How to Password Protect a PDF Online (Free & Private)

Sending a confidential document by email? A password-protected PDF keeps it readable only by the people you trust.

Why Password-Protect a PDF?

**Keep files private** — only people with the password can open the document

**Share securely** — send the file and the password through separate channels

**Control access** — revoke access by sharing the password selectively

How to Protect a PDF

1. Open the **Protect PDF** tool at pdfkit.samevibe.in/tools/protect-pdf

2. **Upload your PDF** by dragging it in or clicking to browse

3. **Set a strong password** — at least 12 characters mixing upper and lower case, numbers, and symbols

4. Click **Protect** — the PDF is encrypted on your device

5. **Download the protected PDF** and share it with the password separately

Restricting Actions, Not Just Access

Beyond opening, you can also control what recipients can *do* with the file. The **Restrict PDF** tool lets you disable printing, copying, or editing while keeping the document openable — useful for client proofs and internal drafts.

Removing Protection

Need to take the password off later? Use the **Unlock PDF** tool. You'll need the current password — PDFKit never bypasses encryption, and since all processing is local, there's no password recovery service to call.

Privacy

Password protection happens entirely in your browser. The password and the file never leave your device, so there's nothing stored or logged on any server.