Protect PDF — Add a Password
Encrypt a PDF with a password so it can't be opened without it — and optionally block printing or copying. Everything runs privately in your browser.
How it works
Upload your PDF
Choose a password
Download the protected PDF
What protecting does
Encrypts the PDF with a password so it can't be opened without it — and can also block printing or copying.
About this tool
Our free protect-PDF tool adds real password encryption to a document so it cannot be opened by anyone who doesn't know the password. It's what you need before emailing a contract, a salary slip, a bank statement or any file you wouldn't want a stranger to read if it landed in the wrong inbox. You can also open the Permissions section to keep the file readable but stop people from printing, copying text or editing it. The crucial difference from most “free” online encrypters is privacy: the encryption happens entirely inside your browser, so neither your document nor your password is ever uploaded to a server. It's completely free with no limits and no watermark, and it works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge with no installation and no signup. If you later need to remove the password, use our Unlock PDF tool with the same password.
Why use this tool
Real password encryption
Locks the PDF with standard AES encryption so it simply can't be opened without the password — not just hidden behind a prompt.
Restrict, don't just block
Optionally keep the file readable but stop people from printing, copying text or editing it.
Private by design
Both the encryption and your password stay in your browser; the document is never uploaded.
Common use cases
- Password-protect a contract or NDA before emailing it
- Lock a bank statement, payslip or tax document
- Stop a shared report from being printed or copied
- Secure a PDF on a shared or work computer
Frequently asked questions
Your PDF is encrypted in your browser using a password you choose. After that, anyone who wants to open the file must enter that password — the contents are unreadable without it.
Never. Both the encryption and your password stay inside your browser. Your document is never uploaded, which makes this safe for contracts, statements and other sensitive files.
The PDF is encrypted with the standard AES encryption built into the PDF format, which is supported by Adobe Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, Edge and other common readers.
Yes. Open the Permissions section and uncheck printing, copying or editing. The file still opens with the password, but those actions are disabled for people who only have that password.
There is no recovery. We can't reset or bypass it because nothing is stored on our side. Keep a copy of the original unprotected file and store the password somewhere safe.