Remove, do not cover
Redact in Stirling PDF is a removal tool; a highlight, a drawn rectangle in Sign, or a website whiteout is not this job. If you can still copy the hidden digits, you did not redact; official product docs live at docs.stirlingpdf.com. Install: Windows or Docker, home; leaving web tools: move PDF tools off the web; Acrobat mapping: import from Adobe.
Redact versus cover versus a password
| Topic | Redact | Sign / draw a box | Password |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job | Remove content | Place a mark | Restrict opening or editing |
| Text still copyable? | Must not be, after a real redact | Often yes | Yes, once opened |
| Desktop local | On the install you run | Yes, Sign is local | Separate tool |
| Docker | Yes at http://localhost:8080 | Yes | Yes on the server you run |
| Website whiteout | Different privacy shape | Different privacy shape | Vendor’s rules |
| Search the output | Always | Not the test | Not the test |
| OCR first | Sometimes, for scans | No | No |
| Adobe Acrobat redact | Different vendor | Adobe Sign is different | Adobe’s product |
| File host | GitHub / Docker image | Same install | Same install |
| Skip wrappers | Softonic, CNET | Same | Same |
After you save, search the output for the old string; if it still hits, start again. If an ID sits in an attachment or in metadata, redact did not see it.
Install, then open Redact
Windows desktop:
winget install StirlingTools.StirlingPDFIf winget is missing, How to install winget; MSI Stirling-PDF-windows-x86_64.msi lands in C:\Program Files\Stirling-PDF; no desktop login; if there is no window, install WebView2 Runtime.
Docker:
docker-compose up -dImage docker.stirlingpdf.com/stirlingtools/stirling-pdf:latest; open http://localhost:8080; change admin / stirling; to skip login:
SECURITY_ENABLELOGIN=falsePages: PDF editor download, PDF editor Docker; JAR: JAR server.
Steps
- Use winget for Windows desktop or compose for Docker so the Redact tool is on this machine.
- Choose Redact when text must leave the file, not a draw tool that only covers it.
- Enter every word or select every area that must go, including repeats on later pages.
- Apply redaction, save a new file on this machine, and keep the original until you have checked the output.
- Open the result and search for the old string before you send it, so a hidden copy cannot remain.
If the file is a scan with no selectable text, run OCR a PDF on a server first. Desktop local cannot OCR; then redact and search again.
Scans, Cloud, and private files
Official Modes docs: merge, split, rotate, and sign run offline on desktop; OCR and some conversions need Stirling Cloud or a self-hosted server. If you left a website because the file was private, do not send the same file to Stirling Cloud for OCR. Run Docker on localhost or your LAN.
A public flyer can still use a vendor website; names, payroll, and medical scans fail that test. Related jobs: sign a PDF (a mark, not removal), rotate a PDF, merge pdf, split pdf.
Self-host stays free up to 5 users; Server is about US$99 per month or about US$999 per year. Enterprise is custom; read Paid Offerings and stirling.com/pricing; desktop local redact does not need those paid tiers.
What not to do
Do not draw a name over an ID and call it redaction; do not email the original next to the redacted file. Do not trust a viewer zoom as proof; search; do not fetch Stirling from Softonic; safe notes: is it safe, download safe; Guides.
Most of the public repo is MIT (Copyright 2025 Stirling PDF Inc.) with directory exceptions; folders such as proprietary, saas, engine, desktop, cloud, and portal use other licenses. Files stay on GitHub Releases and docker.stirlingpdf.com.
Common questions
Does a black box in this PDF editor remove the text? Not if you only drew a rectangle in Sign or an annotate tool. Redact is the removal job; after you save, search the output for the old string. If it still hits, the job was not redaction; official docs at docs.stirlingpdf.com describe the Redact tool.
Can I redact a PDF on Windows desktop without Docker? Redact is a product tool on the install you run. Desktop is the usual personal install, with no login; Docker still works at http://localhost:8080 if that is your server. Use one install; for leaving web whiteout tools, see move PDF tools off the web.
Is redaction the same as encrypting a PDF? No. Redact removes content; a password tool restricts opening or editing. You can still leak a secret if it sits in an unredacted attachment or in metadata. Redact the pages, then decide if the file also needs a password.
Does redact need OCR first? Search-and-remove needs a text layer. A scan with no selectable text may need OCR on a server first; official Modes docs: desktop local cannot OCR. Run Docker or a JAR, then OCR a PDF, then redact and search the output.
Is website whiteout the same as this PDF editor? No. A website that paints over a number still uploaded the file; Stirling desktop keeps work on the device. Stirling Docker keeps it on the container you run; search the local output; skip Softonic and CNET when you fetch the app.
Frequently asked questions
Does a black box in this PDF editor remove the text?
Not if you only drew a rectangle in Sign or an annotate tool. Redact is the removal job. After you save, search the output for the old string. If it still hits, the job was not redaction. Official docs at docs.stirlingpdf.com describe the Redact tool.
Can I redact a PDF on Windows desktop without Docker?
Redact is a product tool on the install you run. Desktop is the usual personal install, with no login. Docker still works at http://localhost:8080 if that is your server. Use one install. For leaving web whiteout tools, see move PDF tools off the web.
Is redaction the same as encrypting a PDF?
No. Redact removes content. A password tool restricts opening or editing. You can still leak a secret if it sits in an unredacted attachment or in metadata. Redact the pages, then decide if the file also needs a password.
Does redact need OCR first?
Search-and-remove needs a text layer. A scan with no selectable text may need OCR on a server first. Official Modes docs: desktop local cannot OCR. Run Docker or a JAR, then OCR a PDF, then redact and search the output.
Is website whiteout the same as this PDF editor?
No. A website that paints over a number still uploaded the file. Stirling desktop keeps work on the device. Stirling Docker keeps it on the container you run. Search the local output. Skip Softonic and CNET when you fetch the app.