Start with the recipient and the purpose
Decide who needs the document and which information they need. Work on a copy, keep the source, and review the exact file you intend to send. A tool result can help with specific checks, but it cannot make that decision for you.
1. Read the visible pages
Check names, addresses, account details, internal notes and images on every relevant page. If information must be removed, use a true redaction workflow. Drawing a dark rectangle over text can leave the underlying content available. Reopen the saved copy and test the areas you intended to redact.
2. Inspect document metadata
Use PDF Metadata Check to inspect supported properties locally. Look at author, title and the other fields the report can read. Follow the metadata walkthrough if you are unsure how to interpret a finding.
Caspenda’s checker is read-only. It does not clear metadata or certify a PDF as safe. Read partial and not-checked statuses as gaps in coverage, then decide whether you need a separate cleanup workflow.
3. Review comments, forms and attachments
In a suitable PDF viewer, look for comments, filled form values and attached files that should not travel with the document. Caspenda may identify supported structural markers, but that does not mean it inspected every item’s contents or every possible storage location.
4. Keep access protection separate from cleanup
An opening password controls access to a supported document. It does not remove the information inside it. If access protection is needed after your review, use Protect PDF, verify the exported copy requires the password, and give the password to the intended recipient through an appropriate channel.
5. Check the final saved copy
- Reopen the actual file you will send and confirm the expected pages and contents.
- Repeat the metadata inspection after editing, conversion or cleanup.
- Review any form, attachment or signature changes caused by the workflow.
- Check the filename and the sharing permissions or recipient list.
- Resolve important inspection gaps before distributing a sensitive document.
What this checklist cannot establish
A local workflow avoids uploading supported document contents to Caspenda for processing. It does not establish that your device, browser extensions, source file or destination is secure. The metadata checker is not a malware scanner, signature validator, forensic review or complete redaction audit. See privacy and security for the site’s processing boundaries.
Sources and method
The checklist combines a review of the file you intend to share with Caspenda’s explicitly bounded inspection. Adobe’s sanitization documentation and redaction walkthrough describe removal of visible and hidden information. Reviewed September 30, 2026.