Protect PDF Online — Password Protect Your PDF Files (Free & Secure)
Add a password to your PDF to control who can open it. Fast, simple and free.
What Is This Tool?
Protect PDF encrypts a document with a password, so it can only be opened by someone who knows it. You can also control whether people who open the file are allowed to print, copy text from, or edit it.
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 Password-Protect a PDF?
Some documents — contracts, financial statements, personal records — shouldn't be openable by just anyone who gets hold of the file. A password ensures only people you've shared it with can view or use the content.
Benefits of Protecting PDFs
- Only people with the password can open the file
- Restrict printing, copying, or editing separately
- Works with any PDF reader that supports standard encryption
- No desktop software needed
Who Can Use This Tool?
- Businesses sharing confidential contracts
- Accountants sending financial statements
- HR teams distributing personal employee records
- Anyone emailing sensitive documents
A Few Real-World Examples
- A business can password-protect a merger agreement before sharing it with external advisors, ensuring only authorized parties can view it.
- An accountant can encrypt a client's financial statement and disable printing, ensuring only the client can view it.
- An HR team can password-protect employee records before distributing them to department heads.
- A lawyer can secure a legal contract with a password before emailing it to a client, adding an extra layer of security.
- A real estate agent can protect a client's mortgage pre-approval letter before sending it over email.
Step-by-Step Guide
Upload the PDF you want to protect.
Set and confirm a password, and choose permissions.
Click "Protect PDF".
Download your password-protected PDF.
Customization Options
Set Password — create a strong password, ideally a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
Confirm Password — re-enter the password to avoid typos before processing.
Permissions — control what people can do once the file is open:
- Allow Printing — check to allow printing, uncheck to disable it.
- Allow Copying Text — check to allow text selection and copy, uncheck to disable it.
- Allow Editing — check to allow editing, uncheck to disable it.
Important: Passwords cannot be recovered if forgotten. Store it somewhere safe — a lost password means the PDF can't be opened by anyone, including us.
What You'll Get
The output is a new PDF that requires the password you set to open. Your original file is never changed — protection always creates a new, separate copy; the PDF you uploaded is read, not altered.
Comparison: Permissions
| Permission | Checked | Unchecked |
|---|---|---|
| Printing | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Copying Text | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Editing | Allowed | Not allowed |
Unchecked permissions stay locked even for someone who knows the open password — they're controlled by a separate, randomly generated internal password that's never shared.
Features
- Free
- Easy to use
- No registration
- Control printing, copying and editing permissions
- Secure processing — files are deleted automatically
Supported Formats
Best Practices
- Store the password somewhere safe — it cannot be recovered if lost.
- Share the password through a different channel than the file itself (e.g., send the PDF via email and the password via WhatsApp).
- Disable printing/copying too if you need stricter control than a password alone.
- Use a strong password (at least 8 characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols).
Troubleshooting
Problem: I forgot the password I just set
Solution: Passwords are not recoverable — they aren't stored anywhere on our servers. You will need to upload the original, unprotected file again and set a new password.
Problem: The file is already password protected
Solution: You must unlock the file first using our Unlock PDF tool before you can add a new password.
Problem: The file won't upload
Solution: Ensure your file is under 50 MB and is a valid PDF. Try a different browser.
Protect PDF FAQ
Is protecting a PDF really free?
Yes. Protect PDF is completely free, with no sign-up, watermark, or hidden limits beyond the file size shown above.
Is "password protect" the same as "lock" a PDF?
Yes — they describe the same action: adding a password so a PDF can only be opened by someone who knows it. This tool lets you password protect a PDF online for free, with optional restrictions on printing, copying, and editing.
What happens if I forget the password?
There's no way to recover it — we don't store your password anywhere. Keep it somewhere safe, since a lost password means the PDF can't be opened by anyone, including us.
Can someone who knows the password still change the permissions?
No. Permissions like printing, copying and editing are locked with a separate, randomly generated internal password that's never shared — so the permissions you choose can't be overridden, even by someone with the open password.
Can I protect a PDF that's already password protected?
No — you'll need to remove the existing password first (see Unlock PDF) before adding a new one.
Will my file be kept after processing?
No. Both your uploaded file and the protected result — along with the password you entered — are automatically deleted from our servers a short time after processing.
Does this work on mobile?
Yes, Protect PDF works in any modern mobile or desktop browser — no app required.
Is registration required?
No. You can protect a PDF without creating an account or providing any personal details.
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 — and most importantly, your password is never stored or logged anywhere on our servers.
- Uploaded files are automatically deleted within 30 minutes.
- Protected results are automatically deleted within 1 hour after completion.
- Your original file is never modified — protection always produces a new, separate output file; the PDF you uploaded is read, not altered.
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.
Ready to Protect Your PDF?
It's free, secure, and takes just a few seconds. Upload your file and password-protect it now!
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