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Redact PDF in batch & blur photoslocally

100% local

Zero retention

No third-party server

Free

Anonymize before ChatGPT, Claude or other AI tools

Asking AI to anonymize a document means sending the non-anonymized document first: your sensitive data passes through the provider's servers before the AI even "cleans" anything.

Pre-process locally with FileVert: redact text, blur faces, purge metadata, then copy the text or upload the already anonymized PDF to ChatGPT, Claude or other AI tools.

Real cases: summarize a contract without exposing the parties, analyze a CV without revealing the candidate, translate a medical report without identifying the patient.

FileVert is not AI: we prepare your documents for AI, 100% local, no upload. You stay in control before exposing anything to an external service.

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

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 and blur a photo

  • 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.

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 files

Explore mode

Let someone read and page through a PDF in the browser without a silent on-disk copy.

Guide: read-only PDF in the browser

Redact and black out a PDF

Permanent removal of sensitive text — not an extractable black box like Smallpdf or iLovePDF.

  • IBAN, SSN, emails, phones: automatic batch detection
  • Up to 100 PDFs (2 GB max), 100% in your browser
  • Not the same as EXIF / metadata cleaning in the PDF compressor
  • Targeted terms: names, companies, or references — word-for-word search across the batch

Blur faces in your photos

Family, children, social media or listings: mask non-consenting faces before sharing.

  • Automatic detection and blur on a whole folder
  • EXIF purge included (GPS, date, camera)
  • The image is actually changed — not metadata only

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. »
After FileVert redaction, AI cannot find the data — it is no longer in the file. With a simple black box, text often remains extractable.

Use 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 candidate ID photos (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.

How does it work?

Four steps, 100% local — then FileVert transfer in one click.

Work on a copy: PDF redaction cannot be undone.

01

Start from a copy

Import a batch of PDFs or photos (or a whole folder). Keep the original safe.

02

Redact, black out, purge

Blur faces, redact emails and IBAN, add targeted terms for names, purge EXIF and strip PDF metadata as needed.

03

Review the batch

Check each file before sending: redacted or blacked-out text cannot be recovered.

04

Share the prepared copy

Transfer the prepared copy via FileVert (Explore mode or standard).

Comparison

FileVertSmallpdf / iLovePDF
Cloud uploadNoYes
Cloud AI on your dataNoSometimes
True text redactionYesOften visual rectangle
Automatic face blurYesNo
EXIF strip (photos)YesNo
Free batch processing100 files, 2 GBLimited free tier
Names / references in free textYes (targeted terms)No / limited
Auto IBAN/SSN/email detectionYesLimited
PriceFreeSubscription
GDPR-nativeYes (local)Varies by server

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about FileVert PDF and photo anonymization

How to anonymize a PDF free online?

Open the FileVert anonymizer in your browser (https://filevert.fr/en/tools/anonymize-blur-document), import your PDF, enable redaction of sensitive data (emails, IBAN, SSN, phone numbers) and export. No file is sent to a server: redaction is irreversible and runs 100% locally.

How to redact a PDF free online?

Open FileVert in your browser, import your PDF and enable redaction. Sensitive text (emails, IBAN, SSN, phone numbers) is detected automatically and irreversibly removed from the PDF. No file is sent to a server: everything runs locally.

Redact or black out a PDF: what's the difference?

Redacting and blacking out mean the same action: permanently removing sensitive data from a document. FileVert actually removes text from the file, not just a visual mask that leaves extractable content underneath.

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.

Can you ask ChatGPT to anonymize a PDF?

No: that would be a paradox: to ask ChatGPT to anonymize a document, you must send the non-anonymized document, exposing exactly the data you wanted to hide. Anonymization must always happen first, locally. FileVert is designed for this pre-processing before any AI use.

Shadow AI: can I upload a PDF to ChatGPT at work?

Not recommended with public ChatGPT (free or Plus): pasting a work PDF exposes personal or sensitive data on third-party servers, often outside the EU — ungoverned shadow AI. Pre-process locally with the FileVert anonymizer first (https://filevert.fr/en/tools/anonymize-blur-document), then upload only the redacted copy if your internal policy allows. For HR, health or legal data: AI usage charter, Enterprise with DPA, or a 100% local tool.

