View Custom PDF Properties and Edit Metadata

Q: How do I see all PDF document properties, including title and author?

List properties shows the custom entries only. For the full set, run PDF Info on the same file. It shows title, author, subject, creator, producer, both dates, keywords and custom properties, plus the page count and PDF version.

Q: Does changing Title also change the file name or a page heading?

No. Title is metadata stored inside the PDF, separate from the file name and the text on its pages. A reader may show the title or the file name in its tab or title bar. Set a descriptive title for the document, then rename the downloaded file separately if you need a matching file name.

Q: Why did the tool report an error instead of creating a PDF?

Check for a line in Property pairs (key=value) without an =, a reserved name such as Keywords or Producer, or a removal where none of the names exists in the file. Names are case-sensitive. A PDF that asks for a password when opened must be unlocked first.

No PDF selectedList custom PDF properties, or add and remove metadata fields.

PropertiesPDFs are shared across all tools.

Which PDF document properties can you view and change here?

List the custom properties stored in a PDF, then add or remove fields such as Project or Department. You can also edit standard metadata such as Title and Author with Add properties. To view title, author, dates and the full metadata set, open PDF Info with the same file from Uploads. These actions change document metadata while keeping the visible page content intact.

Cost: Free to use. File size and usage limits apply.

How to view and edit PDF properties

Upload one PDF
Click Upload PDF or drop a file onto the preview area. Files up to 200 MB are accepted. You can also pick a PDF from Uploads, including a result from another PDF tool.
List what is stored
List properties is the default Action. Click Apply properties to read the custom properties without changing the file. Each appears as a Name = Value line that you can Copy or save with Download result.
Choose Add or Remove
Switch Action to Add properties or Remove properties. The Property pairs (key=value) box or the Property names box appears below it.
Enter names and values
Write one Name=Value pair per line, for example Title=Q3 Sales Report. For removal, enter names such as Author, Subject.
Apply and download
Click Apply properties. The preview switches to the updated PDF and Download result saves it. The result also stays in Uploads, so you can check it with PDF Info right away.

Settings explained

Action: List properties: Returns the custom properties as plain text. Standard fields such as Title and Author are not part of this list. The PDF is not changed, and a file without custom properties gives an empty list.
Action: Add properties: Writes each pair into the file. A new name is created; an existing one gets the new value. This works for Title, Author, Subject and Creator as well as for names of your own, such as Department or Project code.
Action: Remove properties: Deletes the named entries and keeps all others. Names are case-sensitive: author does not remove Author. If none of the names you enter exists in the file, you get an error message instead of a new PDF.
Property pairs (key=value): Starts empty. Enter at least one pair, one per line, and put an = in every line. Everything before the first = is the name, the rest is the value, so Subject=Q3 = final keeps the second equals sign and commas stay part of the value. Spaces around name and value are trimmed. Unicode values such as Jörg Müller are supported. If a name appears twice, the last line wins.
Property names: Starts empty. Enter at least one name, separated from others by commas or line breaks. Spaces inside a name are kept, so Project code stays one name. Match the spelling exactly, including capitals.
Reserved names: Keywords, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate and Trapped cannot be added or removed through these property fields. For keywords, use PDF Keywords. Use the exact standard names when editing title, author, subject or creator; a lower-case name such as author is a separate custom property.

Where PDF document properties are stored

A PDF can carry a document information dictionary: name and value entries stored alongside the pages. The PDF standard defines Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator (the program that made the original document), Producer (the software that wrote the PDF), CreationDate, ModDate and Trapped. Any other name is a custom property, for example a client number used by a document archive.

This tool edits document metadata. Pages look exactly as before: text and images are not re-rendered or re-encoded, and bookmarks and form fields are kept. Because the PDF is written again, its size can change.

Many PDFs also contain XMP metadata, an embedded XML block that can hold a second copy of standard fields such as title and author. Adding or removing a standard field updates the resulting document's metadata consistently. A change to metadata does not rewrite matching words printed on a page: changing Title will not replace a heading, and removing Author will not remove a name printed under it.

As a rule of thumb, Title is the field worth setting before you publish a PDF. Viewers and search engines can display it instead of a file name such as draft_v3_final.pdf.

Formats and limits

Input format: PDF. Files that need a password to open must be unlocked first with Unlock PDF. PDFs with only permission restrictions can be edited and stay protected.
Output of List properties: Plain text, one Name = Value line per custom property, to copy or download as a .txt file
Output of Add and Remove: PDF with the same pages and the updated properties
Maximum file size: 200 MB
Files per job: 1 PDF
Processing: On our servers with the pdfcpu PDF library. No external or AI service is involved. A job can run for up to 15 minutes.
Watermark: None
Storage: Uploads and results are deleted automatically after 48 hours for guests and after 30 days for free accounts. Paid plans can keep files longer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I see all PDF document properties, including title and author?

List properties shows the custom entries only. For the full set, run PDF Info on the same file. It shows title, author, subject, creator, producer, both dates, keywords and custom properties, plus the page count and PDF version.

Does changing Title also change the file name or a page heading?

No. Title is metadata stored inside the PDF, separate from the file name and the text on its pages. A reader may show the title or the file name in its tab or title bar. Set a descriptive title for the document, then rename the downloaded file separately if you need a matching file name.

Why did the tool report an error instead of creating a PDF?

Check for a line in Property pairs (key=value) without an =, a reserved name such as Keywords or Producer, or a removal where none of the names exists in the file. Names are case-sensitive. A PDF that asks for a password when opened must be unlocked first.

Does removing Author make a PDF anonymous?

Not on its own. This action removes the chosen metadata field. Identifying details can also appear in the title, subject, custom properties, comments or page text. Check the metadata of the downloaded result and read its pages before sharing it. Remove PDF Annotations can remove comments and other annotations; visible names in the page text need a separate edit.

Can I edit named destinations (nameddest) here?

No. A named destination is a jump target inside the document; a link such as report.pdf#nameddest=summary opens the PDF there in viewers that support the parameter. Named destinations live in the document's name tree, not in the document properties, so this tool neither lists nor changes them.