How to put a password on a PDF

If you're emailing something sensitive (a bank statement, a contract, an offer letter), a password on the PDF means only the person with it can open the file. Here's how to add one.

How to do it

1. Open Protect PDF and choose your file.
2. Set a password. Make it something you'll remember but nobody could guess. If you lose it, there's no reset. That's the whole point.
3. Download the protected copy. From now on, anyone who opens it gets asked for the password first.

The encryption runs on your device, so the file you're locking never leaves your computer to begin with.

Send it the right way

Here's the mistake people make: they email the password in the same message as the file. If that inbox gets into the wrong hands, they have both. Send the PDF in the email, and send the password another way, over a text or a quick call.

Locking vs. unlocking

Adding a password and removing one are opposites. If you already have a PDF that asks for a password, and you know it and want a copy without it, use Unlock PDF instead.

One honest limit: a password controls who can open the file. It doesn't stop someone who already has that password from resharing what's inside. It's about access, not permanent control.

Password-protect a PDF here. Free, no sign-up, done in your browser.