Security — Protect

Password Protect PDF

Add an open password and owner restrictions to any PDF. Encryption runs entirely in your browser — your file never leaves your device.

Step 1 — Upload PDF
🔒
Drop PDF here or click to browse
One file at a time
Step 2 — Set Passwords
Leave blank to skip open-password protection
Recommended: use a different password from the open password
Step 3 — Permissions

Allow recipients to perform these actions even without the owner password:

Allow high-res printing
Allow text selection & copy
Allow editing the document
Allow filling PDF form fields
Encrypting... 0%
✅ PDF Protected
File—
Open password—
Owner password—
Permissions—
⏱ File expires in 60s
⚠️ File expired. Please protect again.

How to Password Protect a PDF Online Free

Add password protection to any PDF in your browser — no upload, no account, completely free. LovelyPDF uses the AES-256 encryption built into pdf-lib. Your file never leaves your device. Set an open password to require a password to view the file, and an owner password to restrict printing, copying, and editing.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Upload your PDF by clicking or dragging it into the tool
  2. Enter an open password (required to open the PDF) and/or an owner password (controls permissions)
  3. Select which actions recipients are allowed to perform
  4. Click Protect PDF and download your encrypted file

Open Password vs Owner Password

An open password (user password) restricts who can view the document — anyone opening the PDF must enter this password. An owner password controls what readers can do with the document: print it, copy text, make edits, or fill forms. You can set either or both. If you only set an owner password, anyone can open the PDF but they cannot perform the restricted actions without knowing the owner password.

Frequently Asked Questions

What encryption does this use?

LovelyPDF uses AES-256 encryption via pdf-lib, which is the strongest encryption level supported by the PDF standard. This is compatible with Adobe Acrobat, macOS Preview, and all major PDF readers.

Does my file get uploaded to a server?

No. Everything runs in your browser using JavaScript. Your PDF and passwords never leave your device. This is especially important for sensitive documents like contracts, medical records, or financial statements.

Can I remove the password later?

Yes — open the protected PDF in Adobe Acrobat or a similar tool, enter the owner password, and then save without a password. You can also re-upload to a remove-protection tool if you have the password.

Will this work with all PDF readers?

Yes. AES-256 PDF encryption is a PDF standard and is supported by Adobe Acrobat, macOS Preview, Chrome's PDF viewer, Foxit, and all modern PDF readers.

Related tools: Edit Metadata · Compress PDF · Merge PDF