Remove Hidden Metadata From a PDF File

Understand PDF metadata and clean scanned page images locally with MetadataWipe.

Ready to clean a photo? MetadataWipe processes JPEG and PNG files locally — no account and no server upload.

Open MetadataWipe tool

PDFs carry document properties — author, title, creation software, and sometimes embedded thumbnails — separate from visible page content. When you need to remove metadata from PDF files before legal disclosure or client delivery, use your PDF editor's sanitization features for the document itself.

For scanned pages saved as JPEG or PNG attachments, MetadataWipe strips EXIF from those images locally in your browser. Combine PDF sanitization for the file bundle with image cleaning for any photo exhibits you embed or attach alongside.

How to use MetadataWipe in 3 steps

  1. Open the tool. Go to the MetadataWipe homepage and select a JPEG or PNG from your device, or drag and drop the file into the workspace.
  2. Review and remove metadata. MetadataWipe scans for common metadata markers, then creates a clean browser-generated copy by drawing the image to a canvas and exporting a new file.
  3. Download and verify. Save the cleaned file (named with -metadatawipe before the extension). Re-open it in the tool or a trusted viewer to confirm sensitive tags are gone before you share.

About Remove Metadata From PDF

PDF metadata includes XMP fields like Creator Tool, Author, and modification timestamps. Scanned PDFs may also embed JPEG objects that still contain EXIF GPS or camera tags from the phone that captured the page. Recipients can inspect both layers — which is why teams search for ways to remove metadata from PDF workflows before release.

Print-to-PDF and export-for-web options differ by app. Acrobat, Preview, and open-source tools offer sanitize or redact-metadata steps — use those on the PDF. For individual page images extracted as JPEG, MetadataWipe gives a predictable browser-local clean without uploading sensitive scans.

MetadataWipe supports JPEG and PNG with a metadata check panel and no account requirement. Verify cleaned exports before bundling into a final PDF packet. For high-stakes filings, confirm both document properties and embedded image tags in a trusted inspector.

Related guides

Start with our core remove EXIF data guide, then explore:

Frequently asked questions

Can MetadataWipe sanitize a PDF directly?

The current tool cleans JPEG and PNG images. Use PDF software to remove document metadata, then MetadataWipe for embedded or attached page images.

What PDF metadata fields are most sensitive?

Author name, company, software version, and embedded creation timestamps are common leaks. Embedded JPEG EXIF may also contain GPS from phone scans.

Does MetadataWipe upload my scan?

No. Image processing is local to your browser.

Should I clean images before or after assembling a PDF?

Clean JPEG page exports first, then assemble the PDF and run document-level sanitization on the final file.

Remove EXIF data, GPS location, and common photo metadata in your browser.

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