RedactPDF.ai Uses Google Gemini to Suggest Permanent PDF Redactions

Summary

RedactPDF.ai is a free, open-source service that scans uploaded PDFs and suggests areas that may contain sensitive information, including names, email addresses, physical addresses, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and financial data. It sends page images to Google Gemini 3.8 Flash through the Gemini Developer API for this detection step. Users must review the suggestions before downloading the result and can keep, move, resize, remove, or draw redaction boxes themselves. The service says the finished PDF removes both the visible content and its selectable text layer, rather than merely placing a black rectangle over text that could still be copied. The original PDF, page images, and working files are deleted from the service’s servers within one hour of use. The first five uploads are available without an account; registered users retain free access with unlimited uploads. The site warns that AI suggestions are only suggestions and that users control every redaction before the file is generated. It also explains the risk of ineffective black-box redactions through examples involving government and court documents whose hidden text was recoverable. The project is open source and describes itself as a companion to OpenGreenCard, where users may want to share application documents without exposing personal details.