ToolPDFsToolPDFs
Protect PDF tool

Protect PDF

Rebuild a PDF with password protection directly in the browser.

No document uploadRuns locallyNo signup25 MB free files
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Free plan: 20 of 20 free operations remaining today

View pricing and limits

Shared across all tools. Resets daily. No card required.

What counts as an operation?

An operation is one completed use of a tool, such as merging a set of PDFs, compressing one PDF, or resizing one image. Browsing tools, selecting files, changing settings, validation errors, and failed processing do not use an operation.

Upload PDF

Drop a file here to get started.

Upload a PDF to rebuild its pages as images with password protection.

Output

Your result will appear here.

How to use Protect PDF

  1. 1Choose a PDF.
  2. 2Enter a user password and optional owner password.
  3. 3Download and test the image based protected copy.

Processing and current limits

This supported operation runs in your browser after you select an input. Free use allows 25 MB files and shares 20 completed operations per day across tools. Pro removes those product limits, but browser memory and device performance can still limit large files.

Review security and data handling and current limits before processing a sensitive or important original.

Formats and limitations

Accepts PDF and produces a password protected PDF made from rendered page images.

Pages are rasterized at a fixed 1.2 scale. Selectable text, links, forms, bookmarks, metadata, vectors, and accessibility structure can be lost. Password protection is not a substitute for secure delivery.

Common uses

  • Add an opening password before approved delivery.
  • Protect an image based archive copy.
  • Limit casual access to a PDF copy.

Features

    Frequently asked questions

    What changes when protection is added?

    Every page is rendered as an image before the new password protected PDF is created. Text selection and document structure can be lost.

    Can ToolPDFs recover a forgotten password?

    No. Keep the password in a secure place and test the downloaded file before sharing it.

    Related tools

    Unlock PDFSign PDFAdd Watermark to PDFCompress PDF

    Ready to use this tool?

    Enter your content or choose a file above.

    Use Protect PDF