Edit PDF Metadata
Edit PDF metadata free. Change title, author, subject, keywords and creation date, or strip metadata for privacy. Browser-only, no signup.
PDF Metadata Editor reads and rewrites the metadata fields embedded in any PDF — Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Creation Date, and Modification Date — using PDF-lib's document-level manipulation API, entirely in your browser. PDF metadata travels invisibly with every document you share. The Author field often contains your real name from your OS user profile. The Creator field reveals which software you used. Keywords can expose confidential project code names. This tool surfaces all of it and lets you edit or clear each field before sharing. Beyond the Document Information Dictionary, this tool also reads and edits the XMP metadata stream — the XML-based metadata packet embedded in the PDF/A and PDF/X variants used in publishing and archiving workflows. Both the legacy DID and the modern XMP stream are kept in sync after editing to prevent viewer inconsistency.
Most PDF viewers show only the basic Document Information Dictionary (the 7 legacy fields). This tool also surfaces the XMP metadata packet, which contains Dublin Core fields (dc:creator, dc:description, dc:rights, dc:subject) that the Document Information Dictionary doesn't cover and that many "metadata cleaners" miss entirely. The hex-format date parser converts PDF date strings (D:20240315143022+05'30') into human-readable form for editing and converts back on save.
Features
- Reads and edits all 8 Document Information Dictionary fields: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate
- XMP metadata stream editing — reads the embedded XML, updates dc:creator, dc:description, dc:rights, and xmp:MetadataDate
- PDF date format handling — parses "D:20240315143022+05'30'" into readable datetime fields and converts back on save
- Bulk-clear mode — remove all metadata in one click for privacy-sensitive sharing
- Metadata diff view — shows before/after comparison of all changed fields before downloading
- Displays document statistics: page count, file size, PDF version, encryption status, and form field presence
- Preserves all page content, forms, annotations, bookmarks, and interactive elements unchanged
- Client-side PDF-lib processing — no upload, metadata not sent to any server
How to use Edit PDF Metadata
- Open your PDF — the tool reads all Document Information Dictionary and XMP metadata fields
- Edit any field in the metadata form (or click "Clear All Metadata" to wipe everything)
- Review the diff view showing exactly what changed
- Click Save Metadata — PDF-lib writes the updated DID and XMP fields into the PDF structure
- Download the metadata-edited PDF
Frequently asked questions
Why does my PDF show my personal name in the Author field?
Most Office applications (Word, Excel, LibreOffice) automatically insert the OS user account name as the Author when saving to PDF. This is set in File → Options → General → User name in Word. After saving, this tool lets you change or clear it without re-authoring the document.
What is the difference between Creator and Producer in PDF metadata?
Creator is the application that originally created the source content (e.g. "Microsoft Word 16.0"). Producer is the software that converted the file to PDF (e.g. "Adobe PDF Library 23.1.175"). Both fields can reveal internal software versions and workflows that you may not want disclosed to recipients.
Does clearing metadata affect document content?
No — metadata is stored in the Document Information Dictionary and XMP stream, completely separate from the page content streams, fonts, images, and interactive forms. Clearing metadata does not alter the visual appearance or functionality of the document.
What is XMP metadata?
XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) is an Adobe-developed XML-based metadata standard embedded as a binary stream in PDF files. It contains a superset of the legacy Document Information Dictionary fields plus Dublin Core (dc:*), Rights Management (xmpRights:*), and publishing metadata. PDF/A and PDF/X variants require XMP; plain PDFs may have it optionally.
Will this tool preserve digital signatures?
Editing metadata invalidates any existing digital signatures because signatures cover the entire PDF byte stream including the metadata. Remove digital signatures before editing metadata, then re-sign after editing if a valid signature is required.