How to automatically blur faces in a photo?

Import your photo into FileVert. Face detection runs locally in your browser, with no server upload. Each detected face is blurred or pixelated as you choose. Ideal for real estate listings, car sales (with plates), or photos published online.

How do I blur a child's face in a photo?

Import the photo into the FileVert anonymizer (https://filevert.fr/en/tools/anonymize-blur-document), enable 'Blur faces': detection runs locally in your browser with no server upload. Review the result, export the blurred copy and keep the original. Ideal before sharing a family album, school trip photos or posting on social media.

Can I blur multiple faces on a photo album in batch?

Yes. Drop a whole folder (wedding, party, class): FileVert automatically detects and blurs all faces on each photo, up to 100 files per session (2 GB max). Folder structure is preserved on export. Optional EXIF purge to remove GPS and metadata — all 100% local, no upload.

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.

How do I remove personal data from a PDF before sending it?

Import the PDF into FileVert's anonymization tool, select sensitive data types (email, phone, IBAN, SSN, card number), enable PDF metadata cleaning, then export. Nothing is uploaded, sensitive data never leaves your device.

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.

What is the GDPR benefit of local anonymization with FileVert?

You minimize personal data before sharing or online upload: no upload to third-party servers, 100% local processing, irreversible redaction of structured identifiers, EXIF and PDF metadata removal. You keep the original and share only a prepared copy, aligned with GDPR data minimization and risk limitation.

How do I anonymize documents with sensitive data (HR, health, legal)?

Process locally before any external sharing: redact structured identifiers, blur faces on scans and photos, strip EXIF and PDF metadata. FileVert is built as GDPR-friendly prep with no third-party server or generative model.

How do I redact an IBAN, SSN, email or phone number in a PDF?

Choose the patterns to treat (emails, phones, IBAN, SSN, bank cards). FileVert applies irreversible text redaction in the PDF (real removal, not just a black box).

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 with FileVert locally; only then share the cleaned version online if your policy allows it.

How do I prepare a file for online sharing without exposing personal data?

Run FileVert first: face blur, PII redaction, EXIF and PDF metadata purge, all local. Only then upload the already anonymized version online.

What sensitive data does FileVert detect automatically?

Emails, phone numbers, IBAN, SSN/NIR, bank card numbers, faces in photos, plus EXIF (photos) and PDF metadata (author, title, dates). Free-form names or addresses are not detected automatically. For free-form names or addresses, add them via Targeted terms (word-for-word search, up to 10 entries).

Should I remove EXIF and PDF metadata for sensitive data?

Recommended. EXIF can reveal location, device and date; PDF metadata exposes author, software and revision history. FileVert offers dedicated local options to strip them.

Does FileVert detect free-form names and addresses?

Not automatically: only structured data (email, phone, IBAN, SSN, card) is detected by regex. For names, companies, or references in free text, open Targeted terms in the interface: FileVert searches word-for-word on every PDF page and redacts them permanently.

Does anonymization work with all PDFs?

With most standard PDFs: selectable text, not flattened, exported from Word, invoicing tools, etc. PII redaction relies on the file's text layer. Face blur and PDF metadata removal work on these files too.

It doesn't work if the PDF is flattened?

Correct: a flattened PDF merges everything into page images, there is no extractable text left. Automatic redaction of emails, IBAN, phones, etc. cannot run. You can still blur faces (rendered pages) and strip file metadata. Same limitation for some scans without a text layer.

Our other tools

Prepare your files with our other free, local tools.

Image Compressor

Reduce the weight of your images without visible quality loss.

Use

Crop and references

Same ratio across the batch, reference images and thumbnail board for image to video.

Use

Audio converter

Convert and compress audio files locally (MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC, OGG), in batch, with no server.

Use

Compress PDF

Compress and optimize your PDF documents instantly.

Use

Image Upscaler

Upscale x2 or x4 without loss of sharpness for your visuals.

Use

Direct handoff to FileVert

Files ready on your machine? Transfer them immediately, without breaking the flow.

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