Document privacy

PDF metadata viewer

PDF metadata viewer?

PDF metadata viewer, in three steps. Drop an unlocked PDF. Read author, creator app, producer, title, and dates from the Info dictionary, plus XMP when the packet text can be read. Leave the file here, or open the remover only if you want those Info fields cleared.

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Last updated 2026-10-27

The PDF stays in this tab. Property values are not uploaded.

Choose a file

Drop a file here or choose one

The file stays in this tab.

Waiting for a file.

Remove PDF metadata

What fields a PDF can carry

A PDF can carry an author, a creator app name, a producer, a title, a subject, keywords, a creation date, and a modification date in the document information dictionary. It can also carry an XMP packet. This page reads those values when they are stored in a form it can open. It does not read annotations, attachments, forms, JavaScript, signatures, or the words printed on the pages.

Why the fields matter

Creator is the application name stored in the Info dictionary. Producer is the tool name stored next to it. Author and the two dates are the strings the file saved. This page shows those strings. It does not edit the PDF.

What this viewer reads

Format	What is read
PDF	Info dictionary, page count, encryption flag, uncompressed XMP

What stays on your device

pdf-lib reads the Info dictionary in the page. This viewer does not unlock encrypted files.

Viewer and remover

This page reads. The PDF metadata remover clears supported Info fields and leaves XMP, forms, attachments, and visible page text. The Info and XMP remover deletes the catalog Metadata stream as well and then reads the file again. This viewer does not edit the file.

Supported standard Info-dictionary fields can be cleared in the PDF metadata remover.

Limits

Encrypted PDFs are reported as encrypted and are not unlocked.
XMP values are listed when the packet text is uncompressed. A compressed packet may only show as present.
A blank row means this reader did not find that value. It does not mean the page has no name on it.

What fields a PDF can carry

This is the set the reader in this page opens. A missing row is not a promise that another tool would find nothing.

Author. Info dictionary Author. Uncompressed XMP can also show dc:creator.
Creator app. Info dictionary Creator, the application name stored with the file. Uncompressed XMP can also show xmp:CreatorTool.
Producer. Info dictionary Producer. Uncompressed XMP can also show pdf:Producer.
Dates. Creation date and modification date from the Info dictionary, when the reader returns a date.
Title, subject, and keywords. The matching Info dictionary fields. Uncompressed XMP can also show dc:title and dc:description.
File facts. PDF version from the file header, page count, and whether the file is encrypted. An encrypted file stays locked.
XMP. Marked present when the catalog has a Metadata stream, or when the bytes contain an uncompressed packet with xmpmeta or xmlns:xmp. Inner values come only from uncompressed packet text. A filtered stream can show as present without those inner fields.

Annotations, attachments, forms, JavaScript, and signature dictionaries are not rows here. To clear supported Info fields after you have read them, use the PDF metadata remover. That page does not delete the XMP packet. To delete the Info keys and the catalog Metadata stream together, then read the new bytes, use the Info and XMP remover.

How this reader opens a PDF

The button says Choose a file. You can also drop the PDF. The line under the control says the file stays in this tab. Before a file is chosen, the status says “Waiting for a file.” While it reads, the status says “Reading metadata in this tab…” When it finishes, the status says “Finished reading this file.”

The first bytes are checked for %PDF-. The version is the number in that header, when it is present.
pdf-lib loads the bytes with encryption ignored set to false and metadata updates set to false. If the library reports encryption, the status is encrypted. The page then says: “This PDF is encrypted. Unlock it before the Info fields can be read.” This viewer does not ask for a password and does not decrypt the file.
On an unlocked file it asks pdf-lib for the title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, creation date, modification date, and page count. A blank row means that call returned nothing this reader could print. It does not mean the pages contain no name.
XMP is listed when the catalog has a Metadata stream, or when the raw bytes contain an uncompressed packet with x:xmpmeta or xmlns:xmp. Inner values (dc:creator, dc:title, dc:description, pdf:Producer, xmp:CreatorTool) are taken only from uncompressed packet text. A filtered stream can show as present without those inner fields.

