Automatically Redact Sensitive Data in Scanned PDFs
Scan a PDF for personal and sensitive information using OCR. Review detected data, add anything that was missed, and permanently redact the selected content before sharing your document.
✓ Automatic detection✓ Real PDF redaction✓ Scanned PDF OCR✓ Free to use✓ No account required
Review detected information
Uncheck an automatic result to keep it. Add rectangles for anything the detector missed.
Text PDF
Document preview Black = automatic · Red = manual
Redact scanned PDFs without checking every line yourself
Nerato combines OCR with automatic sensitive-data detection so you can review likely personal information before applying permanent redactions.
OCR for scanned PDFs
When OCR is needed, Nerato reads image-based PDF pages and looks for supported sensitive-data patterns in the recognized text.
Review detected information
Detected items are highlighted in the document preview so you can decide what should actually be redacted.
Add anything that was missed
Automatic detection can miss information. Add manual redaction areas before creating the final PDF.
Privacy by design
Your PDF is temporary. Your review stays yours.
Nerato keeps the uploaded PDF only in a temporary processing session while you review detected information and create the redacted document. Temporary sessions expire automatically after 15 minutes, and completing a redaction consumes the session.
No account requiredTemporary processingAutomatic session expiry
SCANNED PDF REDACTION
From scanned document to reviewed redactions
A scanned PDF may contain text as pixels instead of searchable text. Nerato can use OCR when needed, then combines detection with your review.
01
Detect common sensitive data
Nerato can detect common sensitive information such as email addresses, phone numbers, IBANs, payment card numbers and supported identity fields.
02
Keep the decision in your hands
Automatic results are presented for review rather than being blindly redacted. Select the detections you want to remove.
03
Handle image-based document pages
OCR helps recover text from scanned pages when normal PDF text extraction is not enough.
How to redact a scanned PDF with OCR
Upload the PDF, review the sensitive information Nerato detects, then permanently redact the items you select.
1
Upload your scanned PDF
Choose a PDF up to 20 MB. Nerato analyzes the document and uses OCR on pages that need it, within the service limits.
2
Check the detected data
Review highlighted results and deselect anything you want to keep. You can also draw manual redaction areas.
3
Apply permanent redaction
Nerato creates a new PDF with the selected content permanently redacted from the output document.
OCR redaction for scanned PDF documents
Scanned PDFs are different from ordinary text PDFs because some or all of the visible words may exist only inside page images. Searching the document as normal text can therefore miss information.
Nerato uses OCR when needed to recover text from scanned pages and then checks the recognized content for supported types of sensitive data. The results are shown for review before redaction.
Why OCR matters for scanned PDF redaction
OCR converts text visible in an image into machine-readable text. This gives Nerato a way to look for sensitive information on scanned pages where ordinary PDF text extraction is insufficient.
Automatic detection with manual control
No automatic detector should replace a final human check. Review every result and use manual redaction for sensitive content that was not detected.
Permanent redaction in the output PDF
When you apply redactions, Nerato removes the selected content from the generated PDF rather than simply placing a visual black box over it.
Review before you share
Use the preview to check detected information and manual areas before creating and sharing the redacted copy.
Scanned PDF redaction FAQ
Can Nerato redact scanned PDFs?
Yes. Nerato can use OCR on scanned or image-based pages when needed, then show detected sensitive information for review and redaction.
What if Nerato does not detect something?
Automatic detection can miss sensitive information. You can add manual redaction areas before applying the final redactions.
Does Nerato automatically redact everything it detects?
No. Detected items are shown for review. You choose which detections should be permanently redacted.
Can I review the scanned PDF before redacting it?
Yes. Nerato provides a document preview with detected items highlighted so you can review the results before applying redactions.
Is the redaction permanent?
Selected content is permanently removed from the generated output PDF, rather than being covered only by a visual overlay.
What types of sensitive data can Nerato detect?
Nerato can detect supported patterns and fields including email addresses, phone numbers, IBANs, payment card numbers, dates of birth and certain identity or document fields. Detection is not guaranteed to find everything.
Does OCR run on every page?
No. OCR is used when needed and is subject to Nerato's processing limits. The interface reports when OCR has been used.
Is Nerato free?
Yes. Nerato's basic PDF redaction workflow is free to use and does not require an account.
PDF privacy tools
Explore focused Nerato tools for checking and redacting sensitive information in PDF documents.
Remove selected sensitive content from the generated PDF instead of simply hiding it with a visual overlay.
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