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How to Password Protect a PDF

Adding a password to a PDF is a simple way to keep sensitive documents, such as contracts, financial statements, and personal records, from being opened by anyone you haven't shared the password with. Our tool uses AES-256 encryption, the current standard for strong PDF protection, and does the encryption locally in your browser rather than on a remote server.

  1. 1Open the Add PDF Password tool.
  2. 2Choose the PDF you want to protect.
  3. 3Enter a password, then confirm it.
  4. 4Click "Add Password" to download a protected copy of your PDF.
Open Add PDF Password

Frequently asked questions

What encryption does this use?

AES-256, the modern standard for PDF encryption. It's the same strength used by most professional PDF security tools.

Will the recipient need special software to open it?

No. Any standard PDF reader (Adobe Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, etc.) will prompt for the password and open the file normally once it's entered.

What if I forget the password I set?

There's no way to recover it. Since the file is encrypted and never touches a server, we have no way to reset or retrieve a forgotten password either. Keep it somewhere safe.