This reader does not list annotations, attachments, AcroForm fields, JavaScript, signature dictionaries, or the words on the pages. It does not remove anything. After you have read the file, the PDF metadata remover can clear supported Info fields. That page still leaves XMP and page text. A scan that you later make searchable is a different job: see making a scanned PDF searchable.

ExifTool’s PDF tags (page last revised 29 May 2026; read here on 21 October 2026) point at the archived Adobe PDF reference and list a wider Info dictionary than this page shows: Author, CreationDate, Creator, Keywords, ModDate, Producer, Subject, Title, Trapped, SourceModified, and Apple keywords, plus user-defined Info tags. The catalog Metadata entry is XMP. The page count is the Pages Count. This viewer does not show Trapped, SourceModified, or user-defined tags.

How this viewer compares

Tool	What its page or this product says	What this site did not do
CreatorPrivacyKit	Reads in the browser. No upload. No password box. Info fields listed above, plus uncompressed XMP when the packet text can be read.	Does not write the PDF and does not claim to list every dictionary the PDF specification allows.
ExifTool	The PDF tag page says it reads and writes PDF up to version 2.0, including RC4, AES-128, and AES-256, with a Password option. Writes use an incremental update, so old metadata stays in the file until a tool such as qpdf --linearize rewrites it.	On 27 October 2026 ExifTool 12.76 read one synthetic PDF here. The default listing preferred several XMP values, and -a -G1 showed both Info and XMP. One -Author= write left the old author literal in the file. That is one file, not the Password option and not every write flag. Use ExifTool when you need a local command-line reader that also writes.
This site’s remover	The PDF metadata remover clears supported Info fields on an unlocked file and leaves XMP, page text, forms, attachments, and signatures.	The viewer on this page does not call the remover. Cleaning is a separate click.

ExifTool wording is from exiftool.org/TagNames/PDF.html, last revised 29 May 2026, as read on 21 October 2026. Acrobat’s document-properties help page did not load for this edit, so Acrobat is not compared here.

What this viewer reads

Container	Read on this page
Info dictionary	Title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, creation date, modification date
File flags	Page count, PDF version, encryption. Encrypted is not shown as empty
XMP	Listed when the packet text is readable. A compressed packet may only show as present
Page text	Not metadata. This viewer does not OCR the pages

Sending the PDF keeps the file you attach

A document attachment is the PDF, not a recompressed preview. Clear Info fields before you attach it, then read the download in the PDF metadata viewer.

Gmail. Personal accounts stop at 25 MB for attachments, then Gmail uses a Drive link. Workspace limits are set by the administrator. The 25 MB figure is from Gmail Help, not a rule for every inbox.
WhatsApp. Help documents document sends up to 2 GB, separate from photo HD. A PDF on that path can still carry author and creator fields.
Telegram. The public Premium post describes 2 GB file uploads, or 4 GB with Premium. Size is not a metadata wipe.

Metadata tools and notes

These pages split one job each. Removers clean. Viewers read. Learn pages define the terms.

One PDF where Info and XMP disagree, 27 October 2026

On 27 October 2026 this site built one synthetic PDF, 1744 bytes, SHA-256 f6280b3790a2ee349a0294ee7f4c5e47a5a96ac4c43d482994a7eb28d33f6df9. The header is %PDF-1.4. One page is 200 by 200 points. The catalog Metadata entry is uncompressed object 5. The Info dictionary is indirect object 6. An inline Info dictionary made ExifTool 12.76 refuse -Author= with “Error: Info dictionary is not an indirect object”, so this file uses an indirect object. qpdf 11.9.0 --check reported PDF 1.4, not encrypted, not linearized, and no syntax errors. The file was not uploaded, and the button on this page was not clicked. inspectPdfBytes in src/metadata-viewers/pdf-inspector.js read the bytes with pdf-lib 1.17.1.

