Every PDF you export carries a hidden identity card. PDFs store author name, document title, subject, keywords, creator application (e.g. Microsoft Word, Google Docs, InDesign), producer engine, and creation/modification timestamps in two places: the Info dictionary and a separate XMP metadata stream. Open any PDF in Adobe Reader and check File > Properties — what you see there is only the surface. Forensic tools read far more from the XMP stream, including editing history and tool versions.

This matters more than people think. Job applicants leak their full name and Word version in CVs. Whistleblowers and journalists leak usernames and machine paths. Businesses leak internal author names, server software, and revision dates in contracts and whitepapers. Simply renaming the file or printing to a new PDF does not reliably clear both stores — many workflows copy the XMP stream straight across.

  • Info dictionary fields — Author, Title, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate
  • XMP stream — Dublin Core author/title data, PDF/A IDs, editing software history, document IDs
  • Where to check — Adobe Reader/Acrobat: File > Properties > Description; for XMP, use ExifTool or a PDF inspector
  • What to wipe — both stores at once, plus reset dates; clearing only one leaves the other fully readable
How Vantawebs cleans PDFs

Vantawebs blanks every Info-dict field, deletes the XMP Metadata stream from the document catalog, and neutralizes creation/modification dates — all inside your browser, with nothing uploaded. Unlike shady upload sites, your contract or CV never leaves your device. The same one-step tool also strips EXIF data from photos and metadata from videos.

Common real-world leaks prove the point. Resumes exported from Word carry the applicant’s account name and software build; contracts routed through review tools accumulate a chain of authors and timestamps; scanned PDFs from office copiers embed device serials and scan dates. Even “Print to PDF” and compress-PDF websites frequently copy the Info dictionary and XMP packet into the new file, so the “clean” copy is anything but. Before sending anything sensitive — a CV, a legal draft, a source document — open File > Properties, assume the XMP holds even more, and run the file through the cleaner below. Ten seconds of prevention beats explaining an exposed username later — especially since the cleaned file stays byte-compatible with every PDF reader.

Drop your file below and press Clean it now — Vantawebs strips everything in your browser in seconds, with nothing uploaded and zero quality loss.