About DocClean

DocClean is built for one simple goal: help you share documents without oversharing personal data. Many everyday PDFs — bank statements, letters, tenancy documents, HR paperwork, care records, invoices — contain identifiers that people don't intend to disclose (emails, phone numbers, addresses, reference numbers, signatures, barcodes and more).

Who built this

DocClean is built and maintained by an independent developer. It started from a simple, recurring frustration: being asked to send a bank statement, payslip, or ID document to a landlord, employer, or organisation that only needed to see part of it — and not having a quick way to remove the rest without uploading the file to yet another third-party server.

DocClean isn't a law firm, an accredited compliance provider, or a substitute for professional advice — it's a practical tool built to solve a specific, common problem well. Where the site references GDPR, CCPA, or other regulations, that's general orientation to help you think about what to remove, not a certified legal opinion.

How the redaction system actually works

DocClean processes your PDF entirely inside your browser. It renders each page, runs OCR (via Tesseract.js) to find text — including on scanned pages with no existing text layer — and matches that text against pattern-based rules for common identifiers (emails, phone numbers, National Insurance numbers, postcodes, and more; see how to use DocClean for the full list). You review and adjust before anything is finalised. On export, each page is flattened into an image and rebuilt into a new file — see exactly what does and doesn't survive that process.

Limitations, honestly

Automatic detection is pattern-based and OCR-dependent — it catches most common cases, not everything, especially on lower-quality scans.
It doesn't understand context — it can miss unusual formats or misclassify an unfamiliar pattern.
It's not a certified or legally-accredited redaction product for regulated industries with formal compliance requirements — for those, get advice specific to your obligations.
Password-protected files may not load at all.

Because of this, we always recommend verifying the exported file yourself before sharing it: search for what you redacted, and try selecting/copying text over the redacted areas. See the full verification checklist.

What DocClean offers

Redact PDF: automatic detection for common patterns plus manual blocks and export options.
Convert PDF: export to other formats when you need compatibility or different output.
Create ZIP archive: bundle multiple files into a single compressed .zip for smaller email attachments and uploads (best done after redaction).
PDF metadata viewer: check what a PDF's metadata reveals before you share it.

If you're new, start with How to use and then open Redact PDF.

Found an error, or something not working?

Please tell us — see Contact & support for how to report a bug so it actually gets looked at.

Disclaimer

DocClean provides practical tooling and educational resources. Nothing on this site is legal, financial, or immigration advice. Always follow the requirements of the organisation you are dealing with and verify the exported file before sharing.