The challenge
Data exposed before sending
A cloud upload or a simple black mask often leaves data extractable, via copy-paste, OCR or AI.
cloud ✗IA ?RH · santé
Virtuous and responsible file transfer
Redact PDF in batch & blur faces in photoslocally
100% local
Zero retention
No third-party server
Free
Understand
Prepare your PDFs and photos before sending
100% local prep tool: redact, blur and purge on your machine, then transfer the prepared copy with FileVert.
- Irreversible PDF text redaction (IBAN, SSN, email…)
- Face blur and EXIF purge on photos
- Batch processing, no upload to third-party servers
Anonymize before ChatGPT, Claude or other AI tools
- AI cannot anonymize without seeing your sensitive data first
- Your documents pass through the provider's servers before any redaction
- A visual mask (black rectangle) often leaves text readable by AI behind the scenes
- In professional settings (lawyers, healthcare, HR), data bound by professional secrecy or GDPR
What changes everything
Anonymize PDFs and photos before sending. In bulk, in your browser.
Why not an online service?
Online anonymization means sending the intact document to a third-party server first. FileVert runs entirely in your browser.
« I could not recover the content hidden by the large black rectangle. »
For your PDFs
Redact and anonymize a PDF
- Redact sensitive text (emails, phones, IBAN, SSN, card numbers), automatic pattern detection
- Targeted terms: redact person names, company names, or internal references that automatic detection cannot guess
- True irreversible redaction: text is permanently removed from the PDF, not just visually covered
- Strip PDF metadata (author, dates, software, revision history)
- Batch processing, up to 100 files in one run (2 GB max)
For your photos
Anonymize a photo and blur faces
- Automatically blur detected faces (local MediaPipe)
- Strip EXIF metadata (GPS, camera, date, location)
- Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP
- Batch processing, ideal for property listings, car sales, personal photos
One tool, one drop zone: FileVert automatically applies the right processing depending on whether you import a PDF or an photo.
How does it work?
Four steps, 100% local — then FileVert transfer in one click.
Work on a copy: PDF redaction cannot be undone.
Start from a copy
Import a batch of PDFs or photos (or a whole folder). Keep the original safe.
Redact, black out, purge
Blur faces, redact emails and IBAN, add targeted terms for names, purge EXIF and strip PDF metadata as needed.
Review the batch
Check each file before sending: redacted or blacked-out text cannot be recovered.
Share the prepared copy
Transfer the prepared copy via FileVert (Explore mode or standard).
After the tool
Send the result: standard mode or Explore mode
When your file is ready on your device, send it with FileVert Transfer from the built-in send action. Choose whether the recipient downloads immediately (standard) or previews first in the browser without a silent local copy (Explore mode).
Standard mode
Secure link: the recipient downloads the file in the usual way. Best for final deliverables, archives and heavy attachments.
Guide: send very large filesExplore mode
Let someone read and page through a PDF in the browser without a silent on-disk copy.
Guide: read-only PDF in the browserUse cases
PDF + photos
GDPR compliance
Minimize text and visuals (PII, faces) before sharing, audits or online upload, no upload, on a controlled copy.
PDF + photos
HR & payroll
Redact IBAN and SSN on payslips and CVs (PDF), blur the candidate's face (photos).
PDF mainly
Legal
Redact contact details, SSN and party data on contracts, exhibits and briefs before sending or filing.
PDF + photos
Healthcare
Redact medical report PDFs, blur faces on scans and clinical photos, strip EXIF and metadata.
photos + PDF
Online listings (property, cars, rentals)
Blur license plates and bystanders on photos; redact addresses and owner info in associated PDF reports.
Photos
Family & children photos
Blur faces of minors and relatives before shared albums, third-party sharing or publication — 100% local, no upload of sensitive photos.
Photos
Social media & communities
Post a group photo while masking faces of people who did not consent (social networks, forums, WhatsApp groups, association sites).
All formats
Before external sharing
Anonymize and redact PDFs and photos locally before any upload, sharing or use with an AI.
