PDF Metadata Editor
View and edit PDF metadata fields: title, author, subject, keywords, and creator. All editing in your browser. Free, no upload, instant preview.
Edit PDF metadata — change title, author, subject, keywords online
PDF metadata controls what appears in document properties, search results, and file manager previews. This tool lets you view and edit the title, author, subject, keywords, and creator fields of any PDF. All editing happens in your browser — your file is never uploaded.
Why edit PDF metadata?
- SEO for PDFs — search engines index PDF metadata. A good title and keywords help your PDF rank.
- Professionalism — sending a PDF with "Microsoft Word - Document1" as the title looks unprofessional.
- Organization — proper metadata makes PDFs easier to find in file managers and document management systems.
- Privacy — remove author and creator info that reveals your name, computer name, or software version.
Supported fields
- Title — displayed in browser tabs and PDF reader title bars.
- Author — the document's author name.
- Subject — a brief description of the document's topic.
- Keywords — searchable tags, separated by commas or spaces.
- Creator — the application that originally created the PDF.
What's inside PDF metadata
Every PDF carries a metadata block with the document title, author, subject, keywords, creator (the application that produced it), and producer (the PDF library that wrote it). Search engines, document management systems (DMS), and library indexers all read this metadata. Stale or wrong metadata makes your file harder to find — and embedded usernames or laptop names can quietly leak who actually wrote a "company" document.
What you can edit
- Title — replaces the filename in many readers' window titles and in DMS search results.
- Author — useful when handing a document off, or when the original author is a personal username that shouldn't be in the public file.
- Subject — one-line topical description, used by enterprise search.
- Keywords — comma-separated index terms, surfaced by document management systems.
- Creation and modification dates — read-only here; reset them by re-exporting through a fresh PDF tool if needed.
Use cases
- Whitepaper publication — set a meaningful title before posting a download on your website.
- Anonymizing handoffs — strip the original author's username before sharing externally.
- SEO and DMS findability — accurate keywords improve internal search and certain web search behavior.
- Legal redaction support — metadata leaks have caused real legal incidents; clean before public release.
Privacy
Metadata edits happen in your browser using pdf-lib. Your PDF and its new metadata never leave your device. There is no telemetry of which fields you changed.
Metadata cleanup: the quiet final step before publishing or archiving
Metadata edits are typically one of the last steps — after document content is finalized, before the file leaves for publication, archiving, or external redistribution. Cleaning metadata before public release removes author usernames, software fingerprints, and revision timestamps that can reveal internal information. For a whitepaper or public report: finalize content → compress → clean metadata → protect (optional) → publish.
- Protect PDF — Encrypt after cleaning metadata for secure external sharing — encryption locks in the cleaned fields so recipients cannot edit them further.
- PDF Compressor — The compressor also strips bulk embedded metadata; use this editor for fine-grained control over individual fields like author, title, and keywords.
- PDF Merger — Assemble the document before cleaning metadata — merged PDFs inherit mixed metadata from all source files, which often needs normalization.
- Unlock PDF — Unlock protected documents before editing their metadata — pdf-lib cannot write to an encrypted file.
- Add Watermark — Stamp the document before distributing the metadata-cleaned file so content identity is clear to recipients.
- PDF to Text — Extract text for search indexing — accurate keyword metadata improves DMS findability alongside the text content itself.
- Rotate PDF — Fix orientation before finalizing metadata — a well-oriented document with clean metadata is ready for archiving or publication.
- PDF Splitter — Split into final sections and clean metadata independently per section before distributing to different audiences.
Related tools
People editing PDF metadata often also use Add Watermark to PDF, Add Page Numbers to PDF, Protect PDF, and Rotate PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this tool free to use?
Yes. The tool is free to use in your browser and does not require an account.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The workflow runs in a normal modern browser, so you can use it on desktop or mobile without installing extra software.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. All PDF processing happens locally in your browser. Your documents never leave your device.
What PDF operations are supported?
You can merge, split, compress, rotate, protect, unlock, add watermarks, add page numbers, and convert PDFs to other formats.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no hard limit, but very large PDFs may be slower due to browser memory constraints. Files up to 50MB typically process quickly.
Will the PDF layout be preserved?
Yes. The tool preserves the original layout, fonts, and formatting of your PDF pages.