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PDFs carry your name, software, company, edit dates, and revision history — all hidden, all readable. Remove it in seconds without touching the content.
PDF metadata is stored in two places: the Info dictionary (a structured block of key-value pairs) and the XMP packet (an XML-based metadata format). Both are invisible in any PDF viewer but trivially readable by anyone who opens the file with the right tool — or even a hex editor.
The name of whoever created or last saved the file. Often your full real name from your OS account.
The software that created the PDF and the software that converted it. Reveals your tool stack and workflow.
Exact timestamps for when the document was first created and last modified — including timezone.
Document title and subject fields, often auto-populated from the filename or document heading.
Tags added by the author or software — can reveal classification, project names, or internal codes.
Organisation name from the software license or OS account — embedded by Microsoft Office and similar tools.
A PDF exported from Word carries the author's name, company, machine name, and edit timestamps in its metadata. In legal proceedings, contract negotiations, and public tenders this metadata has been used to identify anonymous submissions, prove document tampering, and reveal authorship of supposedly independent reports.
Ghoststrip uses a byte-level approach rather than re-generating the PDF. The document structure, fonts, images, and layout are completely untouched.
The PDF Info dictionary keys (Author, Title, Creator, Producer, dates) are located by scanning the raw byte stream and overwritten with null bytes. Byte offsets are preserved — the PDF structure stays valid.
The XMP metadata packet (an XML block embedded in the PDF) is located and overwritten. XMP often duplicates the Info dictionary but with richer data — both are removed.
Modern PDFs (from Word, LibreOffice, Chrome) can store metadata inside compressed object streams (FlateDecode). Ghoststrip inflates these streams, scans and blanks any metadata found, then re-deflates — ensuring metadata hidden in compressed regions is also removed.
The output is a byte-accurate copy of your original with metadata zeroed. Every page, font, image, and link is identical. A built-in re-verify option is available to independently confirm the output is clean.
Client documents, court submissions, and privileged communications should not reveal who authored or reviewed them.
Tender responses and proposals submitted anonymously can be deanonymised via PDF metadata. Strip before submission.
Leaked documents and source material carry author metadata. Strip before publishing or sharing with editors.
Client-facing deliverables often reveal internal tool names, author names, and revision history. Clean before sending.
Free, private, instant. Your PDF never leaves your device. Content completely untouched.
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