Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is one of the most well-known tools for PDF editing, and it includes a dedicated redaction feature for permanently removing sensitive content from documents. However, the redaction workflow in Adobe can be confusing, especially since the free Adobe Reader does not include this capability, and many users accidentally use drawing tools instead of the actual redaction tool.
This guide walks you through the complete Adobe Acrobat Pro redaction process, explains common pitfalls, and introduces a free AI-powered alternative that can save you both time and money.
Prerequisites: What You Need
Before you begin, you need Adobe Acrobat Pro DC installed on your computer. This is a paid application — Adobe charges $239.88 per year for the standard plan or $22.99 per month. If you do not have Acrobat Pro, you cannot redact PDFs using Adobe's tools. The free Adobe Acrobat Reader only lets you view and annotate PDFs; it does not include any redaction features.
Step 1: Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and open the document you want to redact. You can use File > Open or simply drag the PDF into the Acrobat window. Make sure you are working with a copy of your document — once redactions are applied, the original content cannot be recovered.
Step 2: Access the Redaction Toolbar
Navigate to Tools > Redact from the top menu bar. If you do not see the Redact option, it may need to be added to your toolbar. Go to Tools and scroll through the available tools or search for "Redact" in the search bar. Once activated, the Redaction toolbar appears at the top of the document with options including "Mark for Redaction," "Find Text & Redact," and redaction properties.
Step 3: Mark Content for Redaction
There are two primary ways to mark content for redaction in Adobe Acrobat:
Manual Marking
Click "Mark for Redaction" and then click and drag over the text, images, or areas you want to remove. The selected content will be highlighted with a red outline, indicating it is marked for redaction. You can mark multiple areas across multiple pages before applying the redaction.
Find Text and Redact
For specific words or patterns, use "Find Text & Redact." This tool lets you search the entire document for a word, phrase, or pattern (such as a phone number format) and mark all occurrences for redaction at once. This is faster than manual marking when you know exactly what you are looking for, but it requires you to specify each search term individually.
Step 4: Apply the Redactions
After marking all the content you want to remove, click "Apply Redactions" in the toolbar. Adobe will display a confirmation dialog warning that this action is permanent and cannot be undone. Click OK to proceed. The marked areas will be replaced with black boxes, and the underlying text or image data will be permanently removed from the file.
Step 5: Clean Up Hidden Information
After applying redactions, it is important to also remove hidden information from the PDF. Adobe Acrobat includes a "Remove Hidden Information" feature that strips metadata, embedded thumbnails, bookmarks, comments, attached files, and hidden layers. This ensures that no sensitive data remains in any part of the document, not just the visible content.
Limitations of Adobe Acrobat Redaction
- High cost. At $239.88 per year, Acrobat Pro is expensive for individuals or small teams who only occasionally need to redact documents.
- No AI detection. Adobe does not automatically identify sensitive information. You must manually scan every page or know exactly what to search for. This is time-consuming and prone to human error.
- Desktop-only workflow. You need to download and install software. There is no browser-based redaction option in Acrobat Pro.
- Steep learning curve. The interface can be confusing, and it is easy to accidentally use the wrong tool, resulting in redactions that are not actually permanent.
A Faster, Free Alternative: AI-Redact
AI-Redact offers AI-powered PDF redaction that works entirely in your browser. Instead of manually marking content, the AI automatically detects sensitive information including names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and financial data. The entire process takes seconds rather than minutes, and the free tier supports documents up to 4 pages with no signup required. For larger volumes, pay-per-page pricing starts at just $0.08 per page — a fraction of Adobe's annual subscription cost.