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Protect

Protect file with password and permissions

or drop a PDF here

No file selected

Files stay private. Automatically deleted after 2 hours.

Step by step

How To Protect a PDF

Lock a document with a password and decide exactly what its readers may do — print, copy, edit — straight from the browser.

  1. 1

    Upload your PDF

    Drop the file you want to lock. Nothing is applied until you press the button — and the file is deleted after 2 hours.

  2. 2

    Set the passwords & permissions

    The Password is what anyone needs to open the file. The Admin password is the key for later — needed to change the permissions or remove the lock. The seven permissions start fully locked: nothing is allowed until you tick it.

    The Password box holding open123 above the Admin password to change permissions box holding admin123 Allowed PDF reader permissions — seven unticked checkboxes from Modifying to Insert, rotate, or delete pages — above the warning line and the Encrypt PDF button
  3. 3

    Pick the strength & encrypt

    More options folds out the Encryption choice — Strong AES 256 is the default, with Medium RC4 and AES 128 for older readers. Press Encrypt PDF and the ready page hands back the locked file: in our test it opened only with the password, with every permission off.

    The Encryption row with Medium (RC4 128 bits), Medium (AES 128 bits) and Strong (AES 256 bits) selected, above the Encrypt PDF button The ready page showing wm-demo.pdf — 5.5 KB · 4 pages · deleted automatically after two hours — above the Download button
  • A password to open

    Anyone the file is shared with needs the password you set.

  • Admin key for changes

    A second password controls the permissions — keep it safe to change or remove the lock later.

  • Nothing allowed by default

    Printing, copying, editing, commenting — the seven permissions start switched off.

  • Modern encryption

    Strong AES 256 by default; Medium RC4 and AES 128 for older readers.

  • Honest about limits

    The screen says it plainly — some readers ignore permission flags; the password is the real lock.

  • Private by default

    No account, no watermark — and every file is automatically deleted after 2 hours.

Protect — frequently asked questions

How strong is the password protection?

Up to AES-256 encryption, with an optional separate owner password for permissions — readers can open the file but be blocked from copying, printing or editing if you choose so.

User password and owner password — what's the difference?

The user password opens the document; the owner password guards the permissions (printing, copying, editing). You can set either or both — with no owner password, the permission toggles are advisory only.

Is Protect free?

Yes — Protect is free right here in your browser, with no watermark and no sign-up. Every tool on the site works the same way.

Do I need an account to use Protect?

No. Accounts are optional — they keep your credits, API keys and settings together. The tools work signed-out.

What happens to my file?

Every upload is stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically after 2 hours. Nothing is listed, shared or emailed anywhere.

Can I run Protect from the API?

Yes — every tool has a REST endpoint. An API call for this tool costs 10 credits per file; browser use stays free. See the Plans & pricing page for plans and the API page for the endpoint list.

More answers on the Help page. Building with the API? Plans & pricing.