unattended?
Pair the @jadapps/runner and POST each file to
127.0.0.1:9789/v1/tools/pdf-metadata-scrubber/runEdge cases and what actually happens
Reviewer name in a comment survives the scrub
By designThe scrubber only writes the document-information dictionary (Author, Creator, etc.). A name attached to a sticky note, highlight, or other annotation is stored in the annotation object and is left untouched. Run pdf-annotation-remover to strip those.
Tracked-changes author baked into the page
Not in scopeIf Word's 'track changes' markup was exported as visible markup or annotations, the reviewer names ride along in the annotation layer, not in /Author. Remove with pdf-annotation-remover; if the changes are flattened into visible text, redact with pdf-pii-redactor.
XMP dc:creator still shows in a strict viewer
XMP not rewrittenThis tool clears the classic document-info dictionary but does not rewrite the XMP metadata stream. A few viewers and forensic tools read dc:creator from XMP. If a name persists there, re-save the file through pdf-compress-lossless, which rebuilds the document and drops the stale XMP.
Author name is printed on the page (letterhead/signature)
Not metadataA name typed into the visible content is part of the page, not the metadata. The scrubber will report success and the printed name will still be there. Use pdf-pii-redactor to black it out.
File over 2 MB on the free tier
BlockedFree handles PDFs up to 2 MB. A larger file is blocked with an upgrade prompt before processing. Pro raises the ceiling to 50 MB. A text contract is rarely this big, but image-heavy exports can be — compress first with pdf-compress-lossy if you only need a clean, small copy.
PDF has more than 50 pages on free tier
BlockedThe free page ceiling is 50 pages; Pro allows up to 500. The tool checks page count on load and blocks before scrubbing if you exceed your tier's limit.
Encrypted / password-protected source PDF
Loads anywayThe loader opens documents with ignoreEncryption: true, so a permissions-only encrypted PDF still loads and scrubs. A PDF with a true open password may fail to parse — remove the password first with pdf-remove-password, then scrub.
Author field was already blank
ExpectedIf the source had no Author, the scrubber simply writes an empty value (a no-op for that field) and still resets the dates and Producer. The output is a valid, freshly re-saved PDF either way.
Digitally signed document
Signature breaksRe-saving the file changes its byte content, which invalidates any existing digital signature over the document. Scrub before signing, or verify with pdf-signature-verify afterwards and re-sign if needed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I confirm the author name is actually gone?
Open the downloaded PDF in Acrobat and check File → Properties → Description — the Author and Creator fields should be blank. For a deeper check that also reads the XMP packet, run exiftool yourfile.pdf and look for any Author/Creator line. If XMP still names someone, re-save through pdf-compress-lossless.
Can I remove only the Author and keep the Title?
No. The metadata scrubber is a single one-click pass with no per-field checkboxes — it clears Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Producer, and Creator together and resets both dates. If you need to keep a specific field you would have to re-set it afterwards in a PDF editor; there is no selective mode in this tool.
Does it also remove the author from tracked changes or comments?
No. Metadata scrubbing targets the document-information dictionary only. Reviewer names attached to comments, sticky notes, or markup live in the annotation layer — clear those with pdf-annotation-remover.
Will the recipient still see which software created the file?
After scrubbing, both Creator and Producer are empty, so the usual 'Microsoft Word' / 'Adobe PDF Library' strings are gone from Document Properties. See the remove-software-info guide for the full picture on toolchain fingerprints.
Is the file uploaded to a server?
No. The scrub runs in your browser using pdf-lib. Your document and the name in it never leave your device. The only thing recorded server-side for signed-in users is an anonymous run counter — no file content.
Why did the Author name come back when I opened the file elsewhere?
If a viewer still shows a name, it is almost certainly reading the XMP metadata packet, which this tool does not rewrite. Re-save the file through pdf-compress-lossless to drop the XMP stream, then re-check.
Does scrubbing change how the document looks?
No. Metadata is invisible to readers — the pages, fonts, and layout are unchanged. Only the hidden document-info fields and the two date stamps are altered.
What happens to the creation and modification dates?
They are not deleted — they are reset to the Unix epoch, 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z. That removes the real timeline but a viewer will display that epoch date rather than a blank. See the strip-creation-date guide for why this matters.
Can I scrub a password-protected PDF?
A permissions-only (owner-password) PDF loads and scrubs because the tool opens files with encryption ignored. A PDF locked with an open/user password must be unlocked first — use pdf-remove-password, then scrub.
Will this break a digital signature on the document?
Yes — any change to the bytes invalidates an existing signature. Scrub before you sign. If the file is already signed and must stay so, do not scrub it; check the signature first with pdf-signature-verify.
How big a PDF can I scrub?
Free tier handles files up to 2 MB and 50 pages. Pro raises that to 50 MB and 500 pages, Pro+Media to 500 MB and 2,000 pages. The scrub itself is fast since it only edits the metadata, not the page content.
Can I automate author-stripping across many files?
Yes. Pair the @jadapps/runner once, then POST each file to 127.0.0.1:9789/v1/tools/pdf-metadata-scrubber/run. The tool takes no options (its schema from GET /api/v1/tools/pdf-metadata-scrubber is empty), so the call is just the file. Files are processed locally on your machine.
Privacy first
All PDF processing runs locally in your browser using PDF-lib and pdf.js. No file is ever uploaded — only metadata counters are saved for signed-in dashboard stats.