PDF Metadata Editor

What this tool does

The PDF Metadata Editor loads a PDF file in your browser, reads its existing metadata from the PDF Info dictionary, displays those values in editable fields, and writes back whatever you change when you click Save. The eight standard fields covered are Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Creation Date, and Modification Date. The updated PDF is downloaded locally — nothing is transmitted to a server at any point.

Why you might need it

PDF metadata is often an afterthought. Documents exported from word processors carry whatever metadata the application populated at the time — sometimes a default title that is the filename, an author field containing the first person who ever opened the template, or a producer string identifying the exact version of the software used. When documents are published, archived, or shared, stale or incorrect metadata creates problems.

Search engines and document management systems index PDF metadata. A research paper whose Title field is “Untitled” will not be discovered through a metadata-based search. A legal exhibit whose Author field names a paralegal who left the firm three years ago may raise unnecessary questions during discovery. A collection of scanned tax records with no keywords is harder to filter in a document archive than one where each PDF is tagged with the tax year and category.

Privacy is another common motivation. Software metadata sometimes reveals internal details — proprietary application names, internal usernames, revision numbers, or production system identifiers — that organisations do not want visible in documents shared externally. Clearing or correcting the Creator and Producer fields before distribution removes those identifiers.

How to use it

1. Drop your PDF onto the dropzone or click to browse.
2. The tool reads the existing metadata and populates the fields automatically. Fields that are empty in the source PDF will appear blank.
3. Edit any fields you want to change. Leave fields blank to clear them, or use Clear all fields to reset everything at once.
4. Enter keywords as a comma-separated list — the tool splits on commas and newlines automatically.
5. Optionally update the Creation Date or Modification Date using the date picker; leave them blank if you do not want to override the existing dates.
6. Click Save metadata and wait for the indicator to finish.
7. Download the updated PDF with Download PDF.

Common pitfalls

Some PDFs store metadata in two places: the legacy Info dictionary (what this tool edits) and an embedded XMP stream. XMP metadata is a more modern XML-based format that some applications prefer. pdf-lib updates the Info dictionary; it does not modify the XMP stream. In practice most PDF viewers show Info dictionary values, but professional publishing tools may prefer the XMP version. If consistent metadata across both locations is required, use a desktop tool such as Adobe Acrobat or ExifTool after applying your changes here.

The Keywords field accepts a plain text string. Different PDF viewers and indexers interpret keyword separators differently — some expect commas, others semicolons or spaces. The tool splits on commas and newlines for consistency, but the stored value in the PDF is a plain string, so the separator that your PDF viewer or indexer expects may differ.

Tips and alternatives

When editing metadata for a batch of similar documents — such as a set of quarterly reports — decide on a consistent Author and Keywords convention before you start, so that the documents are uniformly searchable. For documents intended for public distribution, a descriptive Title and a thorough Subject and Keywords entry significantly improve discoverability in search engines that index PDFs.

If you need to strip all identifying metadata before sharing a sensitive document, use the Clear all fields button and leave every text field blank. This removes the author, creator, and producer information that software often inserts without asking. Pair this with the PDF Password Protector if you also want to restrict what recipients can do with the file.