Add PDF Password
Drop a PDF, set a password, and download an encrypted copy. Uses real AES-256 encryption performed in your browser — the file and password are never uploaded.
Drop a PDF here or click to browse
Encrypted on your device — never uploaded
Restrict what others can do (optional)
These apply to anyone opening with the password above unless they also have a separate owner password.
When you email a payslip, a contract or a scanned ID, anyone who sees that inbox can open the attachment. A password fixes that, and it should not require uploading the very document you are trying to protect to a stranger's server first. This applies genuine AES-256 encryption with qpdf, in your browser. The encryption is real: without the password, the content is cryptographically inaccessible, not merely hidden.
Features
- Real AES-256 encryption, the current standard
- Set an open password, an owner password, or both
- File and password never leave your browser
- Optionally restrict printing, copying and editing
- Works with any reader that supports standard PDF encryption
- Free, no signup, no watermark
How to use the Add PDF Password
- Drop the PDF you want to protect.
- Choose a strong password and confirm it.
- Optionally restrict what can be done without the owner password.
- Download the encrypted copy.
Why use this tool
Because an attachment is only as private as the least careful inbox it lands in, and protecting it should not mean uploading it first.
Frequently asked questions
Does my file or password get uploaded?
Neither. The PDF and any password you type are handled entirely inside your browser tab by qpdf compiled to WebAssembly. Nothing is sent over the network — you can confirm this in your browser's Network tab, where the engine loads once and then nothing uploads. For a password-protected bank statement or ID document, this is the whole point: the one file you must never hand to a website is exactly the kind these tools handle without one.
What is the difference between the two passwords?
The open (user) password is required to open and read the document at all. The owner password lets you change permissions or remove protection, while allowing others to open the file under the restrictions you set. Set only an open password to simply lock the file; set an owner password too if you want people to read but not, say, print it.
How strong is the encryption?
It is 256-bit AES, the same standard used for sensitive data across the industry. The practical strength depends on your password: a short or common one can be guessed regardless of the algorithm. Use a long, unusual passphrase, and share it through a different channel than the file itself.
If I forget the password, can you recover the file?
No — and no one can, which is what makes the encryption worth using. There is no backdoor and no recovery. Keep the password somewhere safe, and keep an unencrypted copy of anything important in a secure location of your own.