The Info dictionary stores Title Info Title Fixture, Author Info Author Fixture, Subject Info Subject Fixture, Keywords Info Keywords Fixture, Creator Info Creator Fixture, Producer Info Producer Fixture, and CreationDate and ModDate D:20261027120000Z. The XMP packet stores dc:title XMP Title Fixture, dc:creator XMP Creator Fixture, dc:description XMP Description Fixture, pdf:Producer XMP Producer Fixture, xmp:CreatorTool XMP CreatorTool Fixture, and xmp:CreateDate 2026-10-27T08:00:00Z. The two sides disagree on purpose.

pdfinfo 24.02.0 printed the Info strings. Keywords stayed Info Keywords Fixture, with the spaces and without added commas. CreationDate and ModDate printed Tue Oct 27 20:00:00 2026 CST on this host, which is UTC+8. That line is this host’s local rendering of the Z time. It is not a claim about every pdfinfo build. Encrypted was no. Metadata Stream was yes. Custom Metadata was no. Page size was 200 x 200 pts. PDF version was 1.4.

ExifTool 12.76 with no -a flag preferred XMP on several unsuffixed rows: Title XMP Title Fixture, Creator XMP Creator Fixture, Description XMP Description Fixture, Producer XMP Producer Fixture, Creator Tool XMP CreatorTool Fixture, Create Date 2026:10:27 08:00:00Z. Author stayed Info Author Fixture. Subject stayed Info Subject Fixture. Keywords printed Info, Keywords, Fixture. Modify Date printed 2026:10:27 12:00:00Z. ExifTool -a -G1 showed both groups. [PDF] Title, Author, Creator, Producer, and Create Date 2026:10:27 12:00:00Z sat next to [XMP-dc] Title and Creator, [XMP-pdf] Producer, and [XMP-xmp] Create Date 2026:10:27 08:00:00Z. The comma-separated Keywords line matches the list behavior on ExifTool’s PDF tag page. The stored Info string has spaces and no commas.

inspectPdfBytes returned status ok, encrypted false, xmpPresent true, version 1.4, and pageCount 1. Info fields are the Info strings, including keywords Info Keywords Fixture. creationDate and modificationDate are 2026-10-27T12:00:00Z. It also returned xmpAuthor XMP Creator Fixture, plus xmpTitle, xmpDescription, xmpProducer, and xmpCreatorTool. It did not return xmp:CreateDate. This reader shows Info and XMP side by side. It does not replace the Creator row with the XMP creator the way ExifTool’s unsuffixed Creator line did.

One write used exiftool -Author="Info Author After Write" -overwrite_original. The file went from 1744 bytes to 5813, SHA-256 465805ab4fbb7e9b96e6b5f0dada65891c65d7fea88d366d8bce4f369efa4fda. The old literal Info Author Fixture still occurs once. Info Author After Write occurs twice. ExifTool -a -G1 then showed [XMP-pdf] Author and [PDF] Author both set to the new string. [XMP-dc] Creator was still XMP Creator Fixture. [PDF] Creator was still Info Creator Fixture. [PDF] Modify Date was still 2026:10:27 12:00:00Z. pdf-lib read the new Info author and the old XMP dc:creator, with dates still 2026-10-27T12:00:00Z. qpdf --check still reported PDF 1.4, not encrypted, not linearized, and no syntax errors. This is one write. It is not a test of the Password option or of every write flag.

One encrypted copy used qpdf 11.9.0 with a user password and a 256-bit key. The password is not published. The file is 2723 bytes, SHA-256 18dce514b0afbee0e940fd2cd246a956fc79a6242e3bf9fad6cb3df00f2893cf. qpdf rewrote the header to PDF 1.7. pdfinfo with no password printed no Title and reported Command Line Error: Incorrect password. qpdf --show-encryption without the password printed Incorrect password supplied, then R = 6, P = -4, and AESv3 for streams, strings, and the file. pdfinfo with the password printed Encrypted yes, algorithm AES-256, PDF version 1.7, file size 2723, Author still Info Author Fixture, and Metadata Stream yes. inspectPdfBytes returned status encrypted, encrypted true, version 1.7, pageCount null, and only the pdfVersion field. The viewer does not unlock it.

pdfquiz.com/pdf-metadata-viewer, read on 27 October 2026, says that when Info and XMP disagree, most readers show the Info dictionary, and that its own tool reports Info first. The same page says the file is uploaded. It does not publish this file’s 1744 bytes, the hashes, the four-reader rows, an author write that leaves the old literal in the file, or an encrypted file this viewer refuses. On this file, ExifTool’s unsuffixed Title and Creator were the XMP values, while pdfinfo and this reader kept the Info title and author. ExifTool’s tag page, fetched the same day, still described incremental updates and a Password option. A revision date was not in that fetched text. The earlier “last revised 29 May 2026, as read on 21 October 2026” sentence is from that earlier read. This site did not run pdfquiz.

