Protect PDF with Password Online for Free

Some documents simply shouldn't be readable by anyone who happens to get hold of the file — bank statements, medical records, contracts, payslips and ID scans among them. Password-protecting a PDF encrypts its contents so that only someone with the password can open it. If the file is forwarded, leaked or intercepted, it stays unreadable without the key.

PDFOrca adds strong AES encryption to your PDF and locks it behind a password you choose. From that point on, opening the document requires the password, giving you real control over who can see what's inside.

When you should protect a PDF

• Emailing sensitive files — a locked attachment is safe even if it lands in the wrong inbox.
• Sharing financial or legal documents that must stay confidential.
• Storing personal records where a device might be lost or shared.
• Distributing paid content you want to keep behind a password.

Choosing a password that actually protects you

Encryption is only as strong as the password behind it. Use something long and unpredictable rather than a name or date, and share it through a different channel than the file itself — text the password if you emailed the document, for instance. Crucially, there's no back door: if you forget the password, the file genuinely can't be opened, so store it somewhere safe. A password protects who can open the file; if you also want to visibly mark it, add a label with Add Watermark.

Related tools

If you're the owner of a file whose password has become inconvenient, Unlock PDF removes it. Bundle documents together with Merge PDF before protecting the whole set, and shrink a large file for sharing with Compress PDF — then apply the password last.