Comparison
| FileVert | Smallpdf / iLovePDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud upload | No | Yes |
| Cloud AI on your data | No | Sometimes |
| True text redaction | Yes | Often visual rectangle |
| Automatic face blur | Yes | No |
| EXIF strip (photos) | Yes | No |
| Free batch processing | 100 files, 2 GB | Limited free tier |
| Names / references in free text | Yes (targeted terms) | No / limited |
| Auto IBAN/SSN/email detection | Yes | Limited |
| Price | Free | Subscription |
| GDPR-native | Yes (local) | Varies by server |
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about FileVert PDF and photo anonymization
How to anonymize or redact a PDF free online?
How to anonymize or redact a PDF free online?
Open the FileVert anonymizer in your browser, import your PDF and enable redaction of sensitive data (emails, phones, IBAN, SSN, bank cards).
Redacting and blacking out mean the same action:
text is removed from the file, not just visually masked.
No upload:
everything runs 100% locally.
Is FileVert PDF redaction irreversible?
Is FileVert PDF redaction irreversible?
Yes.
FileVert uses MuPDF in WebAssembly to truly remove content under the redacted area, unlike tools that place a black rectangle over text (where text often remains extractable).
Once redacted and saved, the content cannot be recovered.
How to blur faces in a photo (including batch)?
How to blur faces in a photo (including batch)?
Import a photo or whole folder into FileVert:
face detection runs locally in your browser.
Each detected face is blurred or pixelated.
Ideal for listings, family photos or albums (up to 100 files, 2 GB max).
Optional EXIF purge to remove GPS and metadata.
Can I anonymize PDFs and photos in batch or by folder?
Can I anonymize PDFs and photos in batch or by folder?
Yes.
Drop multiple files or a full folder:
FileVert processes up to 100 files per session (2 GB total), keeps the folder structure on export, and applies the same options (blur, redaction, metadata) to the whole batch, with no upload.
Can you ask ChatGPT or AI to anonymize a PDF?
Can you ask ChatGPT or AI to anonymize a PDF?
No:
to ask AI to anonymize a document, you must send the non-anonymized document first.
At work (shadow AI), pasting a professional PDF exposes data on third-party servers, often outside the EU.
Pre-process locally with FileVert first, then upload only the redacted copy if your internal policy allows.
Should I send a PDF to an online service to hide sensitive data?
Should I send a PDF to an online service to hide sensitive data?
Not recommended:
you expose exactly what you wanted to hide.
Anonymize first locally with FileVert (redaction, blur, EXIF and PDF metadata purge), then share only the prepared copy.
Aligned with GDPR data minimization, especially for HR, health or legal documents.
What sensitive data does FileVert detect automatically?
What sensitive data does FileVert detect automatically?
Emails, phone numbers, IBAN, SSN, bank cards, faces in photos.
EXIF metadata (photos) and PDF metadata (author, dates) can be purged.
Free-form names or addresses are not detected automatically:
add them via Targeted terms (word-for-word search).
Does FileVert use AI to anonymize?
Does FileVert use AI to anonymize?
For structured data detection (email, IBAN, SSN, phone), FileVert uses regular expressions, no generative AI.
For face blur, a lightweight local detection model runs in your browser.
No data is sent to an external AI service.
Does anonymization work with all PDFs?
Does anonymization work with all PDFs?
With most standard PDFs:
selectable text, exported from Word, LibreOffice, etc.
A flattened PDF merges everything into page images:
automatic redaction of structured data no longer applies, but face blur and metadata removal remain possible.
Our other tools from FileVert Studio
Prepare your files with our other free, local tools.
Image Upscaler
Upscale x2 or x4 without loss of sharpness for your visuals.
UseImage Compressor
Reduce the weight of your images without visible quality loss.
UseImage converter
Convert to JPG, PNG, WebP or AVIF, in batch, locally in your browser.
UseCrop and references
Same ratio across the batch, reference images and thumbnail board for image to video.
UseVectorize an image, a logo
Vectorize JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP and SVG to SVG locally, with editable layers and pro exports.
UseCompress PDF
Compress and optimize your PDF documents instantly.
UseAudio converter
Convert and compress audio files locally (MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, OGG), in batch, with no server.
UseDirect handoff to FileVert
Files ready on your machine? Transfer them immediately, without breaking the flow.