Reader	Title	Author	Creator	Keywords	Date it printed
Info dictionary	Info Title Fixture	Info Author Fixture	Info Creator Fixture	Info Keywords Fixture	D:20261027120000Z
XMP packet	XMP Title Fixture	XMP Creator Fixture	XMP CreatorTool Fixture	not in the packet	2026-10-27T08:00:00Z
pdfinfo 24.02.0	Info Title Fixture	Info Author Fixture	Info Creator Fixture	Info Keywords Fixture	Tue Oct 27 20:00:00 2026 CST
ExifTool 12.76 default	XMP Title Fixture	Info Author Fixture	XMP Creator Fixture	Info, Keywords, Fixture	2026:10:27 08:00:00Z
pdf-lib 1.17.1	Info Title Fixture	Info Author Fixture	Info Creator Fixture	Info Keywords Fixture	2026-10-27T12:00:00Z

File	Bytes	SHA-256	Check
before write	1744	`f6280b3790a2ee349a0294ee7f4c5e47a5a96ac4c43d482994a7eb28d33f6df9`	qpdf 11.9.0: PDF 1.4, not encrypted
exiftool -Author=	5813	`465805ab4fbb7e9b96e6b5f0dada65891c65d7fea88d366d8bce4f369efa4fda`	old author literal still once
qpdf AES-256	2723	`18dce514b0afbee0e940fd2cd246a956fc79a6242e3bf9fad6cb3df00f2893cf`	header became PDF 1.7

Which value shows when PDF Info and XMP disagree?

On this 1744-byte file, pdfinfo 24.02.0 and this page’s pdf-lib 1.17.1 reader kept the Info title and the Info author. This reader also listed xmpAuthor XMP Creator Fixture beside them. ExifTool 12.76 with no -a flag printed the XMP title and the XMP creator on the unsuffixed rows, and it kept the Info author. Keywords printed as Info, Keywords, Fixture in ExifTool and as Info Keywords Fixture in pdfinfo and pdf-lib.

pdfquiz.com/pdf-metadata-viewer

exiftool.org/TagNames/PDF.html

Questions

How do I view PDF metadata?

Open this PDF metadata viewer and drop the file. It reads the Info dictionary in this browser: author, title, subject, keywords, creator app, producer, and dates when those values are stored. The file is not uploaded.

How do I read PDF metadata without uploading?

Use this page. pdf-lib reads the file in the tab. An encrypted PDF is reported as encrypted and stays locked. This viewer does not ask for a password.

What PDF metadata fields can this page show?

Author, creator app, producer, title, subject, keywords, creation date, modification date, page count, PDF version, the encryption flag, and XMP when the packet text is readable. Page text is not a metadata row.

Can I see XMP as well as the Info dictionary?

Uncompressed XMP can show author, title, description, producer, and creator tool. A filtered metadata stream may only show as present. Clearing Info fields later does not delete that XMP packet.

How does this PDF metadata viewer read the file?

Choose a file, or drop the PDF. The file stays in this tab. pdf-lib opens it with encryption checking left on and metadata updating left off. An encrypted file is reported as encrypted and is not unlocked. There is no password box.

How is this different from ExifTool?

ExifTool’s PDF tag page, last revised 29 May 2026 as read on 21 October 2026, says it reads and writes PDF through version 2.0, including RC4 and AES, with a Password option, and that its writes are incremental and reversible unless the file is linearized afterward. On 27 October 2026 the same URL still described incremental updates and a Password option; a revision date was not in that fetched text. This page only reads a smaller set of Info fields and uncompressed XMP. It does not write. The same day, ExifTool 12.76 read one synthetic PDF on this site: the default listing preferred several XMP values, and one -Author= write left the old author literal in the file. That read is not a test of the Password option or of every write flag.

PDF metadata viewer