Before processing
Use a unique opening password, store it through an appropriate separate channel, and confirm the recipient can receive it without placing the password beside the PDF.
Online PDF tool
Password-protect a PDF with an opening password
Add an opening password to sensitive documents before you send, upload, or archive them, then share the password separately.
Nothing to install, and your first eligible task finishes before you sign in. TapScanner has 100M+ mobile downloads
Drop your PDF here
Drag a file in, or choose one — it opens in the workspace below, already loaded.
PDF, up to 20 MB. Larger files still work — add them in the workspace itself.
What you get
A password-protected PDF copy for controlled opening
Add an opening password to a PDF and download a protected copy for a workflow that requires access control.
- Add an opening password
- Protect sensitive documents
- Create a secured PDF copy
See the workflow before you start
Protect PDF: from your file to a checked result
Add an opening password to a PDF and download a protected copy for a workflow that requires access control. The three decisions below show what to provide, what to configure, and what to verify before you share the output.
Select the PDF you want to protect.
Enter and confirm a strong password.
Apply protection and download the secured PDF.
Your file
1Choose the setting
2Ready to review
3Result to check
Set and confirm a strong password, download the protected PDF, and test it before sharing the password through a separate channel.
Plan the job
Prepare and verify Protect PDF
A quick source check prevents avoidable rework. After processing, open the output and verify the details that matter for this specific PDF task.
Before relying on the result
Test the protected copy in another reader, verify the password prompt and complete document, and keep an accessible original because TapScanner cannot recover a forgotten password.
How it works
How to use Protect PDF in three steps
Select the PDF you want to protect.
Enter and confirm a strong password.
Apply protection and download the secured PDF.
Complete the job
Protect PDF from upload to a checked result
Follow the whole path before you start: choose the source, set the job, run the workspace, verify the output, and continue only when the result is right for its next use.
Choose the source
Configure the job
Run the tool
Check the result
Continue
After processing
Review, download, and continue after Protect PDF
A completed result still deserves a quick check. Keep the original, inspect the output type and contents, and decide what should happen next before you share it.
Output to verify
Result type: PDF outputAdd an opening password to a PDF and download a protected copy for a workflow that requires access control.
Check page order, orientation, text, permissions, and any visible signatures before sharing the PDF.
Review the output
Check page order, text, orientation, and the number of files in the workspace before sending anything.
Download your copy
Use the workspace Download action after the result is ready. A browser handoff does not prove that a file was saved to disk.
Delete now when offered
If this workspace offers Delete now, use it after downloading. Availability depends on the tool and current result path.
Continue with the next task
Keep the source until you have verified the result, then move to a related PDF task or return to the tools catalog.
Practical example
Protect a confidential briefing before sharing
Starting point
A briefing must be sent to an intended recipient with a password required when the PDF is opened.
Result to check
Set and confirm a strong password, download the protected PDF, and test it before sharing the password through a separate channel.
Premium and Protect PDF
When Protect PDF needs more than Free
Protecting a document is usually the last step of a longer job — the edit, redaction, and comparison before it are Premium tools.
Usually next: Set the permissions you want, then confirm the file opens with the password.
Paddle shows the exact amount, taxes, renewal date, and any eligible trial before you confirm. Stop future renewals yourself from your TapScanner billing account.
- OCR that makes scans searchable and selectable
- Editing the text that already exists in a PDF
- Repair for files that refuse to open
- Compare two revisions and see what changed
- Up to 100 files and 1 GB in one task, no page cap
- No daily job cap, subject to fair-use protection
Work with confidence
Clear limits and an output you can review
Know the access level
The first eligible task can be completed before login. Current file, page, and usage limits are shown in the workspace.
Keep document data out of analytics
TapScanner web's application data layer rejects filenames and document contents. Published analytics destinations require separate configuration verification.
Temporary storage during processing
Hosted processing paths may use temporary files. In the pinned core's normal download path, the output file is removed when the stream closes; scheduled cleanup covers stale temporary files.
Hosted processing
Web tools may send files to TapScanner's hosted processing service. We do not currently offer a customer-selectable processing region, so do not assume processing stays on your device or in a particular country.
Delete when offered
Delete-now is available only when a result screen explicitly offers it; it is not yet supported by every web tool.
Check the finished file
Open the downloaded result and verify important pages, values, formatting, and permissions before relying on it.
Compare PDF tools
Choose between Protect PDF and the next likely tools
Match the tool to the result you need now. The current choice is shown first, followed by three focused alternatives for a different document outcome.
Current tool
Protect PDF
- Choose this tool when you need
- A password-protected PDF copy for controlled opening
Alternative
Unlock PDF
- Choose this tool when you need
- An accessible PDF copy with a known password removed
Alternative
Redact PDF
- Choose this tool when you need
- A reviewed PDF with selected content permanently redacted
Alternative
Sign PDF
- Choose this tool when you need
- A PDF with your visual signature placed on the page
Before you start
Not sure this is the right job?
Questions
Protect PDF FAQ
Can I use Protect PDF for free?
Yes. Your first eligible task can be completed before login. TapScanner shows the current file, page, and daily limits before processing.
Can TapScanner recover a forgotten PDF password?
No. Store the password safely and share it separately; losing it can make the protected document inaccessible.
Do I need to install software for Protect PDF?
No. TapScanner runs in a modern web browser, so you can upload, process, and download the result without installing desktop software.
Ready to use Protect PDF?
Add your file and finish the job. The limits that apply are shown before processing starts, not after it fails.
Open Protect PDF