PDF Metadata Editor — Edit PDF Properties Online Free
A free online PDF metadata editor: change a PDF's title and author name, add metadata to a PDF, modify its document properties, or strip the creator and producer fields. Fast, simple and secure — no sign-up.
A Free PDF Property Editor
PDFCherry lets you edit a PDF online for free in several ways, without installing anything or creating an account. This page is a PDF property editor: it lets you modify a PDF's properties — its title, author, subject and keywords — or change the metadata on a PDF that was left blank by the software that created it. If you're looking to change something else, these are our other free PDF editing tools:
- Crop PDF — trim a PDF's margins
- Watermark PDF — add a text watermark
- Add Page Numbers — number a PDF's pages
- Rotate PDF, Reorder Pages, Delete Pages — edit page layout and order
What Is This Tool?
This free PDF metadata editor lets you set the Title, Author, Subject and Keywords stored in a PDF's document properties — the fields shown in a file browser's "Properties" panel or a PDF reader's document info dialog. Use it as a PDF title editor, to change a PDF author name, to add metadata to a PDF that has none, or to modify PDF properties that were filled in incorrectly. You can also strip the Creator and Producer fields, which usually reveal the software used to make the file.
Everything runs on our servers over a secure connection; your files are processed, made available for download, and then automatically deleted a short time later.
Why Edit PDF Metadata?
Metadata fields are often left blank or filled in automatically by the software that generated the PDF, which can leak internal software names or leave a document looking unfinished. Setting them explicitly makes files easier to find, cite, and organize.
Benefits of Editing Metadata
- Set a clear title and author for search and citation
- Add keywords to help document management systems index files
- Remove the creator/producer software name from a file
- No desktop software needed
Who Can Use This Tool?
- Freelancers and consultants preparing client deliverables
- Students and researchers adding titles and keywords for citation
- Businesses standardizing metadata across invoices and reports
- Privacy-conscious users removing traces of internal software
- Archivists cleaning up metadata on old or scanned documents
A Few Real-World Examples
- A consultant sets the title and author on a client deliverable so it displays properly instead of showing "Untitled" or a generic export filename.
- A freelancer strips the Creator and Producer fields before sending a contract, so the client can't see which internal software generated it.
- A student adds keywords and a subject to a research paper PDF so it's easier to find and cite later.
- A small business owner sets consistent author and title metadata across a batch of invoice PDFs for easier searching.
- An archivist backfills the title and subject fields on old scanned documents to make them searchable.
Step-by-Step Guide
Upload the PDF you want to edit.
Fill in the title, author, subject and keywords you want.
Click "Save Metadata".
Download your updated PDF.
A Note on Fields Left Blank
Any field you leave empty is saved as empty — this tool sets the metadata to exactly what you enter, so leaving "Author" blank will clear an existing author rather than keep the original value. Fill in every field you want to keep.
Features
- Free
- Easy to use
- No registration
- Title, author, subject & keywords
- Optional creator/producer removal
- Secure processing — files are deleted automatically
Supported Formats
Tips for Editing PDF Metadata
- Fill in every field you want to keep — a blank field overwrites the existing value with nothing
- Use consistent author names across a batch of documents for easier searching later
- Keywords are comma-separated — use specific terms rather than one long phrase
- Check "Remove Creator & Producer" if you don't want to reveal which software created the file
- Verify the result in a PDF reader's "Properties" or "Document Info" panel to confirm the changes took effect
Troubleshooting
Problem: My existing author or title disappeared after saving
Solution: Leaving a field blank clears it — this tool sets metadata to exactly what you enter, so it doesn't preserve values you left empty. Re-upload the file and fill in every field you want to keep, including the ones that already had a value.
Problem: The new metadata doesn't show up in my PDF reader
Solution: Different readers surface metadata in different places — look for a "Properties," "Document Info," or "Details" panel in your PDF viewer. Some readers also cache file info, so closing and reopening the file can help.
Problem: My file won't upload
Solution: Make sure the file is a genuine PDF and under the 50 MB size limit. If it's password-protected, unlock it first with our Unlock PDF tool, then try again.
Problem: Special characters in the title or author look wrong
Solution: Some PDF readers have trouble displaying certain accented or non-Latin characters in metadata fields. If a field displays incorrectly, try re-entering it with plain ASCII text.
Edit PDF Metadata FAQ
Is there a free PDF metadata editor online?
Yes. This is a free PDF metadata editor online — it changes a PDF's title, author, subject and keywords with no sign-up, watermark, or hidden limits beyond the file size shown above. For other kinds of edits — cropping, watermarking, page numbers, or page order — see the "Edit PDF" tools linked above.
How do I change the author name on a PDF?
Upload the PDF, type the new name into the "Author" field in the sidebar, and click "Save Metadata". The downloaded file will show the new author in any PDF reader's document properties. Leave every other field you want to keep filled in, since a blank field is saved as blank.
Can I add metadata to a PDF that has none?
Yes. If a PDF's title, author, subject or keywords are empty, just fill in the fields you want and save — the tool writes the values into the document properties whether or not they existed before.
Can I change a PDF's creation date online?
Not with this tool yet. It edits the Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator and Producer fields; the creation and modification dates are left untouched. If you need that, let us know and we'll prioritize it.
Does this change the visible content of my PDF?
No. Only the document properties (Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer) are changed — the pages, text and images are untouched.
What does "Remove Creator & Producer" do?
It clears the two fields that usually record which software created and last saved the PDF, which can otherwise reveal internal tools or software versions.
Will my file be kept after editing?
No. Both your uploaded file and the edited result are automatically deleted from our servers a short time after processing.
What is the maximum file size?
You can upload PDF files up to 50 MB. If your file is larger, try our Compress PDF tool first.
Is a PDF's "properties," "metadata," and "attributes" the same thing?
Yes — PDF readers and file browsers use these words interchangeably for the same Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator and Producer fields. This page works as a PDF metadata editor, a PDF properties editor, and a PDF attributes editor at once, so whichever term your software uses, this is the right tool.
Can I edit a PDF's document properties without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. Adobe Acrobat isn't required — upload the file here, edit the Title, Author, Subject and Keywords fields, and download the result. It works the same in any browser, on desktop or mobile.
Privacy & Security
Your files are handled securely
All uploads are transferred over an encrypted SSL/TLS connection and processed in an isolated job folder. No one at PDFCherry views, shares, or uses the content of your documents for anything other than completing the edit you requested.
- Uploaded files are automatically deleted within 30 minutes.
- Edited results are automatically deleted within 1 hour after completion.
- Your original file is never modified — editing always produces a new, separate output file.
Read our full Privacy Policy or Contact Us if you have any questions about how your files are handled.
Why Trust PDFCherry?
PDFCherry is built and maintained by a small, dedicated team and runs on established, industry-standard PDF libraries — not an anonymous "free tool" that resells your files or data. The privacy practices above apply across the whole site. More about PDFCherry.
Having issues or need help? Contact Us — we're here to help.
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