Lock a PDF
Short answer
Lock a PDF so it can't be opened without a password. Set one here and download the locked file — it's encrypted in your browser and never uploaded.
Choose a PDF to password-protect
or drop your file here.
Encrypted in your browser — nothing is uploaded
Runs in your browser — your file is never uploaded.
Locking a PDF means adding a password that a reader must supply before the document will open at all. It is the right control for anything you send by email or store somewhere shared: a payslip, a contract, a scan of an identity document.
It is worth knowing what locking does not do. It protects the file, not the information once someone has legitimately opened it — a recipient with the password can still copy the text out or screenshot the pages. Encryption controls access, not what an authorised reader does next.
How to lock a PDF
- 1Add the PDF. Choose the file to lock.
- 2Choose a password. Type it twice to confirm.
- 3Download. Save the locked PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Will it ask for the password every time?+
Yes — the PDF prompts for it before displaying any page, in every standard reader.
Can I unlock it again later?+
Yes, with the password, using our unlock PDF tool — also entirely in your browser.