Protect PDF File
Password protect a PDF online, free and private.
Add a password to your PDF right in your browser. Add up to 50 PDFs, type and confirm a password, choose whether people can print, copy or edit, and click Protect PDF. Teasoft encrypts each file so anyone who opens it must enter the password first. Your files are protected on your device and never uploaded. The tool is free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
No Sign-Up, No Watermark
Up to 50 PDFs at Once
PDFs Never Leave Your Browser
Control Print, Copy & Edit
Drop PDF files here or browse
Up to 50 files, 150 MB each. Accepted: PDF.
Choose a password you’ll remember. If it’s lost, the file can’t be opened.
Anyone opening the file needs the password. Permissions are enforced by most PDF viewers.
Private by design: your files are processed in your browser and never uploaded. Protected by Cloudflare Turnstile.
How Do You Password Protect a PDF Online?
To password protect a PDF online, add your PDF, type a password in the Password box, type it again in Confirm password, choose what people may do (print, copy or edit) and click Protect PDF. Then click Download to save the protected copy. It takes a second or two per file and works on any device, with nothing to install.
Invoices, payslips, contracts, medical reports and ID scans often carry personal or financial details. Sent as a plain PDF, anyone who gets the file or a forwarded email can read it. A password keeps the content locked until the right person types it in, and permission settings stop casual printing, copying or editing. Teasoft adds that protection in seconds, without uploading your documents anywhere.
Everything happens on your own device. pdf-lib opens your PDF in the browser and encrypts it with the password you choose, PDF.js shows a small preview of page 1 so you can check you picked the right file, and JSZip bundles several protected files into one download. Your PDFs and passwords are not sent to Teasoft or anyone else, so you can safely protect bank statements, contracts and personal documents.
What ends up in your protected PDF:
| Part of your PDF | In your protected PDF | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Open password | Added | Every PDF reader asks for the password before it shows any page. |
| Pages, text and images | Unchanged | The file is encrypted, not converted, so text stays sharp and searchable once it is opened. |
| Links, bookmarks and forms | Kept | They work as before after the password is entered. |
| Print, copy and edit | Your choice | Printing is allowed by default. Copying and editing stay off unless you tick them. |
| Permissions password | Random | A random permissions (owner) password is created and never stored, so readers can’t simply switch your restrictions off. |
| File size | About the same | Encryption adds very little. If the file is too large to email, run it through Compress PDF before you protect it. |
Common reasons to protect a PDF
- Emailing invoices, payslips and salary slips that include bank or tax details.
- Sharing contracts, offer letters and NDAs that only the signer should read.
- Sending medical reports, ID scans or KYC documents to a clinic, bank or employer.
- Storing tax returns and financial statements on a shared computer or cloud drive.
- Distributing e-books, course notes or reports while blocking copying and editing.
- Sending a final version that people can read and print, but not change.
What each control does:
| Control | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Your PDFs box | Holds the PDF files you want to protect | Drop files here or click browse. Up to 50 files, 150 MB each. |
| Add and Clear | Adds more files or removes all of them | Use Add to build a batch and Clear to start over. |
| Password | Sets the password needed to open the PDF | Use 8 or more characters that mix letters, numbers and symbols. |
| Confirm password | Checks that you typed the password correctly | Must match the Password box exactly. Passwords are case-sensitive. |
| Lets readers print the PDF | On by default. Untick it for view-only documents. | |
| Copy text and images | Lets readers select and copy content | Leave it off to discourage copying of your text and images. |
| Edit the document | Lets readers change pages, add comments and fill in forms | Turn it on for forms the recipient needs to complete. |
| Protect PDF and Download | Encrypts your files, then saves them | One file downloads as yourfile-protected.pdf. Several files download as one ZIP. |
Good to know
- Remember your password. Teasoft never sees or stores it, so a forgotten password can't be recovered and the file won't open.
- Already protected PDFs can't be protected again. Remove the existing password with Unlock PDF first, then add a new one here.
- Permissions depend on the PDF viewer. Adobe Acrobat, Chrome, Edge and most readers respect print, copy and edit settings, but some apps may ignore them. The open password is always required.
- Your original file is not changed. Teasoft saves a new copy named yourfile-protected.pdf, and the original on your device stays as it was.
- Share the password separately. Send it by phone or SMS, not in the same email as the PDF.
What You Can Do With This Tool
- Protect PDFs for free. No software to install and no account needed.
- Add an open password. Anyone who opens the file must enter it first.
- Confirm before you lock. A second password box catches typing mistakes.
- Control printing. Allow or block printing of the document.
- Control copying. Stop readers from selecting and copying text and images.
- Control editing. Allow or block changes, comments, form filling and page edits.
- Protect up to 50 PDFs at once. Every file in the batch gets the same password and permissions.
- Keep the original quality. Pages are encrypted, not converted, so text, links and bookmarks stay intact.
- Preview your files. See page 1 of each PDF before you protect it.
- Download one file or a ZIP. A single PDF saves as yourfile-protected.pdf; a batch saves as one ZIP.
- Keep files private. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
- Use it on any device. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone in a modern browser.
Which PDF Tool Should I Use?
Use Protect PDF as the last step before you share a private document. Prepare the file with these tools first, because a protected PDF has to be unlocked before it can be changed again.
