How to strip author, dates, and toolchain from a resume pdf
- Step 1Check what your resume is exposing — Open the PDF and read File → Properties → Description. Look at
/Author(often your account name),/Title(often a leftover working title or another company's name), and the two dates. If anything there would make you wince in an interview, this pass removes it. - Step 2Drop your resume PDF onto the sanitizer — Add the file to the tool above. It routes to the canonical PDF Metadata Scrubber, which processes the document with pdf-lib in your browser. There are no options — the field set is fixed, so you cannot forget to tick a box.
- Step 3Run the single pass — pdf-lib loads the file with
ignoreEncryption: true, empties Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Producer, and Creator, sets both dates tonew Date(0), and re-saves withupdateFieldAppearances: false. Your layout, fonts, and content are untouched. - Step 4Download the cleaned CV — Save the result. It looks identical to your original on the page — only the hidden Document Properties changed. Rename it to something neutral like
Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdfrather than keeping a versioned file name. - Step 5Verify in Document Properties — Re-open File → Properties. Author, Creator, Producer, Title, Subject, and Keywords now read blank, and both dates show 1 January 1970 — the epoch — rather than disappearing. That is expected and is privacy-neutral; every cleaned file shares it.
- Step 6Remember what is still on the page — Metadata is hidden data. A previous employer's name in your job history, or a phone number you'd rather not share, is visible page text and is not touched here. To remove visible personal details from the body, use pdf-pii-redactor.
Resume document-info fields after sanitizing
All eight fields are handled in one pdf-lib pass. The six text fields become empty strings; the two dates reset to the Unix epoch.
| Field | What it leaks on a resume | After sanitizing |
|---|---|---|
/Author | Your OS account name — a real name, nickname, or an old employer's username | Empty string |
/Creator | The app you wrote it in (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Canva) | Empty string |
/Producer | The PDF engine and version — hints at a paid template or export tool | Empty string |
/Title | A working title like Resume_v9_FINAL or another company's name | Empty string |
/Subject | A leftover note or the role you tailored a different copy for | Empty string |
/Keywords | Stuffed keywords or template tags | Empty (cleared to no keywords) |
/CreationDate | When the file was first made — exposes a last-minute resume | Reset to 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z (epoch) |
/ModDate | Last save time — shows you edited it minutes before applying | Reset to 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z (epoch) |
What metadata cleaning fixes vs. what stays visible
Cleaning Document Properties does not touch anything you can read on the page. Each visible item below points to the right tool.
| Concern | Owned by this tool? | Tool to use |
|---|---|---|
Your account name in /Author | Yes | This tool (pdf-metadata-scrubber) |
A leftover working title or wrong company in /Title | Yes | This tool |
| Create / modify timestamps | Yes — reset to epoch | This tool |
| A phone number or address printed in the CV body | No | pdf-pii-redactor |
XMP packet still naming you (dc:creator) | No — not rewritten | Re-save via pdf-compress-lossless |
Your Word/Docs source .docx with its own author | No | office-doc-property-wiper |
| A scanned signature image on the CV | No | signature-burner |
Cookbook
Real Document Properties before and after cleaning a resume PDF, plus the things a metadata pass cannot reach. Names and companies are illustrative.
Your account name leaking through /Author
The single most common resume leak: you exported from Word and it stamped your machine's account name into /Author. A recruiter opens Properties and sees a name or nickname you never put on the CV.
Before (File -> Properties): Author: dj_mike2009 Creator: Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 Producer: Microsoft: Print To PDF Title: Resume_FINAL_v9_THISONE Created: 2026-06-09 23:51:02 Modified: 2026-06-10 08:14:40 After sanitizing: Author: (blank) Creator: (blank) Producer: (blank) Title: (blank) Created: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Modified: 1970-01-01 00:00:00
The wrong company's name stuck in /Title
You tailored one CV for Acme and saved another as CV_for_Globex. If /Title still says Globex when you apply to Acme, the hiring manager can see you reused a targeted document. Sanitizing empties it.
Before: Title: CV_for_Globex_tailored Subject: applying for senior PM - Globex After: Title: (blank) Subject: (blank) No trace of the other application survives in Document Properties.
The timestamps that say 'made last night'
The dates show the CV was created at 23:51 and last saved at 08:14 the morning you applied. After sanitizing, both read 1 January 1970 — a constant shared by every cleaned file, so they reveal nothing.
Before: CreationDate: D:20260609235102-05'00' ModDate: D:20260610081440-05'00' After: CreationDate: D:19700101000000Z ModDate: D:19700101000000Z The 'created the night before, edited at breakfast' story is gone.
What cleaning does NOT remove — a past employer on the page
Metadata cleaning hides Document Properties, not your visible work history. A former employer's name in your experience section is page content and stays. If you need a redacted version (e.g. for a confidential search), use the redactor.
Document Properties after sanitizing: all clean. But the body still reads: "2021-2024 Senior Analyst, Globex Corp" That is intentional CV content and survives the scrub. If you must hide it, /pdf-tools/pdf-pii-redactor removes the underlying text.
Clean the .docx source too, not just the PDF
If a recruiter asks for an editable copy, the Word file carries its own author and revision history. Cleaning the PDF does nothing for the .docx.
Workflow:
1. Sanitize Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf with this tool.
2. Run the matching .docx through
/security-tools/office-doc-property-wiper
to clear its author, company, and revision data.
Now both the PDF and the Word source are clean before
you send either one.Edge cases and what actually happens
Dates show 1970, not blank
ExpectedThe sanitizer sets CreationDate and ModDate to new Date(0) — the Unix epoch (1970-01-01T00:00:00Z), written as D:19700101000000Z. It does not delete the date keys. This is by design and privacy-safe: a fixed constant shared by every cleaned file says nothing about when you actually wrote or edited the CV.
