Edit PDF (add text / white-out / redact)
One thing up front: this tool stacks new things onto a PDF page — typed text, white-out blocks, redaction boxes — it does not rewrite the text already baked into the PDF (that’s a limitation of the format itself; PDFs aren’t built to be re-edited). compress cat renders the page locally, you click to drop in text and drag to draw white-out or redaction boxes, then flatten and export, with nothing uploaded. It’s the right tool for filling a form, jotting a note, or covering something you’d rather not show.
One thing up front: this tool stacks new things onto a PDF page — typed text, white-out blocks, redaction boxes — it does not rewrite the text already baked into the PDF (that’s a limitation of the format itself; PDFs aren’t built to be re-edited).
How to edit pdf
- 1Select a PDF file.
- 2Pick “Add text” and click the page to type, or pick “White-out / Redact” and drag a box.
- 3Use Prev / Next to move between pages and add marks.
- 4Click “Apply & download” to export the edited PDF.
Why use compress cat's Edit PDF?
- Add text, white-out and redact cover most of what people actually need: filling a blank on a form, leaving a note on a page, hiding a line you don’t want seen.
- What you see is what you get — place and drag on a live preview, so you know exactly where a box lands instead of finding out after export.
- Sensitive files are handled on your own machine, no server in the middle — but read the next answer before you trust a redaction box to truly hide anything.
Frequently asked questions
No. This tool layers new text, white-out and redaction on top; it can’t touch the PDF’s original text, because PDFs simply aren’t built to be re-edited. To change the actual words, you need a dedicated PDF editor.
No. A redaction box is an opaque shape drawn over the page — it looks covered, but the underlying text very likely still lives in the file and can be copied or pulled back out. This isn’t true redaction. For anything legal or compliance-related, use a pro tool with a real Redact feature that strips the underlying data out.
No. Rendering the page and flattening your changes both happen inside your browser; the file never leaves your device.
Turn it into an automated flow
Need to batch-process, or chain several steps? Use the workflow builder to combine compress, merge, rotate and watermark into a reusable pipeline.
Updated · compress cat team