PDFSafe
Log in
← Back to all tools

Change PDF Permissions

Restrict printing, copying, or editing on a PDF, right in your browser.

Drop your PDF file here, or click to browse

Max 20MB · processed entirely in your browser

How to restrict what people can do with a PDF

Upload your PDF and choose what to allow: printing (full quality, low resolution, or none), copying text and images, and editing or rearranging pages. Nobody needs a password to open the file — the restrictions apply once it's open.

This is useful for distributing a document you want people to be able to read freely, but not print at full quality or lift content from — a policy document, a licensed dataset preview, or a draft you're not ready to have edited.

Frequently asked questions

Will this require a password to open the file?

No — anyone can still open and read the PDF. The restrictions only take effect once it's open, limiting what a compliant viewer will let someone do with it (print, copy, or edit).

Can these restrictions be removed?

Yes, by anyone with a tool that strips PDF encryption (including this site's own Unlock PDF) — these are the standard PDF permission bits, not a security measure. They deter casual printing or copying in normal viewers like Acrobat or a browser, but they don't make the content itself confidential.

What's the difference between this and Protect PDF?

Protect PDF requires a password just to open the file, keeping the content itself confidential. Change Permissions leaves the file freely openable and only restricts what's allowed afterward — printing, copying, or editing.

What happens to a viewer that ignores these restrictions?

Some tools and older viewers don't enforce PDF permission bits at all. This is a real deterrent in mainstream software, not a guarantee against every possible tool.

Related tools

  • Protect PDF — Add a password so only people you share it with can open the file.
  • Sanitize PDF — Strip hidden metadata, embedded scripts, and annotations from a PDF.
  • Flatten PDF Form — Make a filled-in form's field values permanent and non-editable.