Protect PDF
Password-protect your PDF files.
- Runs in your browser
- Up to 100 MB
- No signup
Drop a PDF file here or click to upload
Upload a PDF to password-protect
Choose fileHow to use Protect PDF
Open your PDF
Drop the PDF you want to lock. It is encrypted inside your browser.
Set a password
Choose the password needed to open the file, and optionally a separate owner password for permissions.
Download the protected file
Anyone opening it will be asked for the password. Keep it somewhere safe: it cannot be recovered.
How to password protect a PDF
Adding a password to a PDF keeps its contents private if the file is forwarded, lost or left in a shared folder. It is a sensible step for payslips, tax returns, medical letters and contracts. Drible encrypts the PDF in your browser, so neither the file nor the password is ever sent to a server.
User password and owner password
The user (open) password is required to view the document at all. The optional owner password controls permissions such as editing and printing in readers that honour them. If you only set a user password, it is used for both.
Choosing a strong password
PDF encryption is only as strong as the password:
- Use at least 12 characters, or a phrase of four or more random words.
- Do not reuse a password from your email or bank.
- Share the password through a different channel from the file, for example by text message when the PDF goes by email.
Compatibility and recovery
The file uses the standard encryption defined in the PDF specification, so it opens in Adobe Acrobat, Preview, Chrome, Edge and every major reader. Drible never stores your password, so there is no way to recover it if forgotten. If you still know it, Unlock PDF removes the protection later.