How to Protect a PDF (3 Steps)
Add your PDF
Drop one or more PDFs into the Your PDFs box, or click browse. You can add up to 50 files of up to 150 MB each.
Set a password and permissions
Type a password, type it again to confirm, and tick what people may do: print, copy text and images, or edit the document. Then click Protect PDF.
Download your protected PDF
Click Download to save yourfile-protected.pdf, or a ZIP if you protected several files. A quick security check may run the first time, but your PDFs always stay in your browser.
Tip: use a password of at least 8 characters that mixes upper and lower case letters, numbers and a symbol, and save it in a password manager. If the PDF is too large to email, run it through Compress PDF before you protect it.
Which Permissions Should I Allow?
| Document | Allow | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Invoices, payslips and statements | Recipients often need a paper copy but have no reason to change the figures. | |
| Contracts to review | Print, Copy | Reviewers can quote clauses but can’t edit the original. |
| Forms to fill in | Print, Edit | Edit lets the recipient fill in form fields and add comments. |
| E-books, notes and paid reports | None | View-only makes it harder to print or copy your content. |
| Medical, ID and KYC documents | The clinic, bank or office can read and print the file, but not change it. | |
| Drafts shared for feedback | Print, Copy, Edit | Colleagues can comment and mark up, while the password still keeps outsiders out. |
Getting better results when you protect a PDF
- Use a strong password. Aim for 8 or more characters with letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid names, birthdays and 1234.
- Type it carefully. Passwords are case-sensitive, so check Caps Lock before you type and confirm it.
- Finish editing first. Merge, split, compress and sign the PDF before you protect it, because a protected file must be unlocked to change it.
- Test the protected file. Open the downloaded PDF and enter the password to make sure it works before you send it.
- Keep an unprotected copy. Store the original safely in case you need to edit it or forget the password.
After you protect your PDF
- Share it safely. Send the PDF by email and the password by phone, SMS or a different chat.
- Change the password. Use Unlock PDF to remove it, then protect the file again here.
- Edit it later. Unlock it first, then use Edit PDF to make changes.
- Combine files. Unlock them, join them with Merge PDF and protect the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I password protect a PDF online?
Add your PDF, type and confirm a password, choose whether people can print, copy or edit, and click Protect PDF. Then click Download to save the protected file.
Is Teasoft's Protect PDF tool free?
Yes. It is completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how often you use it.
Are my PDFs uploaded to a server?
No. Your PDFs are encrypted inside your browser on your own device. Neither the files nor your password are sent to Teasoft or stored anywhere.
Can I recover a forgotten PDF password?
No. Teasoft never sees or saves your password, so it can't be recovered. Keep the original unprotected file or save the password in a password manager.
What is the difference between an open password and permissions?
An open (user) password is needed to view the PDF at all. Permissions control what people can do after opening it, such as printing, copying text or editing. This tool sets both.
How secure is a password-protected PDF?
The file is encrypted with standard PDF encryption that Adobe Acrobat and other readers support. Its real strength depends on your password, so use a long, unique one.
Does the recipient need special software?
No. Any PDF reader, including Adobe Acrobat Reader, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, macOS Preview and phone apps, asks for the password and then opens the file.
Can I stop people from printing or copying my PDF?
Yes. Untick Print and leave Copy text and images unticked before you click Protect PDF. Most PDF viewers will then block printing and copying.
Does protecting a PDF change its quality or size?
No. The pages are encrypted, not converted, so text, images, links and bookmarks stay the same and the file size changes very little.
Can I protect several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add up to 50 PDFs of up to 150 MB each. They all get the same password and permissions, and you download them together as one ZIP.
Can I protect a PDF that already has a password?
No. Remove the existing password with Unlock PDF first, then add a new password here.
Why does it say the passwords don't match?
The Password and Confirm password boxes must be identical. Passwords are case-sensitive, so check Caps Lock and type both again.
What will my protected file be called?
It keeps your original file name with -protected added, for example invoice-protected.pdf. Several files download as a single ZIP.
How large can my PDF be?
Up to 150 MB per file and 50 files at a time. Very large files depend on your device's memory, so close other tabs if a file fails.
Can I protect a PDF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Chrome and Safari on Android and iPhone, and the protected file is saved to your Downloads or Files app.
Do I need to install any software?
No. Everything runs in your web browser. There is nothing to download or install and no account to create.
Which browsers are supported?
It works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and other modern browsers on Windows, Mac and Linux.
How do I check that my PDF is protected?
Open the downloaded file. Your PDF reader should ask for the password before it shows any page. Enter it to confirm the file opens and the permissions work as expected.
About Teasoft's Protect PDF Tool
Teasoft's Protect PDF is a free online tool that adds an open password and usage permissions to PDF files. It uses pdf-lib to encrypt each document in your browser, so pages, text, images, links and bookmarks stay exactly as they were, and you can protect up to 50 PDFs at once.
It is made for anyone who shares sensitive documents: freelancers sending invoices, HR teams sending payslips and offer letters, accountants sharing tax returns, and anyone emailing ID or medical records. It works in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.
Your PDFs are processed on your device and are never uploaded, and your password is never sent or stored. A quick Cloudflare Turnstile check keeps the tool free from abuse without ever seeing your files.