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Secure your PDF files with password protection and encryption, or remove passwords from protected documents.
About Protect PDF
Confileo's Protect PDF tool locks a PDF with a password so only the right people can open it. It works in any browser, free to start and without signup, and a file sent to our server is deleted automatically after processing.
Contracts, financial statements and medical records should not be readable by anyone who intercepts the file. A password keeps a PDF locked to the people you choose.
Confileo's Protect PDF tool encrypts your file with a password so it cannot be opened without it. The password is never stored on our servers and the file is deleted after processing — share the password through a separate channel from the document for real security.
A password on a PDF answers one question: who is allowed to open this file. It is the right tool for a payslip going to an employee, a contract sent over email, a bank statement forwarded to an accountant, or any document that will sit in an inbox where more people have access than you intended.
You set a password and download the protected file. Anyone opening it afterwards is asked for that password, in any standard reader on any platform.
Be clear-eyed about the boundary. Password protection stops someone opening the file; it does nothing once it is open. A recipient who can read the document can screenshot it, copy from it, print it and forward it. If information must not travel at all, protection is not the answer — remove it with redaction before sending.
How you send the password matters more than the password itself. Mailing the file and the password in the same message protects nothing, because anyone reading the mailbox has both. Send the password by another channel — a message, a call — and use a phrase long enough to resist guessing rather than a short one with symbols substituted for letters.
And keep a copy of the password somewhere you will still have it in a year. A protected PDF with a lost password is not recoverable by any legitimate means, and the number of people who lock a document and then cannot open it themselves is larger than you would think.
Your file is processed and then deleted from the server, and the original stays unprotected on your device.
Quick facts
- Price
- 3 credits per file (free every month: 50 credits as a guest, 300 with a free account)
- Signup
- Not required
- Max file size
- Up to 100 MB per file
- Your files
- Deleted automatically after processing
- Works on
- Any browser — desktop, tablet, mobile
- Watermark
- None on your output
How to use Protect PDF
- Upload the PDF you want to secure.
- Set a strong password.
- Download the encrypted, password-protected PDF.
Why use Confileo
- ✓Try it free — 50 credits a month with no account and 300 a month with a free one; no watermarks and no credit card.
- ✓No signup or account required — start using it instantly.
- ✓Your files are processed securely and deleted automatically for full privacy.
- ✓Works in any browser on desktop, tablet and mobile — nothing to install.
- ✓Fast processing built to handle real, everyday document workloads.
Protect PDF — Frequently asked questions
Where is my password stored?
It is never stored. Encryption happens in your session and the file is deleted afterward.
Can I remove the password later?
Yes. Anyone with the password can open and re-save the file without protection.
How do I put a password on a PDF?
Upload the file, type a strong password, and download an encrypted copy that will not open without it.
Can I protect a PDF before emailing it?
Yes. Ideal for contracts, financial and medical documents — share the password through a separate channel from the file.
What happens if I forget the password?
We never keep the password, so it cannot be recovered. Save it somewhere safe before sharing the file.
Does the password stop printing or copying?
The protection stops the file from opening without the password; once open, anyone with it can read and use it.
How strong is the PDF encryption?
Your PDF is locked with standard PDF password encryption, so it cannot be opened without the password you set.
Will the people I send it to need the password?
Yes. Anyone opening the protected PDF must enter the password you chose.
Is the protected file still a normal PDF I can share?
Yes. It is an ordinary PDF that simply asks for the password — share it by email, WhatsApp or any service as usual.
Is this tool really free?
You can try it free: 50 credits without an account and 300 with a free account, renewed on the 1st of every month. Every tool uses credits — file tools 3 per file and the heavy ones 12. No watermark, no credit card. Beyond the monthly credits, Pro gives open use with no credits to count, or you can buy a credit pack.
Do I need to create an account?
No. You can use the tool straight away without signing up or logging in.
Are my files safe and private?
Yes. A file sent to our servers travels over an encrypted HTTPS connection and is deleted automatically after processing; tools that work in your browser never upload it. We don't open, read or sell your files.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. The tool runs in any modern browser, so it works the same on desktop, tablet and mobile with nothing to install.