What is PDF metadata?
PDF metadata describes the document rather than the visible page. An author field can contain a person’s name, while a title or creator field can reveal the original document name or the software that produced it. A blank author field is only one observation. It does not tell you whether the document contains other identifying information.
Check the file in your browser
- Open PDF Metadata Check and choose one PDF.
- Run the read-only inspection. Supported document processing stays in your browser. The checker does not change the source file.
- Review the common metadata findings, then read the coverage notes for attachments and other structural markers.
- If a field identifies someone who should not be named, keep the original and prepare a separate copy for cleanup.
What should you look for?
- Author and title
- Look for names, internal project titles or document labels that should not accompany the shared copy.
- Creator and producer
- These may identify the application used to generate the PDF. Decide whether that matters for your recipient.
- Dates and additional metadata
- Review the fields the report can read. Metadata can exist in more than one location, including document information and XMP data. A result from one location does not establish coverage of the others.
Read the status, not just the field value
- Found: the check identified the reported item. Consider whether it belongs in the shared document.
- Not found in checked locations: the inspected locations did not produce that finding. This is not a whole-document guarantee.
- Partial or not checked: coverage is limited or unavailable. Do not interpret this status as clean.
The report may also flag supported attachment, form, annotation, script, link or signature-presence markers. These checks have their own limits. Signature presence does not establish signer identity or signature validity.
Does Caspenda remove the author or metadata?
No. This tool is read-only and does not remove metadata. Use a separate editor or sanitization workflow when you need to clear information, then inspect the saved copy again. Ordinary merging or splitting should not be used as a promise that a document has been sanitized.
For a wider review, use the PDF privacy checklist. It covers visible content, comments, forms and attachments as well as metadata.
Sources and method
This walkthrough describes Caspenda’s supported read-only inspection. Coverage is reported by the tool for the selected file. Adobe’s metadata guidance explains document properties, while its sanitization guidance describes a separate cleanup workflow. Reviewed September 30, 2026.