Your work history is still visible
Not coveredA metadata pass changes nothing you can read on the page. Employer names, job titles, and dates in your experience section are CV content and stay fully visible — which is what you want. If you specifically need a redacted copy, pdf-pii-redactor removes selected visible text.
A phone number or address is still on the page
Not coveredContact details printed in your header are page content, not metadata, so they survive the scrub. If you want a version of the CV without a personal phone number or home address, remove the visible text with pdf-pii-redactor rather than expecting a metadata pass to do it.
XMP packet still names you
Not coveredMany export tools write your name into an XMP packet (dc:creator) in addition to /Author. This tool empties /Author but does not rewrite XMP, and some viewers prefer it. Re-serialize through pdf-compress-lossless to drop the stale packet.
The Word source still has your name
Not coveredCleaning the PDF does nothing to the .docx you exported from — it keeps its own author, company, and revision history. If you also send an editable copy, wipe it with office-doc-property-wiper.
Password-protected CV
Loaded with ignoreEncryptionThe scrubber loads with ignoreEncryption: true, so it can often open a protected file to clear metadata, but it is not a password-removal tool. If your CV needs a password just to open, remove it first with pdf-remove-password (for your own file), then sanitize the unlocked copy.
Form fields on a fillable application PDF
Not coveredIf you filled an employer's fillable PDF, the values you typed are AcroForm field data, not metadata, and the save uses updateFieldAppearances: false, so they are left as-is. To bake the values in so they read as fixed text, run pdf-flatten before submitting.
File exceeds the Free tier size cap
RejectedA text CV is tiny, but a portfolio PDF packed with high-res images can exceed the Free 10 MB cap. Limits: Free 10 MB, Pro 100 MB, Pro-media 500 MB, Developer 2 GB. Compress an image-heavy portfolio first with pdf-compress-lossless or move up a tier.
Corrupt or non-PDF file
ErrorIf pdf-lib cannot parse the file — a truncated download or something renamed to .pdf — the load throws and nothing is produced. Confirm it is a real PDF first with magic-byte-validator.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly gets removed from my resume?
Eight fields in the document-information dictionary. Six text fields are emptied to blank strings: /Title, /Author, /Subject, /Keywords, /Producer, and /Creator. The two timestamps — /CreationDate and /ModDate — are reset to the Unix epoch (1970-01-01T00:00:00Z). The same eight fields are cleaned every run; there is nothing to configure.
Will a recruiter still be able to see my name in /Author?
No — that field is exactly what this clears. After the pass, /Author is an empty string, so the OS account name (or nickname, or old username) that Word stamped into it is gone from Document Properties. Your name on the visible CV itself is page content and stays, which is what you want.
Why do the dates show 1970 instead of being deleted?
The tool sets both date stamps to new Date(0), the Unix epoch. It is deliberately privacy-neutral: because every cleaned file shares the same 1970 value, the date no longer reveals that you wrote the CV last night or edited it minutes before applying. If you need the date keys fully absent, this tool does not offer that.
Does my CV get uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs in your browser via pdf-lib. Your resume never leaves your device — which matters, because many 'free online metadata removers' do upload and keep your file. Running it locally avoids handing your personal CV to an unknown service.
Will cleaning change how my resume looks?
No. Only the hidden Document Properties change. Layout, fonts, spacing, images, and every word on the page are preserved exactly — the file is re-saved, not re-rendered. The page count matches the original.
What about the XMP metadata — is my name cleared there too?
No. PDFs often store your name twice: in /Author (which this clears) and in an XMP packet (dc:creator) which this tool does not rewrite. Some viewers prefer XMP, so a name can survive there. Re-save through pdf-compress-lossless (/pdf-tools/pdf-compress-lossless) to drop the stale packet.
Should I clean the Word version too?
Yes, if you send it. Cleaning the PDF does nothing to the source .docx, which keeps its own author, company, and revision history. Wipe it with the Office Doc Property Wiper (/security-tools/office-doc-property-wiper) before sharing an editable copy.
Can I hide a previous employer's name from my CV with this?
No — that is visible page text, not metadata, so a metadata pass leaves it in place (and normally you want it there). If you genuinely need a redacted copy, for example for a confidential search, use the PDF PII Redactor (/pdf-tools/pdf-pii-redactor) to remove the underlying text.
I have a scanned signature on my CV — does this remove it?
No. A signature image is part of the page, not metadata. To pixel-redact a handwritten signature so it cannot be lifted and reused, use the Signature Burner (/security-tools/signature-burner).
Can I clean a password-protected CV?
The scrubber loads with encryption ignored, so it can often open a protected file to clear metadata, but it is not a password-removal tool. If your CV needs a password just to open, remove it first with PDF Remove Password (/pdf-tools/pdf-remove-password) on your own file, then sanitize the unlocked copy.
How big a resume PDF can I clean?
PDF input is file-based, so tier limits apply: Free up to 10 MB and one file; Pro up to 100 MB; Pro-media up to 500 MB; Developer up to 2 GB. A text CV is well under any cap; only an image-heavy portfolio gets close. Compress with pdf-compress-lossless (/pdf-tools/pdf-compress-lossless) if needed.
What is the full checklist before I hit submit?
Four quick steps. (1) Clean PDF metadata with this tool. (2) Re-serialize via pdf-compress-lossless (/pdf-tools/pdf-compress-lossless) to clear the XMP packet. (3) If you also send the Word source, wipe it with office-doc-property-wiper (/security-tools/office-doc-property-wiper). (4) Rename the file to a neutral Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf so the file name itself reveals no version history.
Privacy first
Every JAD Security operation runs entirely in your browser. Files, passwords, and PGP private keys never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.