What is your privacy policy?
cloudHQ is committed to protecting your privacy. Our policy is straightforward: we will not share any information you provide with anyone else, and we will use it only when strictly necessary to deliver our service. We do not share your information with advertisers or third parties. We never store your data on our servers, and all of your data is secured and encrypted, both at rest and in transit. For complete details on our data practices, read our privacy policy: privacy policy.
Why should I use PDF Redact by cloudHQ?
- Protect private information before sharing PDFs
- Reduce the risk of exposing confidential or regulated data
- Automatically detect common sensitive data types
- Redact custom data patterns specific to your business
- Always remove exact words or phrases you define
- Save time compared to reviewing every PDF manually
Is there a free version of cloudHQ’s PDF Redact? If so, what are its limitations?
We offer a free trial of PDF Redact that allows you to convert up to 20 pages. After you reach this limit, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version to continue.
How can I upgrade to a paid plan for PDF Redact by cloudHQ?
Here is a direct link to buy or upgrade to the paid plan for PDF Redact by cloudHQ?: Upgrade PDF Redact by cloudHQ?:
Can I use PDF Redact by cloudHQ on mobile?
Yes – you can use cloudHQ’s PDF Redact on your smartphone. Just open your browser and go to: https://www.cloudhq.net/pdf_redact:
What output PDF formats does PDF Redact support?
When redacting a PDF, you can choose between two output formats:
- Non-searchable PDF (image-based): each page is converted into an image, so the text cannot be selected, copied, or edited. This format is perfect to stop others from copying your text, editing your content, or stealing your intellectual property.
- Searchable PDF (selectable text): the PDF keeps its text layer, so the remaining text can still be searched, selected, and edited. This format is perfect when you only want the redacted information removed but want the document to stay a normal, workable PDF.
In both formats, the redacted information is permanently deleted. It is not visible, not searchable, and cannot be recovered.
Which output PDF format should I choose?
Choose Non-searchable PDF (image-based) if you are sharing the document outside your organization and want to prevent anyone from copying or editing its content. Choose Searchable PDF (selectable text) if the recipient needs to search the document or continue working with its text. Or if you want to put this document on your website so it can be searchable. If you are not sure, we recommend the non-searchable format since it offers the strongest protection.
If I choose the searchable format, is the redacted information still permanently deleted?
Yes. In both formats, the redacted information is completely removed from the document — not just hidden behind a black box. It cannot be recovered by copying, searching, using OCR, or inspecting the PDF’s internal code.<
I selected “Searchable PDF” but my redacted file came out non-searchable. Why?
Your original PDF is most likely a scanned (image-only) PDF. In other words, its pages are pictures with no text layer inside. Since there is no text to preserve, PDF Redact automatically processes these files as non-searchable (image-based) PDFs. This is expected behavior and your document is still fully redacted.
Where do I select the output PDF format? Will PDF Redact remember my choice?
You can select the format directly in the redaction wizard at https://www.cloudhq.net/pdf_redact, or set your default on the Settings page (click “Modify advanced options” in the wizard). Your choice is saved automatically and will be pre-selected the next time you redact.<
Why can't I select or copy text in my redacted PDF?
The file was created in the Non-searchable PDF (image-based) format, which converts every page into an image. This is intentional and protects your document from copying and editing. If you want the remaining text to stay selectable, redact the file again and choose Searchable PDF (selectable text) as the output format.
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