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Edit PDF Metadata – Change the Title, Author and Keywords

Every PDF carries hidden information: a title, author, subject, keywords, the apps that created it and the dates it was made and changed. View and edit these properties, or clear them before sharing a document, and download the updated PDF. Nothing is uploaded.

Your files stay on your device

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How to edit PDF properties

  1. Choose your PDF. Its current properties appear in the form.
  2. Change any field: title, author, subject, keywords (separated by commas), creator, producer and dates.
  3. Press Clear all fields to remove the text properties in one go.
  4. Press Save PDF and download the updated file.

The properties explained

PropertyWhat it means
TitleThe document’s name, shown in browser tabs and search results
AuthorThe person or organisation that wrote it
SubjectA short description
KeywordsWords that describe the content, used by search and document systems
CreatorThe app the original document was made in (e.g. Word)
ProducerThe app that made the PDF
Created / ModifiedDate and time stamps

Why metadata matters

Professional presentation. When someone opens your PDF in a browser, the tab often shows the title from the metadata. “Proposal for Acme Ltd – November 2026” looks better than “Microsoft Word – final_v7”.

Search engines. For PDFs published on websites, search engines may use the title and description in results. A descriptive title can improve how your document appears.

Privacy. Metadata can reveal more than you expect: your name, your company, the software you use and when you worked on the file. Lawyers, journalists and anyone sharing sensitive documents often remove it before publishing.

Document management. Keywords and subjects help archives, libraries and document systems find files.

Tips

  • Write titles for humans: clear and specific, under about 60 characters.
  • Use the same author name across all your company’s documents.
  • Check after exporting from Word or Google Docs — they often fill in the author automatically.
  • Remove metadata from documents you publish anonymously.

Checking metadata before you share

Before sending a document outside your organisation, open it here and read the properties. You may find an old title from a template, a previous client’s name, or a colleague’s name as the author. Clearing or correcting these takes seconds and avoids awkward questions.

Do the same check on PDFs exported from templates, which often carry over the template’s original title and author.

What isn’t changed

Some PDFs also store metadata in an XML block (XMP) that certain apps read instead of the basic properties. This tool updates the standard properties that browsers, Acrobat and most apps use. Images inside the PDF may also contain their own data, such as camera details; for photos, use a tool that removes image EXIF data before creating the PDF.

To protect the updated file, use protect PDF; to reduce its size, compress PDF.

Frequently asked questions

What is PDF metadata?

Information stored inside the PDF about the document: title, author, subject, keywords, creator (the app used to write it), producer (the app that made the PDF) and the creation and modification dates.

Why change the PDF title?

The title is shown in browser tabs and some PDF readers instead of the file name, and search engines may use it in results for PDFs on websites. A file called “Document1” looks unprofessional; a clear title helps readers.

How do I remove personal information from a PDF?

Press “Clear all fields” to empty the title, author, subject, keywords, creator and producer, then save. The author field often contains your name or computer user name.

Can I change the creation date?

Yes. Set a new date and time in the Created field. The modification date is set to now unless you choose one.

Does this change the content of the PDF?

No. Pages, text and images stay exactly the same; only the document properties change.

Can I edit metadata in a protected PDF?

Remove the protection first with the unlock PDF tool, then edit the properties, and protect it again if needed.

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